The Clergy and Stairway to Heaven, Salamanca

The Clergy (La Clerecia) is the name for the former Royal College of the Holy Spirit of the Society of Jesus. It was built in Salamanca by order of Queen Margaret of Austria and Philip III in 1617. It was intended to be the center for Jesuit missionaries to the New World and Protestant European countries.

After the Jesuits were expelled from Spain, the building was ceded to the Royal Clergy of San Marcos (Real Clerecia de San Marcos) and was redubbed The Clergy (La Clerecia). In 1940 it became the headquarters of the Pontifical University of Salamanca. Since 2012 it has been open to tourism. It may also be a venue for the weddings of University alumni.

The gilded altarpiece of the Main Chapel was created in 1673 by Juan Fernandez. The church has a single wide transverse non-protruding nave with chapels between the buttresses and four bays. The ultra-Baroque Clergy holds an equally Baroque courtyard in a two-story cloister with its unique Stairway to Heaven (Scala Coeli).

This Stairway to Heaven is a wooden staircase of 180 steps that zig-zags its way up to the towers of the Clergy. The breathtaking climb is rewarded with a breathtaking view from either of the two towers. Access from one tower to the other is provided by an exterior passage over the roofs.

The tower balconies have large wooden doors. Lean over the railings. Take a deep breath and enjoy the panoramic views of Salamanca.