Triunfo de San Rafael de la Puerta del Puente - Cordoba

Over the course of the 18th century, the devotion of the people of Cordoba to Saint Raphael infused many of the city's squares with statues of the Archangel, known as Triumphs.

The first of these triumphs was placed on the Roman bridge around 1651 in thanksgiving for the cessation of the plague that had hit the city years before. Years later, the sculptors Pedro de la Paz and Bernabé Gómez made a Saint Raphael to crown the Dom tower, so that it would dominate the city.

As mentioned above, in the 18th century the squares of the city were filled with a large number of these triumphs, such as the one in the Plaza de la Compañía in 1736, the one at the entrance of the Alcázar in 1743, the one in the Plaza de Aguayos in 1753 or the one in the Plaza de San Hipólito, among others.

The Triumph of Saint Raphael resembles a steep stone mound , perforated by a small cave , with a cylindrical tower on top. The doorway, a semicircular opening, is decorated with the coat of arms of Bishop Barcia, with the Latin inscription next to it: "Only virtue distinguishes man as equal to man". At the entrance to the cave , two decorative elements stand out : a lion with the face of a sphinx who carries a shield under its claws representing the city's coat of arms; on the other hand, in the keystone of the arch, an eagle holding under its feet a marble panel in the shape of a cartouche, on which is written the oath of the archangel Saint Raphael to Father Roelas: "I swear by Christ crucified that I the angel Raphael ben whom God has placed as protector of this city".

On the aforementioned steep hill are three recumbent statues representing Saint Acisclo and Saint Victoria (north side), patron saints of the city, and Saint Barbara (south side), noting the excellent treatment of the folds of the drapery. The cylindrical tower we have been talking about serves as the base for a slender fluted column of composite order, which in turn serves as a base for the statue of Saint Raphael, also made of marble. The statue carries the pilgrim's staff as it points towards the city.

The Triumph of Saint Raphael is surrounded by an iron fence, interrupted by ten pedestals, decorated with Latin inscriptions, most of them dedicated to Córdoba and the Guardian Angel of the city. In addition, in the center of the esplanade is a fountain in which a child rides on the back of a dolphin.

Willem Vandenameele