.jpg) Clock tower of the Monastery of Saint Saviour | |
  Location within Jerusalem | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Spanish:San Salvador |
| Order | Franciscan Order |
| Established | 1560 |
| Dedicated to | Jesus as Saviour |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jerusalem |
| People | |
| Archbishop | Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | FatherRaffaelle Cingolani |
| Style | Mannerism-influenced |
| Completion date | 29 November 1885 |
| Site | |
| Location | Old City of Jerusalem |
| Coordinates | 31°46′44″N35°13′39″E / 31.77889°N 35.22750°E /31.77889; 35.22750 |
TheMonastery of Saint Saviour (Hebrew:מנזר סן סלוודו,romanized: Minzer San Salvador,Italian:Convento di San Salvatore) is aFranciscanmonastery housing the headquarters of theCustody of the Holy Land and located on 1 Saint Francis Street, east of theNew Gate in theOld City ofJerusalem.
The site was purchased from theGeorgian Orthodox Church in 1560 with permission ofSultanSuleiman the Magnificent of theOttoman Empire, and the monastery was constructed in stages. The church building was erected in 1885, with renovation in 1985. The site includes aprinting press, anorgan workshop, alibrary and aCatholic school.
The monastery was built in several stages on a site transferred to theFranciscan Order from theGeorgian Orthodox Church in 1558–59 by SultanSuleiman the Magnificent.[1]
Because the old church building was no longer considered sufficient for the needs of the parish, in 1850 SultanAbdülmecid I granted the order permission to demolish the old church and build a new one in its place, under the condition that the new church be no larger than the old one.[1] Official support for the construction of the church was provided by Austro-Hungarian EmperorFranz Joseph I during his visit to Jerusalem in 1869. Originally, Franz Joseph I made his contribution on the condition that the church would be built according to the plans of his own architect. Although the leaders of the Franciscan order rejected this condition, he agreed to contribute about 60,000francs for the project. The construction took three years and was completed on 29 November 1885.
The church architect, FatherRaffaelle Cingolani fromMontecassiano, was inspired by the work of Italian architectGiacomo Barozzi da Vignola.[1] The church was built in the typical style of abasilica. Unlike most church buildings built on an east–west axis with theapse and the altar in the east, Saint Saviour is built along a north–south axis. Aclock tower is located on the side of the church.
In 1932, two stories were added to the clock tower in honour of the 700th anniversary of the death of SaintAnthony of Padua. In 1985, the church and monastery were renovated in honour of the 100th anniversary of its construction.
Over the years, aCatholic school for boys and girls, aprinting press and anorgan workshop were built on the monastery compound, and are still in operation today.
Media related toSt. Saviour Church (Jerusalem) at Wikimedia Commons
