Church of the Divine Savior
The monumental altarpieces in Toledo Cathedral and Seville Cathedral were stunning, with their dizzying height and extravagant carvings and lavish use of gold leaf. We were very impressed. But then we visited the Iglesia Colegial del Salvador (Collegiate Church of the Divine Savior), which outdid the others.
The church that stands today was completed in 1712. Its brick exterior was pretty but relatively plain, so we were surprised to discover that inside was an explosion of Baroque maximalism. There were more than a dozen elaborate gold altarpieces, three of which were literally over-the-top, soaring all the way up to the ceiling high above. Unlike the cathedrals’ altarpieces, which were blocked from view by large choirs or hidden in side chapels, the Divine Savior’s altarpieces were all visible from the main nave. The effect was spectacular, in a “more is more’ way.
Any one of the magnificent side altarpieces would have been a worthy main altarpiece for another church. The lavish gold details almost obscured hundreds of statues, many of which were beautifully crafted and museum-quality. As an interesting contrast, the small stained glass windows had relatively simple geometric patterns. I think they were inspired by Mudéjar art, but they reminded me of psychedelic hippie posters from the 1960’s.
The crypt beneath the church was a large museum exhibiting artifacts unearthed as the church was repeatedly rebuilt over thousands of years. There were tombstones from the Roman basilica and pillars from the old mosque, still submerged in water (a reminder of how close we were to the Guadalquivir River). From the crypt, stairs led up to the Sacristy and other side rooms displaying paintings, tabernacles, and other treasures.
The Church of the Divine Savior is overshadowed by the larger and more famous Seville Cathedral, but its altarpieces are Baroque masterpieces that shouldn’t be missed. Admission is included with a ticket to Seville Cathedral, and is free on Sundays. I recommend visiting the church on a different day from the cathedral, so you can better appreciate its embarrassment of riches.
