Religius ceremony in honor of Saint Bartolomé in Morasverdes (Salamanca)
First quarter of the XX century. Gelatin / Collodion on glass plaque.Not on display
Religious celebrations were a constant feature of local festivals throughout Spanish municipalities, which regularly organized Masses, processions, and pilgrimages in honor of their patron saints. Numerous photographs of such events have been preserved, though most depict urban settings, which lends this particular image a special significance for documenting a ceremony of distinctly rural character. The scene takes place in Morasverdes, a municipality in the province of Salamanca, within the comarca of Ciudad Rodrigo, which celebrates the feast of Saint Bartholomew every year on August 24. Several priests, three altar boys, and a large group of the faithful are shown participating in the celebration dedicated to the saint. According to the handwritten inscription in the central area of the stereoscopic plate, the faithful are to receive the “Blessing of Saint Bartholomew.” The men are responsible for carrying a banner and a processional cross, its lower section adorned with decorative elements, while a small group of women stands behind the image of the saint, already placed on the andas (platform) from which it will be carried in procession.
The exchange of photographs was common practice among stereoscopy enthusiasts, and it is likely that the presence of this image in the collection of Cecilio Pla—also featured in the exhibition—stems from this tradition.
The plate arrived at the Museum inside a box bearing the handwritten inscription: “Venancio / Salamanca” and “Sr. Pla.” It is presumed that the first name refers to Venancio Gombau, a well-known photographer and a friend of the painter since their youth in Madrid. Gombau was known to travel widely across the province—he maintained branches in Ciudad Rodrigo and Peñaranda de Bracamonte—capturing various scenes with a stereoscopic camera. It is therefore plausible that this photograph was taken by him in Morasverdes.
Sánchez Torija, Beatriz, 'Atribuida a Venancio Gambau. Ceremonia religiosa en honor a San Bartolomé en Morasverdes, Salamanca'. Arte y transformaciones sociales en España (1885-1910), Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2024, p.215 nº.120
