The Archdeacon's House, Barcelona

   
SPAIN (the City Council of Barcelona), 1 January 1945

   
SPAIN (the City Council of Barcelona), 26 January and 1 December 1945
These last two were issued in mini sheets of 4
and were overprinted for Christmas 1945 and also issued in mini sheets of 4

At the 16th-century Archdeacon's House in Barcelona in front of the cathedral, a residence was established to unite the Jesuits dispersed by Barcelona in 1878. In 1895, it became the home of the Lawyers' Association. Visitors today will remember the mail box set at the front door by the modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Muntaner (1902): a pigeon on it represents the hope for quick mail delivery, a tortoise represents the reality.

University of Deusto

SPAIN, 1987, the centenary of the University of Deusto, Scott 2510

The University of Deusto in the region of Bilbao was entrusted to the Jesuits from the beginning. The University now has more than 15,000 students, 8 schools, 5 institutes, 6 university schools and campuses at San Sebastian and Bibao. Its Business School, the first in Spain, dates from 1916.

San Marcos de León

SPAIN, 1971, Scott 1653

Hostal San Marcos de León is a monastery-hospital founded in the twelfth century to provide shelter for the poor and for pilgrims on their way to Campostella. The building was demolished and reconstructed starting in 1515. It is now a five star hotel and presumably houses the poor no longer. The government gave it to the Jesuits in 1859 as a house of studies for overseas missionaries — not for long. The Jesuits were expelled after the "glorious" revolution of 1868.

The Sanctuary of Loyola

   
SPAIN, 1956, Cinderellas featuring the basilica of St. Ignatius at the Sanctuary of Loyola

 

SPAIN, 1991, 5th centenary of Ignatius' birth, Scott 2653
1955, 4th century of his death, Scott 837

Ignatius' castle at Loyola shown on the center stamp is now totally surrounded by the building of the Sanctuary at Loyola, a retreat house and Jesuit center. The domed sanctuary appears in the distance on another stamp and can been seen even more clearly on a Spanish Cinderella— printed to celebrate Ignatius' 4th centenary and showing the dome of the basilica of St. Ignatius at the Sanctuary. A Cinderella is a stamp-like artifact which is not valid for use as postage.

Imperial College of Madrid

SPAIN, 1981, Scott B183

This semi-postal stamp pictures the cloister of the Instituto San Isidro, which began as a Jesuit school. In 1559 the Count of Feria told Fr. Pedro Ribadeneira that the Court was about to transfer to Madrid and the Jesuits would do well to establish a school there. The General Superior of the Jesuits, Fr. James Lainez, asked Francis Borgia to take the appropriate steps and Doña Leonor de Mascareñas donated the property. Later Empress Maria of Austria, sister of Philip II of Spain and daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, bequeathed funds to build a church in honor of St. Francis Xavier as well as other buildings, and the school was consequently called the Imperial College of Madrid. Lope de Vega, Calderón, and many other famous men studied at this Jesuit school. Construction began in 1622 following the plans of Jesuit architect Br. Pedro Sánchez. After Sánchez's death in 1633 Br. Francisco Bautista, SJ (1594-1679) took over directing the work which was completed in 1664. The Jesuits ran the school and its church until 1767, when they were expelled from the kingdom. The church was remodeled and dedicated to St. Isidore (canonized the same day in 1622 as Francis Xavier and Ignatius Loyola) and served as the pro-cathedral until the present cathedral was finished. The school eventually became the Instituto San Isidro.

Colegio de Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, Monforte

SPAIN, 2001, 4th centenary of the death of Cardinal Rodrigo, Scott 3102

Behind Cardinal Rodrigo de Castro (1523 -1600) is the Jesuit College of Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, located in Monforte de Lemos where the Cardinal has passed his childhood until 1541. After he was ordained a priest in 1559, he worked as an Inquisition Judge, became a Counselor of the High Court, Bishop of Cuenca and later of Seville. After making a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in July 1594, he visited Monforte de Lemos where decided to found a Jesuit college, seen behind him on the stamp. To it he donated his estate including his art and library, and he also ordered his tomb to be located there. The building was erected under the direction of the Jesuit architects Juan de Tolosa and Juan Bustamante. More

Ebro Observatory, Roquetes

SPAIN, 2004, centenary stamp, Scott 3327

Ebro Observatory, the Jesuit-run seismological station in Roquetes (Tarragona), Spain, has functioned continuously from 1904 to the present. Fr. Richard Cirera, SJ (1864-1932) was it first Director. Fr. Antonio Romañá Pujó, SJ was director from 1939 to 1971.This observatory has astronomical, meteorological, magnetic, and seismological departments, and publishes the results of its observations on a monthly basis. More

La Clerecía, Salamanca

  
SPAIN, 1953, the 7th centenary of the University of Salamanca, Scott 797
1968, Scott 1534

SPAIN, 2001, issued for Salamanca's being named European Cultural City 2002, Scott 3114
at the left: the dome and two towers of the church and the building that was the Jesuit college

Opposite the famous Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca is the Jesuit church of the Holy Spirit, better known as The Clerecía. It can be seen more clearly on the 2 peseta value, to the right of the Salamanca Cathedral. The Clerecía was designed by Juan Gómez de Mora and was begun in 1617. Beside the Clerecía today is the Universidad Pontificia (Pontifical University), a building with a baroque cloister built on the site which formerly housed the Royal College of the Jesuit Order. The Church and the College were the initiative of Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III, in an attempt to make reparations to the Jesuits for the wrong done to St. Ignatius when he was imprisoned in Salamanca by the Dominicans.

The Monastery of Nuestra Señora de Veruela

  
SPAIN, 1967, Scott 1504-06

The Monastery of Veruela was founded by the Cistercians in 1146, but the Jesuits restored it and used it as a novitiate from 1877 until 1973, except when they were expelled during the Republican Government and the Civil War (1932-1939). In 1976 the State gave the Provincial Delegation of Zaragoza some control and in 1998 ownership of the property. Here are three views of Veruela.

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