The monastery of San Esteban (St Stephen) in Salamanca (Spain) dates back to the 16th century and belongs to the Dominican order. It is mainly in the Gothic style, although Renaissance elements and Baroque and Plateresque decorations can also be admired. The two-storey cloister of the kings is well worth seeing.
According to legend, Christopher Columbus discussed his idea of finding the western route to India with geographers from the University of Salamanca here in the monastery.
Cloister
The Cloister of the Kings was completed in 1544 and the ten-arched Tuscan-style portico of the monastery in 1599. In the four corners are depictions of the life of the Lord. The Renaissance arches are decorated with Plateresque motifs.
The Church
The west façade impresses with its rich decorations in the Plateresque style.
It consists of three parts, the lower of which depicts the four religious saints Dominic, Francis, Hyacinth and Catherine of Siena. The medallions on the doors depict Moses and
Elijah, the allegories on the walls Adam and Eve. The medallions depict St James, David and St George, among others.
The martyrdom (stoning) of St Stephen is depicted in relief in the centre of the second corpus.
The medallions belong to Solomon and Abraham with the sacrifice of Isaac, all flanked by the Doctors of the Church: St Andrew, St Thomas, St John the Evangelist and St Peter the Martyr. The artist's name can be read on the relief of the martyrdom with the saint lying on the ground, and the date of completion of the work, 1610, is inscribed on the stone held by one of the executioners.
In the upper part there is a Calvary, a work by Juan Antoni Ceroni (the same artist as the Martyrdom) from the 17th century, above which there is a medallion depicting the Eternal Father together with St Peter, St Paul, St Leo and St Gregory.
The three-part Baroque gold retable of the high altar is the work of José de Churriguera. Numerous winding columns and countless leaf and grape ornaments adorn the retable.
Above the tabernacle is a depiction of the martyrdom of St Stephen.
Gallery
At the back of the gallery you can see a fresco depicting the triumph of the church thanks to the Dominican Order. Note the interesting ceiling of the nave.
The Sacristy
The sacristy in Italian-inspired Baroque style was built in the 17th century. Its walls are decorated with Corinthian pilasters. In a niche there is a polychrome portrait of the founder, Pedro de Herrera, Bishop of Tuy. The hall is dominated by a Christ, popularly known as Jesús de la Promesa (Jesus of the Promise).
Escalera de Soto
The Escalera de Soto was built between 1553 and 1556 by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón and connects the two galleries of the cloister.
Soto was the prior of the monastery. His motto from the Council of Trent ‘Fides viva’ adorns a relief on the wall of the staircase.
The staircase rests unsupported on the walls without any additional supports, creating an open space. It is decorated with flower pots and Mary Magdalene appears at the top in a polychrome relief.
