LA THE CHAPEL OF THE ANAYA ENRÍQUEZ FAMILY IN THE CHURCH OF SAN ESTEBAN DE SALAMANCA

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE CURRENT ROSARIO CHAPEL

Abstract

Within the complex and prolonged process of construction of the new church of San Esteban de Salamanca from the 16th century, the chapel of the Anaya Enríquez family stood out as a space of main relevance. This enclosure is studied as the initial solution given in 1540 by the promoter Fray Juan Álvarez de Toledo to the lineage, which consisted of changing their burials in the old header to a new location added to the layout by Fray Martín de Santiago. With the condition of the patron to the descendants of Gómez de Anaya and Aldonza Enríquez to commission an altarpiece dedicated to the Virgen del Rosario, we witness the origins of the current Rosario chapel, a dedication that would quickly end up becoming an authentic protagonist. Based on the analysis and interpretation of unknown documents and the oldest unstudied images, we reveal another part of the history of the famous Dominican convent in Salamanca. Thanks to these readings, we can conclude that the patronage of the Rosario chapel remained in that family until the 18th century, when it became the property of the convent, at which time the liturgical furniture was refurbished.