Convento de San Esteban

The Convento de San Esteban is the great Dominican monastery of Salamanca, set a few minutes' walk from the Plaza Mayor and close to the University of Salamanca and the cathedrals. The Dominican friars have been here since the Middle Ages, and the present church and cloisters were built mostly in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, when Salamanca was one of the intellectual capitals of Europe. The monastery is as important for ideas as for art. Here, theologians of the School of Salamanca, among them Francisco de Vitoria, worked out arguments about human rights, the law of nations and the treatment of the peoples of the Americas, and for that reason the convent is often called a birthplace of international law.

The façade of the church is its showpiece. Carved in golden Salamanca sandstone in the Plateresque style, it is organised like a giant altarpiece, with the stoning of Saint Stephen, the church's patron, at the centre and rows of saints, medallions and carved decoration around it. In the late afternoon the stone warms to a deep honey colour, which is one of the best sights in the city. The portico in front and the doorway are as much part of this composition as the façade itself.

Inside, the church has a Latin cross plan with a single wide nave and a dome, with a huge Baroque altarpiece by José de Churriguera, a fine example of the style that bears his family name. The Renaissance cloister, known as the Cloister of the Kings, is calm and elegant, with two levels of arches and chapels leading off it. Other parts of the complex include the chapter room, the sacristy and a staircase attributed to the architect Soto, a splendid piece of stonework, and a high choir that looks down the length of the church.

A museum within the complex displays religious art, sculpture and objects related to the history of the Dominican community and the building. A visit has a quiet, contemplative character, in contrast with the busier central squares nearby.

It suits anyone interested in architecture, religious art and the history of ideas, and it works well in the same walk as the Old and New Cathedrals, the Casa de las Conchas and the Roman bridge. Opening hours differ by season and the museum has its own schedule, so check before going.