Chapel of Santa Teresa
Chapel of Santa Teresa
Occupying the former Qibla wall is the chapel of Cardinal Salazar, founded under the invocation of Saint Teresa. Francisco Hurtado Izquierdo was responsible for constructing a space reflecting the maturity of the Baroque. To do this, he designed an octagonal space covered by a dome whose tambour is perforated by windows. For the first time the architect also includes extensive decoration based on plasterwork, which repeats the motif of the acanthus leaves. The elevation is structured around pilasters and blind semi-circular arches that house canvases by the painter Antonio Palomino. These compositions, The Martyrdom of Saint Acisclus and Saint Victoria, The conquest of Cordoba by Fernando III the Saint and The appearance of Saint Raphael to Father Roelas show three fundamental scenes from the city's devotional history.
The memory of the founder, Bishop Pedro de Salazar y Toledo, is not only visible on his tomb but can also be seen in the entrance to this area, with the presence of his shield on the red and black marble façade, and in the Viso del Sagrario, by Virgil Castelli, which the cardinal himself brought back from one of his stays in Rome.
The chapel is presided over by the altarpiece which houses the superb sculpture of Saint Teresa of Ávila, made by José de Mora. The same sculptor was responsible for creating the series of saints which appear between the arches of the chapel.
This space currently houses other first class works of art. Highlights are the Processional custody of Corpus Christi, corresponding to the authorship of Enrique de Arfe, and the small silver sculptures of the Appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene and Jesus' Encounter with the Samaritan, anonymous pieces of Neapolitan origin.