UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA. HISTORIC BUILDING

The University of Salamanca, an institution founded in 1218 on the initiative of King Alfonso IX of León, is today the oldest continuously operating university in the Hispanic world. According to Lucas de Tuy, the king ordered “to gather highly expert professors in biblical science” and establish a General Study here. His son, Ferdinand III, confirmed this desire in 1243, and throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, various kings and popes reinforced its authority. Among these documents, the one signed by Alfonso X the Wise in 1254 stands out, which organized the Study and its economic endowments, and the bulls of Alexander IV in 1255, which granted universal validity to its degrees and the privilege of using the pontifical seal.

The Origins For almost two centuries, classes were taught in rented spaces: the cloister of the Old Cathedral, nearby churches, and surrounding houses. It was not until the beginning of the 15th century that the University promoted the construction of its own buildings. The starting point was an order from Pope Benedict XIII in 1411, which mandated the construction of auditoriums for jurists, theologians, physicians, and philosophers. This is how the buildings that today form the historical heart of the University were born: the Main Schools, the Minor Schools, and the Hospital for poor students.

THE MAIN SCHOOLS The main building was erected next to the Cathedral. From its origin, it adopted a quadrangular plan organized around a courtyard. The classrooms and chapel were distributed in its wings. The building initially had a single floor and two accesses: the one called the Facade of the Chains, to the east, and what is today the great icon of Salamanca, the Plateresque Rich Facade, to the west.

Construction Phases The first constructive stage, directed by Alfonso Rodríguez Carpintero, took place between 1415 and 1435. A second phase, between 1442 and 1452, expanded the spaces and delimited the university jurisdiction with a battlemented wall. Fundamental works that we can still admire today belong to this period:

• The first great Library (1474–1479), work of the Muslim masters Yuça and Abrayme, decorated with the famous Salamanca Sky painted by Fernando Gallego.

• The renovation of the Chapel of Saint Jerome, with a new altarpiece executed between 1503 and 1510 that featured sculptures by Felipe Bigarny and Gil de Ronza and paintings by Juan de Flandes .

• The vaults of the first hall (1510–1511).

• The staircase with its enigmatic reliefs, which leads to the western gallery where the second Library was installed.

The Rich Facade (1519–1528), an authentic visual emblem of the University and one of Salamanca's great attractions.

Transformations of the 18th and 19th centuries In the 18th century, Andrés García de Quiñones rebuilt the Library —destroyed in 1664— and added a new vault to it. The Rector's House, today the Unamuno House-Museum, was also built, and Simón Gavilán Tomé renovated the Chapel of Saint Jerome by constructing a new vault, which hid the Salamanca Sky, and a spectacular altarpiece of marbles and jaspers.

As early as 1791, the old Cloister Hall, a key space for academic life, was reformed following Lesmes Gabilán Sierra's project.

The great reform of the 19th century The last major intervention took place between 1875 and 1879. Under the rectorship of Mamés Esperabé Lozano, the architect José Secall designed an expansion that gave the building its current appearance. The eastern facade, in an eclectic classicist style, was built, and the wings of the upper cloister were completed with galleries of mixtilinear arches inspired by the Gallery of Enigmas.

Today, as we walk through this monumental complex, we walk through a space that has evolved over eight centuries without losing its essence: a place where knowledge has been taught, debated, and created from the Middle Ages to the present day. Today, classes are no longer taught here, but it hosts countless institutional events, extraordinary courses, seminars, and conferences.

Once the Plateresque facade has been admired and its doors passed, one enters an entrance hall topped with Gothic-structured vaults displaying the University's coat of arms and that of the Catholic Monarchs on the central keystone.

Next, access is gained to the lower cloister, around which the old classrooms are distributed, still preserving above their doors slate plaques with Latin inscriptions informing about the subjects taught within them. Although the classrooms are actually better known by the names of the professors they are dedicated to, labeled in red to the right of each door. Next to each door, there is an information point explaining the history of each classroom.

The recommended tour begins to our left with the Elocution classroom, dedicated to Pedro Dorado Montero, Professor of Criminal Law; the Miguel de Unamuno classroom, Professor of Greek and Rector of the University; or the emblematic classroom of* Fray Luis de León*.

Continuing the tour, you will see the Paraninfo, where the University's most important academic events are held; the classroom of the Dominican Francisco de Vitoria, Professor of Theology whose extraordinary lectures laid the foundations of modern International Law; the classroom of Alfonso X the Wise, who was one of the University's greatest protectors; the column room, the chapel dedicated to San Jerónimo where the remains of Fray Luis de León are found, and the classroom of the celebrated musician Francisco Salinas.

The staircase, with its extremely interesting reliefs, leads us to the western gallery of the upper cloister, covered with a magnificent chestnut wood coffered ceiling. Here is the library, accessed through a late Gothic door. For reasons of book preservation, access to it is restricted, so it is viewed through a glass cube.

The remaining three galleries of the upper cloister were built in the 19th century alongside the Cloister Hall. They display facsimiles, reproductions of ancient maps, and objects used in botany and biology practices.

The Patio de Escuelas was created in the 17th century as part of a project promoted by Philip III to open a large square that would give visibility and unity to the university buildings. Designed by Pedro Gutiérrez in 1609 and completed in 1622, the plan included eleven three-story houses —although not all were built as planned— and turned this space into the heart of the so-called City of Knowledge.

The main historic buildings of the University of Salamanca overlook the courtyard: to the east, the Main Schools (Escuelas Mayores) with their famous Plateresque façade; to the south, the Study Hospital (Hospital del Estudio), now the Rectorate; and in the southwest corner, the door leading to the Patio de Escuelas Menores, where the famous Sky of Salamanca is preserved, a 15th-century mural painting representing the firmament in a mythological way.

In the center of the courtyard, since 1869, stands the statue of Fray Luis de León, a work by Nicasio Sevilla, placed on a pedestal decorated with allegories of poetry.

Before entering the Main Schools, the magnificent Plateresque façade stands out, a true filigree carved in Villamayor stone. Its iconography combines symbols of the Catholic Monarchs, Emperor Charles V, and the papacy, reflecting the support these institutions provided to the Salamanca Study. Organized as a large altarpiece in three sections, it shows the Catholic Monarchs united by a scepter at the bottom; the imperial coat of arms of Charles V in the center; and the figure of the Pope under pontifical symbols at the top. On one of its pilasters appears the famous frog, which over time has become a good luck charm for students.

THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING The musealization of the building's interior aims to show visitors the historical relevance of the University of Salamanca through the symbolism of its classrooms and the experiences of the professors and students who have occupied them throughout the centuries. During the tour, various informative points and audiovisual resources offer context and explanations about each of the spaces. In the entrance hall, two ribbed Gothic vaults stand out, whose central keystones display, respectively, the coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs and the university seal.

The cloister is quadrangular, with 22 arches on each of its floors. Semicircular arches in the lower galleries and ogee or mixtilinear arches in the upper ones. The four bays of the lower cloister are covered by beautiful Mudejar-inspired ceilings. The old “generales” or classrooms open into these galleries, their doors still preserving slate plaques that, through colors and inscriptions, indicate the subject taught in each. Next to each door, a sign in red letters commemorates some of the professors who taught in these spaces. In the center of the courtyard stands the centenary Californian redwood, planted in the 19th century.

The tour begins in the Elocution classroom (general de la Elocuencia), dedicated to Dorado Montero. Inside, a bronze plaque, chiseled by Benlliure, commemorates the prestigious Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Salamanca in the years 1892-1919. In the cabinets are the academic robes that the university lends to its doctors for ceremonial events.

The Miguel de Unamuno Classroom was one of the classrooms where Canon Law was taught, one of the four «Major Faculties» of the University, along with Civil Law, Theology, and Medicine. The classroom is dedicated to one of the universal figures of the University of Salamanca, Miguel de Unamuno, Professor of Greek since 1891 and rector of this University several times.

The inscription above the first door of the north wing informs us that we are entering the Theology classroom (general de Teología), dedicated to Fray Luis de León. Despite its simple architecture, it is the most emblematic classroom of the University; its atmosphere transports us to the 16th century, with its rough wooden benches covered with engravings made by students who once frequented theology classes there. It is presided over by the professorial chair with the sounding board from which Fray Luis uttered his famous «decíamos ayer» (we were saying yesterday) when he resumed his teaching duties after spending years in the inquisitorial prison.

The Assembly Hall (Paraninfo) was originally the Canon Law classroom (general de Derecho Canónico), as indicated by the inscription preserved above the door, located beneath the papal coat of arms with the tiara, pontifical keys, and the crescent moon of Pedro de Luna (Benedict XIII). The hall is presided over by a large canopy sheltering a purple banner of notable artistic and historical value, donated by Prince John —son of the Catholic Monarchs— to the students of Salamanca during the period when he was a student and Lord of the city. Several 17th-century Brussels tapestries with mythological scenes are displayed on its walls. On the north wall, a portrait of King Charles IV, from Goya's workshop and reproduced from the original preserved in the Prado Museum, stands out, as well as a grisaille depicting the Catholic Monarchs. On October 12, 1936, this hall was the scene of the famous confrontation between Miguel de Unamuno and General Millán Astray, an episode that left for history the rector's famous phrase: «Venceréis, pero no convenceréis» (You will conquer, but you will not convince). Currently, the Assembly Hall hosts the University's most solemn academic ceremonies.

The Medicine classroom (General de Medicina), with complements of astronomy and philosophy, is dedicated to the Dominican Francisco de Vitoria, professor of theology at the University of Salamanca from 1526 until his death in 1546. The north wall is occupied by a large projection of the Francisco de Vitoria Room at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, which pays homage to the First School of Salamanca and the defense that the professors of that school made of the rights of indigenous Americans, the genesis of Human Rights.

In the center of the eastern bay is the entrance hall connecting the cloister with the Plaza de Anaya, covered with a magnificent polychrome Mudejar ceiling structure.

The Civil Law classroom, as alluded to by the plaque above the door lintel, is today known as the «Column Room (Sala de la Columna)» due to the column located in the center of the room. After being used as a sacred art museum, it now hosts temporary exhibitions with different themes, showcasing the bibliographic collections of the Historical Library.

Past the glass door leading out of the building, the plaque above the next door reminds us that ancient languages were taught there: Greek, Hebrew, Chaldean, or Arabic. Today it provides access to the elevator and restrooms.

Royal Chapel of San Jerónimo Classical historiography indicates the existence of two chapels prior to the current one. The first, built at the beginning of the 15th century, was located in the east wing, where the access hall from Plaza de Anaya is today.

The second chapel was built during the time of the Catholic Monarchs in the same location as the current chapel. It shared space with the library, situated above it, for which Fernando Gallego painted the famous Sky of Salamanca. In 1506, the library was moved, the chapel was renovated, and a new altarpiece was installed, which involved dismantling the coffered ceiling that covered it and revealing the Sky of Salamanca, which covered the chapel until well into the 18th century. It had a valuable altarpiece that combined sculptures by Felipe Bigarny and paintings by Juan de Flandes, some of which are preserved today in the Escuelas Menores, in the Sky of Salamanca room.

During the renovation carried out between 1761 and 1767, part of the old celestial vault collapsed, and it was decided to build a new one at a lower level, which hid the Sky of Salamanca for centuries. In the same intervention, the 16th-century wooden altarpiece was replaced by the current one, made of marble and jasper. In the lower body of the altarpiece, three canvases by the painter Francisco Cacciániga stand out: in the center, the oath of the university professors to defend the Mystery of the Immaculate Conception; to the left, San Juan de Sahagún in the Miracle of the Yellow Well; and to the right, Saint Thomas of Villanueva helping the poor. The upper body features a gilded bronze relief with the figure of Saint Jerome, flanked by two canvases representing Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. The ensemble is topped by a Calvary made by Antonio González Ruiz.

In the niche on the right wall is a black and white marble urn that holds the remains of Fray Luis de León. It was made at the end of the 19th century by the sculptor Nicasio Sevilla, also the author of the monument dedicated to the poet in the Patio de Escuelas.

Before leaving the chapel, the Diploma of Doctor Honoris Causa awarded to Saint Teresa in 1922 can be seen on the east wall.

Religious ceremonies are held in this space during Holy Week, where music plays a prominent role. University students, professors, and staff members of the institution also have the privilege of getting married in this chapel.

Past the staircase is the Civil Law classroom. Today it is dedicated to the famous musician Francisco de Salinas, professor of music at the University of Salamanca between 1567 and 1590, considered one of the main theorists of Spanish Renaissance music. It is used for music lessons, concerts, and lecture series. Three portraits of Queens —Anne of Austria, wife of Philip II, Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III, and Isabella of Bourbon, wife of King Philip IV— and two tapestries with scenes from the history of Aeneas decorate the room.

Staircase
The staircase leading to the upper floor is a unique piece within Spanish art and holds deep symbolism. Its three sections represent the different stages of human life and the ascent towards moral and spiritual perfection, overcoming the dangers inherent in each phase. The first two sections are inspired by late 15th-century engravings by the artist Van Meckenem. The first section alludes to youth, characterized by a joyful and lascivious life. Around a woman of free life, a jester, and a musician with bagpipes, several minstrels dance with ribbons and bells on their feet and hands. This is the Moorish Dance (Danza morisca), a widely spread theme depicted in numerous engravings of the time. The second section introduces us to maturity, the stage of choice and commitment. The scene is clearly divided into two: good, symbolized by the bee, and evil, represented by the spider. The last scene shows a cavalry procession in which four knights ascend towards the figure located on the fourth pilaster: a young man offering his heart. This image symbolizes the triumph of man who has managed to master his passions to achieve the supreme Good. At that time, chivalry and its spirit constituted the highest moral ideal. The goal of the knights is Amicitia, the supreme Good, pure Love, God, embodied in the figure of the fourth pilaster.

THE UPPER CLOISTER In the upper cloister, first, is the western gallery, where the Historical Library is located. This space was built at the beginning of the 16th century to house the second university library, while the other three upper galleries were added in the 19th century.

The gallery features an interesting combination of styles: it is covered by a magnificent chestnut wood ceiling that fuses elements of Mudejar tradition and Italian influences, and its windows display the characteristic mixtilinear arches typical of Salamancan architecture. On the back wall, pictorial representations of two saints can be seen, accompanied by inscriptions alluding to venereal diseases that warned students about the risks of leading a disordered life.

The Library The Historical Library of the University of Salamanca traces its roots back to the 13th century, coinciding with the founding of the Salamanca Study. Alfonso X included in his Magna Carta the figure of the Stationer, responsible for guarding and providing books for consultation. However, the first documented library dates from the 15th century; it was located above the chapel and was covered with the astrological paintings now known as the Sky of Salamanca. The second library was built at the beginning of the 16th century in the western gallery of the upper cloister. From it are preserved the finely carved late Gothic style door and a magnificent grille with Plateresque decoration. In 1664, the collapse of the vault left the University almost a century without a stable space for its library. It was not until 1749 that the current room was rebuilt, with its characteristic vault and pine bookshelves designed by Manuel de Larra Churriguera. The collections are organized on double-tiered shelves, topped by large medallions with inscriptions indicating the content of each section. Inside is the manuscript and incunabula chamber, which today preserves 2,805 manuscripts —the oldest from the 11th century— and 485 incunabula. The general room houses more than 60,000 printed works from the 16th century to 1830, mostly from the Society of Jesus College in Salamanca, from old colleges and convents, as well as from legacies and acquisitions made by the University throughout its eight hundred years of history.

Expansion of the upper cloister The remaining three galleries of the upper cloister were built in the 19th century next to the Cloister Hall. They display facsimiles, reproductions of old maps, and objects used in botany and biology practices. Among the most curious objects is a wooden mannequin used for bandaging practices from the 16th century to the early 20th century.