IERONIMUS

After the reconquest of Toledo, King Alfonso VI of León ordered the repopulation of various settlements located south of the Duero, including Salamanca. The mission was entrusted to his son-in-law, the French count Raymond of Burgundy, husband of Doña Urraca —future queen of the Kingdom of León—, who completed the repopulation of the city in 1102. The counts appointed Jerónimo de Perigord as bishop, a French cleric who had been chaplain to El Cid and bishop of Valencia.

The exterior appearance of the Old Cathedral during the Middle Ages, surrounded by battlements, earned it the nickname fortis salmanticensis, in allusion to its fortress-like appearance. The layout of Santa María de la Sede included two towers at the foot of the temple: the taller one intended as a bell tower, and the lower one, the Torre Mocha, conceived for the defense of the enclosure. Until 1614, the lower room of the latter functioned as the cathedral's dungeon and was only accessible from inside the temple. The current door was opened that same year, when the space ceased to be used as a prison and became an access for Cathedral personnel, who for centuries occupied part of the towers as living quarters. Bell ringers and their families resided there until the 1960s.

From the beginning of the 18th century, the Bell Tower was subjected to successive reforms. After the fire caused in 1705 by a lightning strike, master Pantaleón Pontón Setién added the baroque finial that today constitutes the upper body of the tower. The overweight of this structure, which doubles the original height of the tower, caused the appearance of large cracks. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 further aggravated its condition, to the point of threatening ruin. Subsequent repairs included the placement of iron straps around the exterior perimeter of the Romanesque shaft, wooden ties in the interior rooms —taking advantage of window openings that were bricked up— and an exterior reinforcement of the tower's shaft using an ashlar lining with a sloping profile.

The origin of the current tour of the towers must be placed between 1998 and 2001, when restoration work was undertaken on the Torre Mocha and the Torre de las Campanas within the Master Plan for the Restoration of Salamanca Cathedral. Shortly after, thanks to an agreement between the Cathedral Chapter and the Salamanca City Council, the interior spaces of the towers were opened to the public.

Its opening to tourism in 2002 coincided with the 900th anniversary of the repopulation of the city. Since then, Ieronimus has consolidated itself as a unique and surprising space, becoming one of Salamanca's major tourist attractions. Over more than two decades, the visitable spaces have been expanded and the exhibition contents have been constantly renewed.

Access to Ieronimus is through the door of the Torre Mocha (Mutilated Tower), located in Plaza Juan XXIII. After crossing the entrance, the tour goes into the towers, authentic guardians of the city for over nine hundred years. Here, rooms that served as defensive spaces, bell-ringer's quarters, and areas for liturgy are preserved.

1.- THE DUNGEON ROOM.
Until 1614, this room served as the cathedral's dungeon and could only be accessed from inside the temple. The current door was opened that same year, when the space stopped being used as a prison and began to serve as access for Cathedral staff, who converted some tower spaces into living quarters. The remarkable thickness of the wall, which had to be perforated from the outside to allow entry to the old cell, is striking. The enclosure is covered by a pointed Gothic arch vault.

2.- THE JAILER'S QUARTERS.
This small room possibly served to guard the access to the dungeon, hence its name. Before the restoration, a toilet used by the families who lived in the tower was located here.

3.- THE GOVERNOR'S ROOM AND OLD CATHEDRAL.
This room is located above the entrance hall to the Old Cathedral. From a twin window, the entire central nave of the old temple can be seen. In the background, the main chapel stands out, presided over by two late medieval art masterpieces: the splendid altarpiece by the Delli brothers and the Last Judgment fresco, by Nicoló Delli (Nicolás Florentino). A screen allows us to appreciate the details of the altarpiece panels, which are difficult to observe from the ground.

The space is dedicated to the musical history of the cathedral. Salamanca boasted the first music professorship in Europe, and the close relationship between the University and the Cathedral Chapter fostered the arrival of distinguished musicians to the city. Reproductions of scores, ancient wind instruments, and other elements help understand the relevance of music in the cathedral sphere.

The Cathedral of Salamanca preserves an exceptional collection of Renaissance and Baroque instruments, some of which are exhibited here, such as orlos, shawms, a bassoon, and an oboe. The most unique piece in the collection is a marine trumpet, of which only two examples are known in Spain: the one preserved in the Music Museum of Barcelona and the one displayed in this room.

4.- THE MOCHA TOWER ROOM.
The floor of this room corresponds to the level of the medieval defense tower. The reforms carried out in the 18th century, when the tower lost its defensive value, raised its height by one floor. The spiral staircase is later than the construction of the medieval tower and was executed by perforating the wall from top to bottom. Before its restoration, the room housed a dwelling and was divided by partitions.

Today, this space invites visitors to discover the importance of the cathedral archives, an authentic guardian of the history of the Cathedral and the city. Here, the work of the archivists, who for centuries have preserved unique documents and treasures, is highlighted. Historical pieces and unique objects can be admired in the display cases, among which stands out the famous Cid's Pectoral Christ, an exquisite Romanesque crucifix of gilded and enameled copper, characteristic of the Limoges School.

In the center of the room, the sculpture Lumen Spiralis, by artist Esther Pizarro, has been installed. It is a spiral-shaped grating over 12 meters long. If we unfold the spiral, we see the city's profile, with the Bell Tower as the highest point. It pays homage to the cathedral archive and its archivists. It is formed by stacked book spines, which in turn are composed of letters from the Latin and Greek alphabets. Only one legible phrase is at the top: the beginning of the Gospel of Saint John “Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος" (In the beginning was the Word).

5.- THE UPPER ROOM
It is a transition space, a distributor from which one can access the terrace of the Torre Mocha, the Vault Room, and the walkway leading to the Torre del Gallo (Rooster Tower) and the New Cathedral.

With the declaration of the Cathedral as a National Historic Artistic Monument in 1887, modern restoration campaigns of the monument began, initiated by architect Repullés y Vargas. A timeline informs us about the successive restorations carried out since then.

6.- ROOSTER TOWER WALKWAY AND PATIO CHICO
Before entering the New Cathedral, a walkway leads up to the height of the Torre del Gallo, from where it is possible to admire all its details up close. From this point, a balcony also offers a magnificent view of the Patio Chico.

7.- NEW CATHEDRAL BALUSTRADE
As visitors proceed, they access the balustrade that surrounds the New Cathedral at the springing of the vaults. This elevated corridor, inspired by ancient medieval triforiums, allows a close appreciation of the complex Late Gothic architecture of the temple. From here, the grandeur of the building can be contemplated in its full magnitude: its three naves with side chapels and the magnificent star vaults designed by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón. Throughout the tour, large Renaissance windows flood the space with light filtered by stained glass, depicting biblical scenes and figures of patriarchs, prophets, and apostles.

From the center of the balustrade, a privileged view of the majestic Churriguera choir is enjoyed, with its choir stalls flanked by two organs—one Renaissance and one Baroque. The Main Chapel is presided over by the image of the Virgin of the Assumption, accompanied by imposing sculptures representing the Fathers of the Eastern and Western Church. Above the altar, two large silver urns guard the relics of Saint John of Sahagún, patron saint of Salamanca, and Saint Thomas of Villanueva.

9.- MALLORCA SPIRAL STAIRCASE
The tour continues along a Mallorca spiral staircase that starts from the Chapel of San Clemente and ascends to the terrace of the New Cathedral. A work by Juan Gil de Hontañón, this 16th-century staircase is a masterpiece of Renaissance engineering: it lacks a central axis and rises helically, supported only by the wall. The handrail, carved directly into the stone, accompanies the ascent. Climbing it is an almost sculptural experience: light enters through small openings, the stone curves gently, and the visitor feels how architecture transforms into movement.

10.- ANAYA TERRACE
From this terrace, the most complete and impressive panoramic view of Salamanca unfolds. To the west, San Vicente hill, the historical origin of the city, is distinguished. Below our feet, the historical University building stands out, crowned by its chapel's bell gable, and in the background of the panoramic view, the Archbishop Fonseca's College, one of the four Major Colleges Salamanca once had. Next, the imposing silhouette of the Church of La Clerecía and the Pontifical University, which occupy what was once the old College of the Society of Jesus, can be seen. To the north, we see Rúa Mayor, the main axis of the historic city, leading to the Church of San Martín. Behind it, we see the bell gable of the Town Hall, indicating the location of the Plaza Mayor.

At the visitor's feet extends Plaza de Anaya, laid out in 1811 during the French occupation of the city, where the Church of San Sebastián and the old College of San Bartolomé or Anaya are located. To the east, the Convent of Las Dueñas and the Convent of San Esteban stand out, two essential landmarks of Salamanca's heritage.

Finally, in front of us rises the majestic structure of the New Cathedral. Its three stepped naves, supported by buttresses, flying buttresses, and pinnacles, offer a genuine lesson in Late Gothic architecture, fully visible here in all its magnitude.

11.- NEW CATHEDRAL UNDERCROFT
Space between the vaults of the New Cathedral's central nave and the building's roof. A walkway allows visitors to traverse the section extending between the foot of the temple and the dome (cimborrio). Below us is the extrados of the vaults, upon which an audiovisual is projected, inviting one to “fly” over the temple and discover the cathedral's internal structure, as well as details impossible to appreciate from the ground.

The tour continues towards the Bell Tower. Its ascent is made via a spiral staircase, controlled by a traffic light.

12.- THE CLOCK ROOM
The Clock Room corresponds to the last level of the medieval tower, located between the Vault Room and the Bell Room. Here, one can see the traces of the damage suffered by the tower over time: the fire of 1705, the Baroque restoration carried out by Pantaleón Pontón Setién —whose addition caused serious structural problems— and the effects of the Lisbon Earthquake. Repairs included placing iron bands on the exterior, wooden ties on the interior, and cladding the Romanesque shaft with an ashlar “lining.” The 16th-century vault that covered this space was also dismantled, and a wooden floor with a central opening was installed to illuminate the interior.

Currently, the room houses the old cathedral clock machinery and a video about the passage of time. For centuries, this clock marked the daily life of the city and led to a curious situation: after the adoption of the Greenwich Meridian, two time zones coexisted, that of the cathedral clock for daily life and the official time marked by the City Hall clock.

13.- THE BELL BODY
This room belongs to the upper body of the tower, added in the 18th century. The current belfry houses fourteen bells. Above them, in the tower's dome, is the largest bell in Salamanca, the main bell or great hour bell, known as «María de la O». Higher up, inside the lantern, is the small quarter-hour bell.

The walls of the room preserve numerous inscriptions with religious dedications, maintained as a testimony and homage to those who, in past times, left the mark of their presence on these walls.
From this point, the highest in the city, a complete panoramic view towards the four cardinal points is obtained.

From here, the descent begins, visiting the last rooms:

14.- THE VAULT ROOM
Built in the 13th century, the room is covered by a pointed barrel vault. Both the walls and the vault were constructed with ashlar Villamayor sandstone, where traces of carving and stonemasons' marks can still be seen. Throughout the 18th century, various interventions and several natural disasters severely damaged its structure, forcing it to be reinforced and shored up.

The first of these disasters occurred in 1705, when lightning caused a fire that melted the bells and turned the room into a veritable furnace, bursting the walls and affecting the upper body of the tower. Master Pantaleón Pontón Setién was in charge of its repair and added the Baroque finial that crowns the tower. However, the weight of this new structure damaged the medieval shaft, a damage that worsened after the Lisbon earthquake on November 1, 1755.

The consequences of all this are still visible inside: fractured walls, cracks, and splayed windows that were filled in. Two large wooden logs now brace the room, while on the exterior, several metal bands reinforce both this room and the rest of the Bell Tower. In addition, an added wall, acting as a stone lining, covered the original shaft from the bell level to the ground, permanently concealing the primitive structure on three of its sides.

In the display cases exhibited in the room, the designs of the different projects presented for its restoration are shown, along with objects that evoke the trades whose anonymous work, over the centuries, shaped this exceptional cathedral complex. This space also reminds us that bell-ringers and other Cathedral workers lived here for generations, who, along with their families, made this room their home until well into the second half of the 20th century.

15.- THE MOCHA TOWER TERRACE
Despite its name, this tower was never truncated; in fact, it was originally lower, as it was extended by one body in the 18th century.

The exit to the Mocha Tower Terrace, located at the foot of the Bell Tower, offers one of the most complete and beautiful views of the Cathedral Complex. Especially noteworthy is the unique silhouette of the Torre del Gallo, the Byzantine-inspired dome of the Old Cathedral, whose originality contrasts with the imposing neoclassical dome of the New Cathedral. The battlements crowning the central nave of the Old Cathedral evoke its ancient defensive character, reminding us that this temple was also a fortress.

From this privileged point, the view opens towards the plain of the Tormes River, where, from east to west, some of the most significant landmarks of the Salamanca landscape follow one another: the Monastery of La Vega, from where the image of the patron saint of Salamanca, which today presides over the altarpiece of the Old Cathedral, originates; the Tormes River itself; the Roman Bridge, which leads to the historic Arrabal del Puente; and, above it, the contemporary silhouette of the Parador de Turismo.

At our feet, we see the cathedral cloister, on whose eastern side the Gothic window of the Chapel of Santa Bárbara stands out, where examinations granting the title of Doctor by the University of Salamanca were carried out until the mid-19th century.