SAN VICENTE VIEWPOINT

The Archaeological Park of Cerro de San Vicente is located at the southwestern end of Salamanca's historic center, on the westernmost of the three hills that make up the historic city. This privileged enclave houses a rich superposition of historical remains that inform about the city's evolution over almost three millennia.

At its summit, the oldest remains of Salamanca are preserved, a village from the First Iron Age linked to the Soto de Medinilla culture (8th-4th centuries BC). Centuries later, in the Middle Ages, the Benedictine convent of San Vicente was erected there, which would be transformed into a military fort by Napoleonic troops during the Peninsular War. In June 1812, during the Battle of Salamanca, General Wellington's forces attacked and destroyed the fort, marking the beginning of its decline. After the Disentailment and the eviction of the friars, the convent was sold and its ruins were practically dismantled, with only some walls of the old convent cloister remaining standing. At the end of the 19th century, the hill began to be occupied by humble families who reused its remains to build their homes, becoming one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.

In 1949, during the construction of the Colegio Mayor Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, the remains of the prehistoric village were discovered. This find spurred, decades later, an ambitious project for the research and recovery of the vestiges preserved on the hill. In 1997, the Master Plan for Cerro de San Vicente was drafted, regulating all interventions carried out since then in this space. The hill has become an archaeological park where adobe houses built during the First Iron Age can be contemplated, as well as the museum erected in 2001 over the remains of the old cloister, now transformed into a museum of Cerro de San Vicente on the history of Salamanca. Work is currently underway on the renovation and musealization of the remains of the prehistoric village and the batteries built by the French army during the Peninsular War, work that once completed will consolidate the hill as a unique space for understanding the historical evolution of the city.

The San Vicente Viewpoint is part of the Salamanca Viewpoints Route, a proposal that invites you to rediscover the city from its most inspiring perspectives. Located in the western part of the historic center, this elevated and tranquil spot offers one of Salamanca's most spectacular panoramic views. From here, the gaze sweeps across a monumental landscape that condenses centuries of history and art.

Before us rises the Teso de las Catedrales, separated from the Cerro de San Vicente by the Vaguada de la Palma, through which the channelled Arroyo de los Milagros flows. The panorama begins to our left with the beautiful baroque dome of the Church of La Purísima, and extends through the pavilions with galleries of the Pontifical University, reaching the imposing towers and domes of La Clerecía and the New Cathedral. In the center of this view stands the Escuelas Mayores building, an emblem of Salamanca's university legacy.

Until the Peninsular War, both hills were occupied by convents and university colleges, all of which were razed during the conflict. From this point, to our left, the Congress and Exhibition Palace of Castilla y León can be seen, erected on the former site of the Colegio Mayor de Oviedo. Further on, on the site of the Botanical Garden, the ruins of the Colegio de Cuenca and the Convento de San Agustín can be visited. To the right is the Faculty of Sciences, built on the site occupied by the Colegio del Rey, of the Military Order of Santiago.

The edge of the hill, known as Peña Celestina, preserves in collective memory the presence of the old procuress, protagonist of the famous literary work. In that same place, the Alcázar de San Juan was built in the Middle Ages, on whose site the Convento de San Cayetano was erected, and more recently, dependencies of the Faculty of Sciences. On the hillside, a section of Salamanca's medieval wall, known as the Cerca Vieja, is still preserved.

As evening falls, especially in summer, the sunlight bathes the buildings in reddish hues, transforming the city into a golden canvas. And when night arrives, the monumental illumination turns this viewpoint into a privileged balcony from which to contemplate Salamanca under the starry sky.