Fourteen works by Murillo, Valdés Leal, and Pedro Roldán leave the Church of Charity in Seville for the Conde Duque Cultural Centre in Madrid, while the Seville temple remains closed for rehabilitation.
The Church of the Hospital of Santa Caridad in Seville has lent fourteen of its Baroque treasures to the Conde Duque Cultural Centre in Madrid. This is the first time these pieces have left the Andalusian capital since they were placed there over three centuries ago. The reason for the journey is the rehabilitation of the temple, which has been closed since late 2024 due to serious structural problems.
A unique opportunity to see the works at eye level
In their original location, the canvases of Murillo and Valdés Leal hang at a height of 15 metres, dispersed among gilded altarpieces and a dimness that makes them difficult to contemplate. In the Conde Duque hall, however, they can be viewed at eye level, at a distance that allows for an appreciation of the brushstrokes and chisel marks. "After much deliberation and not without fears and reservations, it was decided that it was worth it for these exceptional works to be seen by the public, in a unique opportunity to be appreciated at eye level," explained Félix María Arenado, the Senior Brother of the Brotherhood of Santa Caridad.
The exhibition, titled Art and Mercy. The Baroque of the Holy Charity of Seville in Madrid, includes paintings by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and Juan de Valdés Leal, as well as sculptures by Pedro Roldán. The staging recreates the intimate atmosphere of the Seville church, dedicated to Saint George, with a layout that respects the original placement of the pieces.
The legacy of Miguel Mañara, three centuries later
The collection was commissioned in the second half of the 17th century by the Sevillian nobleman Miguel Mañara, a key figure in the Brotherhood of Santa Caridad. Under his leadership as Senior Brother, the hospital and church were built to care for the poor, condemned, sick, and helpless in a Seville ravaged by plague and scarcity. Mañara summoned the three geniuses of the Baroque to create an iconography that would awaken the feeling of mercy. The exhibition now allows visitors—both Madrileños and Sevillanos—to connect with that message of comfort and humanity that inspired the works.
For the Sevillanos, the exhibition has an additional incentive: to see these master pieces like never before, without the limitations of distance and light of the original temple. "It is true that they have always been able to see them, and that in a few months they will be able to contemplate them again. It is equally true that in the Church of Charity these canvases hang at 15 metres high and are dispersed among its beautiful altarpieces," said sources from the organization.
A high cultural summer in Madrid
The Madrid City Council assures that this exhibition will mark the cultural summer of the capital. The works will remain in Conde Duque for the coming months, coinciding with the rehabilitation period of the Seville church. It is expected that the temple will reopen its doors at the end of 2025 or early 2026, at which point the pieces will return home. Until then, the appointment is at the South Room of Conde Duque, where the Sevillian Baroque shines in its own light.
Those interested can check schedules and prices on the cultural centre's website. The exhibition promises to be an immersive journey to the 17th century, with museography that brings the viewer closer to the mystique of Charity. An occasion that, according to the organizers, will not be repeated for decades.
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