The Arco de Santo Domingo and the historic structures of Murcia

The Arco de Santo Domingo, situated in the center of Murcia, links the Iglesia de Santo Domingo and the Capilla del Rosario, which are the surviving constructions of an old monastic complex. While the Iglesia de Santo Domingo dates back to the 18th century and the Capilla del Rosario to the 16th century, the monastery suffered the Desamortización de Mendizábal in 1836, which caused its extinction and the disappearance of the complex, except for the church and chapel. The Jesuits took over the temple in the second half of the 19th century and continue to manage it today. The complex of the Iglesia de Santo Domingo, the Capilla del Rosario, and the communicating arch were declared cultural properties in 1982.

The Capilla del Rosario was started in 1543 at the expense of the powerful Cofradía del Rosario and consecrated in 1575. It is a single nave divided into three sections, each corresponding to lateral chapels, with a portal attributed to Pedro Monte. The portal features two striated semi-columns supporting an entablature and a pediment, above which is a niche with a sculpture of the Virgin with the Child, attributed to the brother Domingo Beltrán. In the 18th century, the Counts of Almodóvar connected their palace to the chapel via an arch, popularly known as the Arco de Santo Domingo.

The Iglesia de Santo Domingo was built between 1722 and 1745 and features two facades. One faces the Plaza Romea, while the other, made mainly of brick, serves a representative and urbanistic function and lacks doors. On the upper part of this facade is the figure of the Dominican San Vicente Ferrer in a preaching posture, commemorating the sermons the Valencian saint delivered in this plaza in 1411. The floor plan of the church consists of three naves, with the Capilla del Rosario located as an extension of the right transept.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons