CAMPO DE SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco Park is the oldest historic garden in Salamanca. Its origin is closely linked to the vanished 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 Colegio Fonseca, the Capilla de la Veracruz, the Convento de las Úrsulas, the Palacio de Monterrey, and the Iglesia de La Purísima.

During the 18th century, the Campo was subject to various urban development projects. Initially, the construction of two barracks was proposed, but the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession prevented their execution. By the end of that century, the City Council decided to convert this space into an ornamental garden, with flowerbeds, 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 a garden with an orthogonal layout, structured in terraces that allowed overcoming the existing slope between the city 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 Peninsular War led to the definitive halt of the works.

In 1828, the City Council decided to restore the park, planting more than six hundred poplars and relocating the fountain from Monterrey small square. Access stairs and interior staircases were added to overcome the changes in elevation, creating a spectacular garden that soon became a meeting point for the people of Salamanca. However, in 1839, the construction of a bullring was authorized in the lower half of the park. The bullring was demolished a few years later, once 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 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 Salmantine 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 imbued the place in its origins.

San Francisco Park is bounded by the Paseo de Carmelitas and the streets Ramón y Cajal, Domínguez Berrueta, and Campo de San Francisco. It was built on land with a marked slope towards the Arroyo de los Milagros (Miracles Stream), currently channeled, which influenced 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 preserves its original structure, the park has seen its original area reduced over the centuries. In 1830, part of the land was ceded for the construction of a bullring, on whose site the College of the Adoratrices was later built.

Currently, its area is approximately 8,500m2. It has a rectangular plan and is bounded by stone walls. Its interior is divided into grid-like flowerbeds that are articulated by two walks running through the park from west to east. In the western wall, which encloses the park and separates it from the Paseo de San Vicente, two prominent elements are integrated: the old Savings Bank library and an ornamental fountain, flanked by twisted columns. Next to it, stairs provide 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 Salamanca Savings Bank: 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 created in 1976.
• Next to the Chapel of Vera Cruz is the Humilladero (Wayside Cross) where every Good Friday the Act of the Descent from the Cross takes place, one of the most emotional moments of Salamanca's Holy Week.