UNAMUNO HOUSE MUSEUM

The building housing the Miguel de Unamuno House-Museum was built by the architect Andrés García de Quiñones between 1758 and 176. It was constructed with a double objective: to serve as a Chapter Hall and as the residence of the Rector of the University of Salamanca.
Miguel de Unamuno arrived in Salamanca in 1891, after obtaining the professorship of Greek language through competitive examination. From 1900, when he was elected rector, he settled with his family in the Rectory House, where he remained until his dismissal in 1914. In this house, his last four children were born, and many of his most celebrated works were conceived, including Paisajes, De mi país, Poesías, Vida de Don Quijote y Sancho, Del sentimiento trágico de la vida y Niebla. After his dismissal, the family had to leave the house and find a new home, moving then to what would be their last residence, the house on Bordadores street.

The House-Museum was inaugurated in 1953, coinciding with the commemoration of the seventh centenary of the University's founding, thanks to the initiative of Rector Tovar. For this purpose, the old Rectory House, also known as Casa de la Parra, was chosen with the aim of preserving and disseminating the vital and intellectual legacy of Miguel de Unamuno, one of the main representatives of the Generation of '98.

After the death of the writer and philosopher, the University decided to transform the Rectory into a space that would preserve its historical-artistic atmosphere and evoke the intimate and familiar environment in which Unamuno lived. To achieve this, furniture and numerous personal objects, both from Unamuno and his children, were moved from their home on Bordadores street and are now distributed throughout the dining room, study, bedroom, and the rector's living room. The museum's directorship initially fell to Felisa, Unamuno's own daughter, which further strengthened the family's bond with this space.

Unamuno donated his personal library to the University shortly before his death. This collection brings together more than 6,000 volumes, many of them sent by their authors with dedications, eager to know the intellectual's opinion on their works. The library reflects the breadth of Unamuno's interests, which spanned disciplines as diverse as philosophy, medicine, history, and religion. It also demonstrates his mastery of several languages and his intense relationship with other writers, especially Hispano-American and Portuguese.

The House-Museum is today a fundamental reference for research on Miguel de Unamuno, thanks to his children's decision to sell the family archive to the State on the condition that it be safeguarded by the University of Salamanca.

Since then, the institution has maintained a close link with the figure of the writer, preserving and enriching, year after year, a valuable heritage that continues to grow through new acquisitions, donations, and deposits.

The Unamuno House Museum is located next to the Plateresque facade of the Escuelas Mayores, at the confluence of Libreros Street and Calderón de la Barca Street. It is a Baroque construction made of Villamayor stone by Andrés García de Quiñones. Rectangular in plan, it consists of two floors, with a facade open to two streets. The main entrance is framed by a robust molding above which stands out the coat of arms of the University of Salamanca, accompanied by the motto: “Omnivm Scientarvm Princeps Salmantica Docet”. This same coat of arms, richly ornamented with Rococo motifs, is repeated on the corner of the building. The frames of its seven balconies evoke the architect's characteristic style, similar to those in other buildings constructed by Quiñones in the city, such as the City Hall or the Hospedería Fonseca.

THE TOUR

The tour through these rooms allows visitors to discover both the writer's family life and his intellectual legacy. The building is organized into three floors: • Ground floor: houses the institutional area, featuring the spacious Rector's Hall, a space where part of the University's artistic heritage is exhibited. • First floor: accommodates the museum section and the former family home, which preserves Miguel de Unamuno's furniture and personal belongings. This area mainly includes the study, bedroom, and library, with most of the writer's and his family's original furnishings. • Second floor: is entirely dedicated to research, with the consultation room and the archive.

MUSEUM HOUSE INTERIOR The University of Salamanca, in its continuous effort to perpetuate and transmit Unamuno's thought and presence, has taken care to showcase the environment in which Unamuno's life unfolded during the years he served as Rector of the academic institution. To this end, the museum's historical-artistic setting has been carefully curated, seeking to recreate the familiar and home-like environment in which his existence transpired, now open for visits. Other areas of the house have been adapted to turn it into a center open to the study and research of Don Miguel's work.

Vestibule Before entering the Cloister Hall, in the vestibule, we find a portrait of Unamuno Manuel Losada made just after he was appointed rector. This image was Unamuno's favorite, in which he saw himself faithfully reflected.

The Rector's Hall The Rector's Hall was the setting for welcoming events and protocol ceremonies, as well as meetings of the Cloister. Uniquely, Miguel de Unamuno also used it as a personal workspace. Today, the University of Salamanca uses this hall for academic meetings, conferences, talks, and press conferences. The hall preserves valuable historical furniture, part of the institution's heritage, and is presided over by an imposing 17th-century Baroque tapestry, made in Brussels workshops. Among the most notable pieces are a Baroque vargueño, an eight-key Renaissance chest, several Baroque mirrors, and portraits of former students and professors.

The room is presided over by the portrait of Miguel de Unamuno, painted by José Aguiar in 1935. The work, full of symbolism, reflects the thinker's deep relationship with Salamanca: against a background outlining the cathedrals and the Roman Bridge, the majestic figure of the writer stands, firmly holding a copy of El Cristo de Velázquez in his right hand.

First Floor - Exhibition Area The first floor houses the exhibition and didactic section, which brings us closer to the life journey of Miguel de Unamuno: his role as a professor, politician, and man of many hobbies. Valuable iconographic and artistic collections are displayed in this space. From here, one accesses the rooms that were once the family home, mainly comprising the study, bedroom, and library. Most of the writer's and his family's furniture and personal belongings are preserved in these rooms, moved from their last residence on Bordadores Street.

In the hallway, a display case shows numerous origami figures, one of his great passions. The thinker's books cover the dining room walls, where the rocking chair by the fireplace stands out. From the window, one can see the vine adorning the side of the house, to which Unamuno dedicated a poem. The rooms are enriched with valuable works of art: portraits, caricatures, and landscapes by artists such as Vázquez Díaz, Gallego Marquina, Darío Regoyos, or Echevarría. Drawings and youth paintings made by Unamuno himself are also preserved, testifying to his passion for plastic arts.

In the study are his desk, his university graduation scroll, paintings, photographs, and the walking sticks he used for another of his great hobbies: walking. The bedroom holds the suitcase with which he returned from his French exile in 1930 and the drawing Gregorio Prieto made in 1915 of the famous Christ of Velázquez, a gift to the writer in recognition of his devotion to Velázquez's work. His bed is preserved there, the nightstand with his glasses, and a curious lectern he designed himself to read comfortably in bed. Everyday objects that bring us closer to his intimacy are discovered in the details of the wardrobe.

Second floor The second floor is dedicated to research. It houses his personal library and archive, as well as a documentation center of great interest for reconstructing the period between the late 19th and the first quarter of the 20th century. Practically all of his drafts, manuscripts, letters, drawings, and photographs are preserved here. The archive gathers more than 25,000 letters, testifying to his relationships with intellectuals and personalities from all over the world, including Henri Miller and Albert Einstein.

Throughout the year, exhibitions organized by the Casa Museo itself or by other public entities are held. The House also lends archive documents, books, or other heritage assets for display outside the Museum. Of particular importance have been the exhibition "D. Miguel de Unamuno. A Life in Photographs" on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of his death, held in the Sala Santo Domingo de la Cruz in Salamanca, as well as the display of his "Drawings" on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of his death.