The Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary), popularly known as New Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral Nueva) is, together with the Old Cathedral, one of the two cathedrals of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. It is the seat of the diocese of Salamanca. It was constructed between 1533 and 1733 mixing late Gothic, Plateresque and Baroque styles. It was commissioned by Ferdinand V of Castile. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Spain in size and its bell tower, at 92 meters high, is also one of the tallest.
History
The New Cathedral was built between 1513 and 1733 preserving the Old Cathedral. At first they thought to demolish it, although the criterion was imposed to keep it open to the faithful while the construction of the new one was carried out. When the works were finished in the 18th century, they reconsidered the idea of destroying it and for that reason it is conserved at the present time. However, the south wall of the New Cathedral rests on the north wall of the Old one, which had to be reinforced towards the interior of the old temple, whose lateral nave was partially reduced with the new construction. The tower of the new cathedral was built over the bell tower of the Old Cathedral.
The idea of building a new cathedral arose in the 15th century due to the demographic increase of the city, especially because of the strong attraction of the University. Therefore, the Old Cathedral seemed at that time "small, dark and low". They had the support of King Ferdinand the Catholic (Ferdinand II of Aragon), who in 1509 ordered the architects who had worked in Toledo and Seville, Antón Egas and Alonso Rodríguez, to go to Salamanca to draw the design of the new temple.
The cathedral, after several discussions, was designed parallel to the old one, made of freestone from Villamayor and in Gothic architecture style. It has a rectangular plan, with three naves and two more niche chapels. In principle, the chevet was to end in an ambulatory and polygonal apses, but finally the project was changed to the current one, which finishes the temple with a rectangular chevet that makes a hall plan. The first stone was laid in 1512, being bishop of Salamanca Francisco de Bobadilla.
During most of the 17th century the works were stopped and were resumed again in the 18th century, until its completion in 1733. The cathedral suffered the devastating effects of the Lisbon earthquake, which occurred on November 1, 1755, leaving visible signs in the cracks and broken stained glass windows. After the earthquake, the dome had to be rebuilt (by Juan de Sagarvinaga) and the bell tower had to be reinforced, which was more slender, very similar to that of the Cathedral of Segovia. The belfry suffered serious damage during the earthquake, even tilting and threatening ruin. After consulting several architects who recommended its demolition, it was finally Baltasar Dreveton who proposed to strap it with 8 taut chains and line it with stone in the form of a slope reaching up to the body of bells (about 40 meters from the ground). The direction of this work was entrusted to Jerónimo García de Quiñones with Manuel de los Ríos. This is how it can be seen today, lined with stones and leaning to one side due to the Lisbon earthquake. Currently this catastrophe is remembered with the tradition of the "Mariquelo" on October 31.
Around 1812 the Napoleonic French army of occupation demolished the block of houses located to the north of the cathedral, creating the current Plaza de Anaya and highlighting the north façade, which was not prepared for exhibition and was not very attractive. This fact has caused that the best known photos of the cathedral are taken from this side, making us forget the main facade, much more interesting but located in a narrow street and without enough width to get good pictures.
It was declared a national monument by royal decree in 1887 and in 1999 Protective Environment.
Characteristics
The cathedral is, together with Cathedral of Segovia, one of the last two cathedrals of Gothic style to be built in Spain. The new cathedral was built, continuing with the late Gothic of its origins, between the 16th and 18th centuries, although at the end of the 16th century the chevet, thought with a Gothic ambulatory, was changed for a flat one and during the 18th century two elements were added that broke strikingly with the predominant style of the temple: a Baroque dome over the transept and the upper bodies of the bell tower. This bell tower is 93 meters high.
The plan and elevation of the building maintain a Gothic uniformity and the exterior presence of flying buttresses and buttresses, as well as the interior elevation of the naves attest to this.
The interior of the cathedral is very similar to that of the Cathedral of Seville. However, despite the fact that the side naves are not at the same height as the central nave, following the "ad triangulum" scheme typical of Gothic architecture, the church gives the impression of great amplitude and luminosity due to the compensation in height and the achievement of the interior space. The triforium, typical of buildings from the late Romanesque period, is replaced by two tribunes running around the perimeter of the cathedral and at two heights, allowing the aisles to be raised even higher. The pillars collect the weight of the vaults where each of the ribs of the vaults descends to the floor by the pillar in a thin column that helps to unload the weight. The vaults have all kinds of combinations of ribs, cambered and terceletes, which make them very attractive for their variety and complexity of work.
The New Cathedral has a plan with three naves and two more chapels-horns, which were finished in 1520 by Juan Gil de Hontañón the ones on the left and Juan de Álava the ones on the right. In 1538 Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón became the master builder of the cathedral, after the death of his father Juan Gil de Hontañón. At first an ambulatory was planned for the chevet and polygonal apses, but the delay in the work made the criteria change to a flat chevet, a decision taken in 1584 by the then master builder Juan Ribero de Rada, following the chevet model designed by Juan de Herrera in the Cathedral of Valladolid. In 1588 the Cantabrian master Juan de Nates was called in to continue the work.
The original dome was erected by Joaquín de Churriguera when the works were resumed, after being stopped for almost the entire 17th century, due to lack of budget. It was finished in 1725 and it seems that it was similar to that of the Cathedral of Burgos, with ribs and baroque decoration. The earthquake of Lisbon in 1755 cracked the central dome and replaced it with another Neoclassical one made by the architect Juan de Sagarvinaga, which is the one that can be seen today.
Main Chapel
The Main Chapel has a rectangular plan, covered by starred vault with the same design as the rest of those of the central nave, but with the peculiarity that it is angled and polychrome.
The Chapel lacks altarpiece, as the one made by Alberto de Churriguera, completed only 11 years earlier, was dismantled in 1743. It was planned to replace it with a marble tabernacle designed by Ventura Rodríguez that would be located in the transept under the dome. The project could not be carried out due to its high cost. The Cathedral Museum, designed by Román Bravo Riesco, preserves a model of it.
On the ashlar wall there is a crimson velvet canopy and drop on which appears an image of the Virgin of the Assumption by Esteban de Rueda from 1624, polychromed by Antonio González. The angels that accompany her are the work of Francisco Sánchez.
On the entablature that crowns the walls of the presbytery appear the image of Religion, angels and Church Fathers from the disappeared altarpiece.
The marble and jasper tabernacle by Simón Gavilán (1750) and the silver urns with the remains of Saint John of Sahagún and Saint Thomas of Villanova stand out.
Choir
It was built between 1730 and 1740 by Joaquín de Churriguera. The choir stalls, in two sections, high and low, are the work of several artists. The grille that closes the choir and the one that closes the Main Chapel are the work of Duperier.
Organs
The New Cathedral of Salamanca has two organs:
- The Epistle Organ, of Renaissance style. Built in the 16th century.
- The Gospel Organ, Baroque style. Built in 1744 by Master Pedro Echaverría. It was modified in the 19th century, changing its original factory. Around 1950 the organ was tuned. A Belgian specialist was called, who was astonished to learn that it had not been tuned for almost a century, given its perfect condition thanks to the dry climate of the area. In 1992, with the help of the Japanese monarchy, and at the suggestion of the Japanese master Tsuji, the organ was restored, regaining its primitive character and installing an electric system for the air pumps.
Lateral chapels and altars
They were designed with a single model, with the front corresponding to the part reserved for the altar or altarpiece, opening in the other walls arcosolios originally intended for burials. They are covered with different star-shaped vaults. The grilles that close them are of different styles and qualities, depending on the moment of their construction. The azulejos fronts that decorate some altars also stand out.
The chapels are the following:
Chapel of San Clemente
The altarpiece presents paintings of the Virgin del Socorro and Saint Clement. From this chapel there is access to the exterior terrace above the main doorway.
Chapel of Diego de Neyla
It is not a closed chapel as such, since it is located in the section occupied externally by the Puerta de Ramos. It highlights the tomb of Canon Diego de Neyla, who died in 1577, a Renaissance work that incorporates a panel with the Virgin, the Child and San Juanito, surrounded by angels and God the Father. Above the Gothic arcosolium there is a beautiful Renaissance fresco with the Annunciation. To the right, the tomb of Archdeacon Roque de Vergas.
Chapel of Santiago and Santa Teresa or de Almansa
The altarpiece is dedicated to the two co-patrons of Spain, work of Antonio González Ramiro in 1628 with sculptures by Antonio de Paz. The chapel also contains the tombs of two of the most influential bishops of the city in recent times: Tomás de Cámara y Castro, who died in 1904, and Francisco Frutos Valiente, who died in 1933.
Chapel of Nuestra. Señora de la Verdad
Founded by Bishop Antonio Corrionero, the tombs by Antonio de Paz stand out. It takes its name from a dispute between a Christian and a Jew in which he witnessed the image of the Virgin, from the 12th century re-carved and polychrome in the Baroque, with a slight head movement.
Chapel of San Antonio
It presents altarpiece and titular image work of local artists in the 18th century, with a canvas of the Magdalena copy of the original of Alessandro Allori, located in the attic. It emphasizes a canvas of the martyrdom of the Baptist signed in 1621 by Santiago Jerónimo Espinosa.
Altar of the Christ of the Redeeming Agony
It is located in the north arm of the transept. The image is one of the most spectacular and beautiful of all the New Cathedral. It is an anonymous work of the 15th century, it is a Crucified Christ with three nails. Its polychromy reveals a great realism in the treatment of the body and the details of the veins that can be seen in it. He is dead, with his eyes open and his mouth ajar. It has natural hair, which adds verism to the figure. It parades in the Holy Week in Salamanca with the Real Cofradía Penitencial del Santísimo Cristo Yacente de la Misericordia y de la Agonía Redentora on Holy Thursday at midnight. At the foot of the Cross there are bones and a skull that, according to tradition, represents Adam.
In front of this altar is buried Francisco de Bobadilla, the bishop who laid the first stone of the cathedral.
Chapel of the Virgin of la Cabeza
It highlights a seated Gothic Virgin with the Child in her arms. It also guards the group of "la Borriquilla", which parades on Palm Sunday with the Hermandad de Jesús Amigo de los Niños.
Chapel of the Virgin of Lourdes or San Tirso (10)
It contains images of Fathers of the Church coming from the old tabernacle of the main altar and an image of the titular of the chapel.
Chapel of the Virgin of the Pilar
It houses an 18th-century painting representing the Coming of the Virgin to Zaragoza and a Gothic sculpture of the Virgin of Pilar.