CAMPO DE SAN FRANCISCO

The Campo de San Francisco is the oldest historical garden in Salamanca. Its origin is closely linked to the disappeared convent of San Francisco el Grande, founded in the Middle Ages in the western part of the city, next to one of the gates of the Cerca Nueva (New Wall). The esplanade that stretched in front of the convent was known since ancient times as the Campo de San Francisco, an undeveloped space for centuries, but surrounded by emblematic buildings such as the Archbishop Fonseca Major College, the Chapel of Vera Cruz, the Convent of Las Úrsulas, the Monterrey Palace, and the Church of La Purísima.

During the 18th century, the Campo was subject to various urban planning projects. Initially, the construction of two barracks was proposed, but the outbreak of the War of Succession prevented their execution. By the end of that century, the City Council decided to convert this space into an ornamental garden, with parterres, fountains, and a sculpture dedicated to Charles III. The project was carried out in 1767 by the municipal architect Jerónimo García de Quiñones, who designed an orthogonal garden, structured in terraces that allowed overcoming the existing unevenness between the wall and the gardens of the Monterrey Palace. Shortly after, the construction of the College of the Order of Alcántara was planned. However, the opposition of the Franciscans and the start of the War of Independence caused the definitive halt of the works.

In 1828, the City Council decided to restore the park, planting more than six hundred poplars and moving the fountain from the Monterrey square. Access stairs and interior staircases were added to overcome the slopes, creating a spectacular garden that soon became a meeting point for Salamancans. However, in 1839, the construction of a bullring in the lower half of the park was authorized. The bullring was demolished a few years later, again leaving the site abandoned. Finally, in 1886, the Order of the Adoratrices acquired the land to build their convent.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the park underwent multiple renovations. In 1926, a small library managed by the Caja de Ahorros (Savings Bank) was installed, open during the warmer months and presided over by the sculptural ensemble created in honor of Gabriel y Galán, an ensemble now located at the entrance of the Gabriel y Galán Library. In 1976, a sculpture dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, a work by the Salamancan sculptor Venancio Blanco, was installed. This figure, with modern and expressive lines, pays homage to the saint who gives the park its name and evokes the Franciscan spirituality that permeated the place in its origins.

It was built on land with a marked slope towards the Miracles Stream, now channeled, which conditioned its design in terraces connected by staircases that articulate its different levels. The original project, dated 1767, was the work of Jerónimo García de Quiñones. Although it largely retains its primitive structure, the park's original surface area has been reduced over the centuries. In 1830, part of the land was ceded for the construction of a bullring, on whose plot the Colegio de las Adoratrices (College of the Adoratrices) was later built.

Currently, its surface area is around 8,500m2. It has a rectangular plan and is delimited by stone walls. Its interior is divided into grid-shaped parterres that are articulated from two paths running through the park from west to east. On the west wall, which encloses the park and separates it from the Paseo de San Vicente, two prominent elements are integrated: the old Caja de Ahorros (Savings Bank) library and an ornamental fountain, flanked by twisted columns. Next to it, stairs allow direct access from the park to the aforementioned promenade. Along the main axis of the garden, from west to east, we find the following elements:

• The library built in 1926 by the Caja de Ahorros de Salamanca: it is a small Neo-Plateresque building that for many years opened its doors during the spring and summer months.
• The fountain from Monterrey Square.
• The column with the city's coat of arms.
• The sculpture representing Saint Francis of Assisi, a work by Venancio Blanco in 1976.
• Next to the Chapel of Vera Cruz is the Humilladero (Crucifix), where every Good Friday the Act of the Descent takes place, one of the most emotional moments of Salamanca's Holy Week.