Church of Our Lady of the Assumption

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is the main parish church of La Alberca, in the Sierra de Francia, Salamanca, and is located in the Plaza de la Iglesia, in the historic center of the municipality. It is part of the monumental complex of the town, declared a Historic-Artistic Site, and is one of its most recognizable religious and urban landmarks. The present church was built between 1730 and 1731 according to a project by Manuel de Larra Churriguera. Although the documentation describes it as a church of neoclassical or sober language, its construction responds to a work of the eighteenth century linked to the Salamanca architectural tradition of the Churriguera family. It has a Latin cross plan, three naves and transept, with square pillars, semicircular arches and lunette vaults. In the interior it emphasizes the pulpit of polychrome granite of the XVI century, coming from the previous temple, as well as several golden altarpieces. Also especially venerated is the image of the Santísimo Cristo del Sudor, deeply rooted in the local and regional religiosity. Because of its chronology, its architecture and its central role in the life of La Alberca, this temple is an essential piece of the historical heritage of the town and a reference of cultural tourism in Salamanca.