Saint Martin of Tours cuts his cloak for a poor person

This was the first painting that entered the church of Santa Clara in 1647, year of its consecration. 

The inscription located in the lower left corner of the image indicates that José de la Barrera, a lawyer from the Real Audiencia of Santafé, donated the image.

Saint Martin was very popular in the Middle Ages. Born in Hungary around 316, he joined the Roman army and later converted to Christianity. He was one of the first non-martyr saints and is considered as the apostle of Gaul for his evangelizing work in France.

Saint Martin founded several monasteries in France. Their epicenter was the city of Tours, seat of which he was bishop and from which he takes his name. It is said that he performed numerous miracles that contributed to the expansion of his cult throughout Europe.

According to his hagiography, on a winter night, the saint cut his cloak to share it with a beggar. Immediately afterwards, Jesus appeared before him in a dream wearing half the cloak and thanked him. This is how Saint Martin left the army and converted to Catholicism.

The tomb of the saint, located in Tours, was an important center of pilgrimage. There, is preserved his cape, called in Latin capella (‘chapel’), a name that by extension was gave to the place where the garment is kept. Chapels are small spaces for particular worships in churches.