St. Dominic, Convento de San Esteban, Salamanca. With cherubs at his side and a church in his hand, the saint recalls the Dominican Order’s role in guiding Columbus and shaping Spain’s Golden Age of faith and discovery.
In Salamanca’s Convento de San Esteban, a radiant statue of St. Dominic commands attention. Clad in the white and black habit of his Order, he lifts one hand in a sweeping gesture while the other holds a model of a church — the house of faith and learning he founded. Two cherubs cling to his cloak, playfully bound by a cord, a tender reminder of the ties between heaven and earth.
This image captures more than devotion: it anchors the story of a convent that shaped history. Within these walls, Dominican friars once guided Christopher Columbus as he sought support for his daring voyage west. San Esteban became a hub of preaching, study, and counsel, its influence stretching far beyond Salamanca.
Seen today, the statue embodies that same spirit. St. Dominic appears alive, luminous, and close at hand — a founder whose mission to spread truth reached all the way to the New World.
