HUERTO DE CALIXTO Y MELIBEA

High up on the ancient wall and behind the majestic Salamanca Cathedral, a unique corner is hidden where history, literature, and nature intertwine: the Calixto and Melibea Garden. This romantic garden owes its name to the protagonists of La Celestina, the famous work by** Fernando de Rojas**, who was a student at the University of Salamanca in the 15th century. The city preserves two enclaves linked to this literary work: Peña Celestina, west of the Teso de las Catedrales, where tradition holds the old procuress lived, and this garden, where tradition places the garden of Melibea's father's palace, the setting for the young protagonists' love encounters.

Access to the Calixto and Melibea Garden is from Patio Chico, through the quiet Calle del Arcediano. This narrow passage leads us to an ancient stone wall, where a door with a semicircular arch and large voussoirs opens, bearing the coats of arms of Alonso de Paradinas, Archdeacon of Ledesma and Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo. Alonso de Paradinas was a student at the Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé; there he copied the copy of the Libro del Buen Amor that is now preserved in the University's Historical Library. Paradinas spent many years of his life in Rome, where he commissioned the construction of the Church and Hospital of Santiago, considered the first Renaissance building built in Rome. Above the door of this church hangs the same coat of arms we see here. Today, apart from the blazoned door, the well, and a cistern, little remains of the building that once stood here, but it is not difficult to imagine a late-medieval palace with its proud tower dominating the city.

The wide plot extending from the gate to the wall, in the section between Casa de Lis and Puerta de San Polo, is now occupied by a lush garden whose viewpoint is the medieval wall walk, offering incredible views of the Convent of San Esteban and the Cathedral.

In 1981, it was acquired by the City Council, which, after careful intervention, transformed it into a public garden. During the renovation, existing elements, both vegetation and architecture, were combined with new ones to turn it into a flower garden with romantic connotations. The garden was expanded in 1992 when the City Council acquired the adjoining plot, known as the Vizier's Garden due to the nickname by which its owner was known.

CELESTINA SCULPTURE
At the entrance, next to an old wall covered with climbing plants, a magnificent black mulberry tree immediately catches the eye, shading the sculpture of the procuress, probably an heir to those mulberry tree plantations promoted in Salamanca between the 18th and 19th centuries for silkworm breeding. Next to the mulberry tree, a fountain and stone benches create a romantic corner cradled by the murmur of water.

CASA DE LA CALERA
To the right is the Casa de la Calera, where the lime used for the construction of the New Cathedral was stored, and which at one point also served as the University's printing house. Today it hosts pilgrims traveling the Vía de la Plata towards Santiago.

THE GARDEN
A stone wall, in which a semicircular arch with large voussoirs opens, gives access to a lush garden. The rich vegetation, the trees that barely let light through, and the legend, hypnotize those who cross this door. The main path leads to the well, around which the irregular and terraced garden structure is articulated. The space is divided into 16 flowerbeds delimited by boxwood hedges, with their interior spaces occupied by fruit trees interspersed with a varied vegetation of plants and shrubs. Walking today through the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea is to explore a space that preserves the memory of its past as an orchard, now transformed into an urban garden full of life and botanical diversity. Its paths wind among fruit trees, medicinal plants, ornamental species, and others associated with ancient beliefs and magical uses.

THE FOUNTAIN AND THE MULBERRY TREE
At the entrance, next to an old wall covered with climbing plants, a magnificent black mulberry tree immediately catches the eye, shading the sculpture of the procuress, probably an heir to those mulberry tree plantations promoted in Salamanca between the 18th and 19th centuries for silkworm breeding. Next to the mulberry tree, a fountain and stone benches create a romantic corner cradled by the murmur of water.

THE WELL
In the heart of the garden stands a well with a granite curb, a silent witness to countless love stories, represented by the many padlocks hanging from its arch, directly connecting it to Rojas' work.

THE WALL VIEWPOINT
The southern area of the garden stands on the wall, with two viewpoints located on two towers of the medieval enclosure. Walking along its wide rampart is a pleasure for the senses and the best viewpoint over the Cathedral and the immense San Esteban Convent complex.

THE VIZIER'S GARDEN
Thanks to the lesser density of vegetation, this point offers an unobstructed view of the dome of the New Cathedral and the Bell Tower. The selfie spot has been installed right here, a perfect place to capture a self-portrait with this exceptional backdrop.
From the viewpoint of the Vizier's Garden, located on a wall turret, the striking stained-glass windows of Casa Lis can also be appreciated.