Triumph of Saint Raphael
During the XVIII Century the cordovan were very devoted to Saint Raphael and
from this moment a lot of parts of the city were decorated with this saint, called triumphs.
The first of them was put in the Roman Bridge in 1651 because the pest ended. Then the sculptors Pedro de la Paz and Bernabé Gómez del Rio carried out a Saint Raphael ending the final part of the Tower Bell of the Cathedral, so it dominated the city. As it was previously said a lot Saint Raphaels domnated the squares of the city as the one put in the Society of Jesus Square in 1736, the one put at the entrance of the Christian Alcazar in 1743 or the one put in the Aguayos Square or the on put in the Saint Hippolyte Square.
Due to this new wave of triumph the town council decided to set a monumental triumph dedied to the custody of the city
. The first project was given to an italian artist who thought to build a fountain, the water symbolized the naissance of the Guadalquivir River but because of the lack of water, this project was aborted. Then this project was given to two italian priest Domenico de Escrojis and Simone Martini, one was painter for the King
of Portugal and the second sculptor for the King of Sardenya.
The place chosen was the part next to the south façade of the Cathedral next to the South Door of the city. In the middle age there was a hospital for people suffering from pest. This hospital was founded by the Bishop Pascual. Then he dedicated himself to the drowned. When the works began they were interrupted by the lack of money and by the lack of direction. In 1792 the Bishop Barcia run the works. During them a great number of human rests belonging to the cemetery of the named hospital even the coffin of Bishop Pascual was found. The works were performed by Jean
Michel Verdiguier a former drawing teacher of the Rivas Duke. We don‘t know exactly what changes introduced Verdiguier because of lack of documents.
The monument is similar to a mountain of stones and a cave inside it; on the top there is a cylinder column. The door is composed by a Roman arch which is decorated with the shield of Bishop Barcia, next to this there is a Latin inscription: "Only the virtue detaches the man similar to another". At the entrance of the cave there is a lion with
sphinx face, under its claw there is a shield and it represents the arms of the city. On the other side in the key of the arch there is an eagle that keep a marble board on which it is written: "I swear for the crucified Christ that I am Raphael, the angel that God put to protect this city".
On the mountain there are three sculptures that represent Saint Acisclus and Saint Victory the saint patrons of the city (in the north part) and Saint Barbara (in the South), these images are perfectly sculpted. The cylinder tower is at the bottom of the column and on it there is the Saint Raphael performed in marble. The image is dressed like a pilgrim and it shows the city.
The monument is sorrounded by an iron fence alterned with Latin inscriptions dedicated to Córdoba and Saint Raphael. Besides in the middle of the place there is a fountain where a child rides on a dolphin.
from this moment a lot of parts of the city were decorated with this saint, called triumphs.
The first of them was put in the Roman Bridge in 1651 because the pest ended. Then the sculptors Pedro de la Paz and Bernabé Gómez del Rio carried out a Saint Raphael ending the final part of the Tower Bell of the Cathedral, so it dominated the city. As it was previously said a lot Saint Raphaels domnated the squares of the city as the one put in the Society of Jesus Square in 1736, the one put at the entrance of the Christian Alcazar in 1743 or the one put in the Aguayos Square or the on put in the Saint Hippolyte Square.
Due to this new wave of triumph the town council decided to set a monumental triumph dedied to the custody of the city
. The first project was given to an italian artist who thought to build a fountain, the water symbolized the naissance of the Guadalquivir River but because of the lack of water, this project was aborted. Then this project was given to two italian priest Domenico de Escrojis and Simone Martini, one was painter for the King
of Portugal and the second sculptor for the King of Sardenya.
The place chosen was the part next to the south façade of the Cathedral next to the South Door of the city. In the middle age there was a hospital for people suffering from pest. This hospital was founded by the Bishop Pascual. Then he dedicated himself to the drowned. When the works began they were interrupted by the lack of money and by the lack of direction. In 1792 the Bishop Barcia run the works. During them a great number of human rests belonging to the cemetery of the named hospital even the coffin of Bishop Pascual was found. The works were performed by Jean
Michel Verdiguier a former drawing teacher of the Rivas Duke. We don‘t know exactly what changes introduced Verdiguier because of lack of documents.
The monument is similar to a mountain of stones and a cave inside it; on the top there is a cylinder column. The door is composed by a Roman arch which is decorated with the shield of Bishop Barcia, next to this there is a Latin inscription: "Only the virtue detaches the man similar to another". At the entrance of the cave there is a lion with
sphinx face, under its claw there is a shield and it represents the arms of the city. On the other side in the key of the arch there is an eagle that keep a marble board on which it is written: "I swear for the crucified Christ that I am Raphael, the angel that God put to protect this city".
On the mountain there are three sculptures that represent Saint Acisclus and Saint Victory the saint patrons of the city (in the north part) and Saint Barbara (in the South), these images are perfectly sculpted. The cylinder tower is at the bottom of the column and on it there is the Saint Raphael performed in marble. The image is dressed like a pilgrim and it shows the city.
The monument is sorrounded by an iron fence alterned with Latin inscriptions dedicated to Córdoba and Saint Raphael. Besides in the middle of the place there is a fountain where a child rides on a dolphin.
Text: J.A.S.C.
Traslated by Sara Moretti
Art, Culture and Tourism in Cordoba