FONSECA HALL OF RESIDENCE

Alonso de Fonseca III was one of the most influential figures of the 16th century in Spain. Son of Alonso de Acevedo II and María de Ulloa, Lady of Cambados, he studied at the University of Salamanca, where he began a meteoric ecclesiastical career. At just 33 years old, after his father's resignation from the archbishopric, he was appointed archbishop of Santiago de Compostela. Later, he served as Chief Chaplain to the Catholic Monarchs and, thanks to his good relationship with Charles V, he came to occupy the archbishopric of Toledo, the most prestigious ecclesiastical position in the kingdom. He died in 1534 in Alcalá de Henares, although his remains were transferred to Salamanca, where they rest in the chapel of the College he himself founded.

In addition to his political and religious role, Fonseca stood out as one of the great patrons of his time. He promoted important artistic works in Santiago de Compostela and Toledo, but it was in Salamanca where he left his deepest mark. Here he continued the work initiated by his father in the convent of the Ursulines, commissioning Diego de Siloé for the paternal tomb and Juan de Borgoña for the church's altarpiece.

His most ambitious project was the foundation of the Colegio de Santiago el Cebedeo, better known as Colegio del Arzobispo or Colegio de los Irlandeses. He conceived it as a charitable and university center for students without resources, and made it the universal heir to his assets, including his valuable library. Over time, the building also became the chosen place for his burial. Although it was intended for only twenty-two students —later reduced to thirteen—, the complex housed chaplains, service personnel, and other residents who formed a small community.

Construction of the college began before its official approval by Pope Clement VII in 1525. Already in 1518, the Franciscans had ceded the plot, and by 1519, the first structures were being erected. There is no consensus on the author of the project: some attribute it to Juan de Álava and others to Diego de Siloé, considering Álava as the executor of certain parts of the building. The possible intervention of Alonso de Covarrubias is also mentioned.

To the north of the college, the first hospedería (guesthouse) was erected in 1558, enlarged and transformed at the end of the 18th century. The current facade of the guesthouse was rebuilt in 1740 according to a design by Alberto de Churriguera, although the execution was carried out by Andrés García de Quiñones. Originally, it was intended to house students who, after completing their studies, remained in Salamanca awaiting a position or assignment in the administration. In 1901, the building came to house departments of the Faculty of Medicine and, in 1925, the anatomical amphitheater, a work by Santiago Madrigal, was added.

After the closure of the university colleges, the building served various functions. In 1801, during the War of the Oranges, it was used as a French military hospital, and shortly after, it became a General Hospital. After the Peninsular War, the property was occupied by Irish students, as the College of Irish Nobles of San Patricio had been destroyed during the conflict. During the Civil War, specifically from June 1937 to May 1939, the College was the seat of the German embassy.

Thanks to the efforts of Rector Esteban Madruga, the University managed to recover the building in 1936, when the Irish students definitively left the city. Once restored, the building was designated as a residence for university professors, guests, and distinguished visitors. Its spaces were adapted to modern needs, but always respecting and preserving the historical character of the complex.

Layout and Construction Phases The college's structure follows the typical model of educational institutions of the era: a detached, quadrangular building, with a central courtyard around which the chapel, vestibule, common room, library, rector's quarters, dining room, and students' rooms are arranged.

The construction of the complex can be divided into three main phases:

• 1521–1534: construction of the college and the primitive chapel.
• From 1540 onwards: enlargement of the chapel with a transept and new apse to house Fonseca's tomb.
• 1558: construction of the first guesthouse, which would later undergo various modifications.

The College Facade The main facade features an elevated atrium which, although existing due to the unevenness of the terrain, in fact lends prominence to the most noble and important part of the building. This atrium is two meters high above street level and occupies the entire front, from the church's transept to the west corner, where there was a ramp. In the section corresponding to the main entrance, there is access via two parallel staircases. The atrium is bordered by a series of granite columns, forming a kind of loggia with chains, a symbolic element that (like battlements) was very common in buildings of special jurisdiction, such as colleges and universities.

The building marks a milestone in the evolution of Salamancan Plateresque, introducing innovations such as the use of the lintelled door, replacing the traditional arch employed in most monuments. Likewise, the combination of materials —golden sandstone from Villamayor and grey granite— creates an attractive chromatic contrast.

The first section of the main entrance features a large monolithic lintel supported by massive granite doorjambs, flanked by pairs of engaged and fluted Ionic columns. Between them unfolds an undulating phylactery falling from a lion's mouth. One of the entablatures separating the two sections of the facade is adorned with three Jacobean shells crossed with bourdons and croziers, announcing the building's dedication to Saint James.

The second section, organized around a window, displays richer decoration than the lower one. The window rests on two cornucopias supporting medallions with coats of arms displaying the five stars from the founder's surname. On both sides, two pairs of smaller columns house the images of Saint Ildefonsus (left) and Saint Augustine (right). The facade culminates with a large central medallion depicting Saint James in the Battle of Clavijo, supported by winged genii.

Vestibule Square in plan, it provides access to the church, the courtyard, and the former College Common Room —today the residents' lounge-cafeteria—. It is covered by a Gothic vault with tiercerons, with beautifully decorated keystones. The chapel door is organized like a triumphal arch with exuberant Plateresque decoration of cherubs, medallions, and fantastic beings that reveal the intervention of Juan de Álava.

Chapel It has a Latin cross plan and a single nave. It was built in two phases: the older one corresponds to the nave, erected in 1527, with two sections covered by star-ribbed vaults with tiercerons. In the second stage (1540-49), Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón intervened. The flat apse with a transept, above which the lantern tower rises, will be added, under which the founder's tomb was located —now disappeared—. It is illuminated by two openings that cover almost the entire height. They are two pointed, very narrow and long windows. The small choir at the foot of the church, an ironwork piece, dates from the 18th century.

In 1529, Alonso de Berruguete was commissioned to create the altarpiece for the first phase of the chapel, so it probably had to be adapted when moved to its current location. Its Plateresque structure combines reliefs, freestanding sculptures, and painted panels.

The Courtyard It is one of the most beautiful and harmonious courtyards of the Spanish Renaissance. A work by Juan de Álava, based on designs by Siloé. It has a square plan, 40 m. on each side, with two floors of galleries formed by eight arches on each side. The lower level features semicircular arches, while the upper level has segmental arches, of noticeably lesser height, resting on pillars with engaged columns. The patio's decoration is completed by the balustrades of the upper floor, with different designs in each bay; with Fonseca's heraldic tondos in the central sections. The cornice culminates in candelabra with naked children, which counterbalance the pronounced horizontality of the complex.

The spandrels of the arches are decorated with a magnificent series of 128 medallions, which appear to represent biblical, mythological, and historical figures, who, due to their outstanding virtues of courage, intelligence, or sanctity, were worthy of emulation. On the north and south sides, two monumental cloister staircases open, connecting both floors.

To the north of the college, the first guesthouse was built in 1558, originally intended to house students who had completed their studies and were awaiting placement in state or church administration. Enlarged at the end of the 18th century, the current facade was rebuilt in 1740 according to a design by Alberto de Churriguera, although executed by Andrés García de Quiñones. It is a Baroque building organized around a courtyard and currently houses the Postgraduate, Continuous Training, and Cultural Activities Center of the University of Salamanca.

Under the name of The Measure of Time, the Fonseca College permanently houses a collection of popular clocks manufactured between 1800 and 1925, located in one of the corridors that provide access to the rooms. The exhibition belongs to Andrés Santiago Zarzuelo, a passionate collector who acquired clocks in European flea markets and restored them personally.

It offers a journey through the history of clock use during the 19th century, a key period in the evolution of their mechanisms, in which the mechanical clock became widespread and artisanal manufacturing gave way to mass production. The exhibition gathers 144 clocks of a wide variety of models —wall, table, grandfather, or alarm clocks— and very diverse styles (Romantic, Louis XVI, Isabelino, Second Empire, Biedermeier, or Victorian). Several particularly important series also stand out, such as the well-known 'bull's-eye' clocks and the 'Morez' clocks, which allow appreciation of the technical and aesthetic evolution of popular clockmaking.