Salamanca () is a city in western

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and is the capital of the

Province of Salamanca Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, Valladolid, Ávila, and Cáceres, and on the west by Portugal. It has ...

in the

autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...

. The city lies on several rolling hills by the

Tormes The Tormes is a Spanish river, that starts in Prado Tormejón, in the mountain range of Gredos, Navarredonda de Gredos, province of Ávila (province), Ávila. It crosses the provinces of Avila and Salamanca (province), Salamanca, ending at the Do ...

River. Its Old City was declared a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1988. As of 2018, the municipality has a population of 143,978. It is one of the most important university cities in Spain and supplies 16% of Spain's market for the teaching of the

Spanish language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a world language, global language with more than 500 millio ...

. Salamanca attracts thousands of international students. The

University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca ( es, Universidad de Salamanca) is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the city of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is th ...

, founded in 1218, is the oldest university in Spain and the

third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

oldest western university.

Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death in 1261. Early career He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne (now in the Province of Rome), he ...

gave universal validity to its degrees. With 30,000 students, the university is, together with tourism, a primary source of income in Salamanca. It is on the

Vía de la Plata The Vía de La Plata (Silver Way) or Ruta de la Plata (Silver Route) is an ancient commercial and pilgrimage path that crosses the west of Spain from north to south, connecting Mérida to Astorga. An extended form begins further south in Seville ...

path of the

Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...

History

Remains of a house at the archeological site of the Cerro de San Vicente (c. 800–400 BC), a hamlet assigned to the Early Iron Age. The city originates as a Celtiberian fort of the pre-Roman period, built by the

Vaccaei The Vaccaei or Vaccei were a pre-Roman Celtic people of Spain, who inhabited the sedimentary plains of the central Duero valley, in the Meseta Central of northern Hispania (specifically in Castile and León). Their capital was ''Intercatia'' in Pa ...

or the

Vettones The Vettones (Greek: ''Ouettones'') were a pre-Roman people of the Iberian Peninsula of possibly Celtic ethnicity. Origins Lujan (2007) concludes that some of the names of the Vettones show clearly western Hispano-Celtic features. Reissued i ...

as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the

Duero The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...

river. In 220 BC

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

laid siege to the fort and captured it. With the fall of the

Carthaginians The Punic people, or western Phoenicians, were a Semitic people in the Western Mediterranean who migrated from Tyre, Phoenicia to North Africa during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' – the Latin equivalent of the ...

to the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, the city of ''Helmantica'', as it was known, began to take more importance as a commercial hub in the Roman

Hispania Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusit ...

due to its favorable location on a

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

, known as the

, which connected it with

Emerita Augusta Emerita may refer to: * ''Emerita'' (crustacean), a genus of crustaceans * Emerita Augusta, an ancient city of Spain * Saint Emerita, 3rd-century martyr; see Digna and Emerita * Emerita, the feminine form of the adjective "emeritus ''Emeritus' ...

(present day Mérida) to the south and

Asturica Augusta Astorga () is a municipality and city of Spain located in the central area of the province of León, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León, southwest of the provincial capital. It is located in the transit between the Páramo Leonés ...

(present-day Astorga) to the north. Salamanca's Tormes bridge, built in the 1st century, was a part of this road. The origin of the name is unknown.

Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...

calls it ''Helmantike'', while

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

has ''Salmatike''.

Titus Livius Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

and

Plutarchus Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ' ...

have ''Hermandica'' and ''Salmatike'', respectively.

Polyaenus Polyaenus or Polyenus ( ; see ae (æ) vs. e; grc-gre, Πoλύαινoς, Polyainos, "much-praised") was a 2nd-century CE Greek author, known best for his ''Stratagems in War'' ( grc-gre, Στρατηγήματα, Strategemata), which has been pr ...

has ''Salmantida'' or ''Salmatis''. In a foundational myth, the city was associated with

Teucer In Greek mythology, Teucer (), also Teucrus, Teucros or Teucris ( grc, Τεῦκρος, Teûkros), was the son of King Telamon of Salamis Island and his second wife Hesione, daughter of King Laomedon of Troy. He fought alongside his half-broth ...

, mythological king of Salamis. With the fall of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

, the

Alans The Alans (Latin: ''Alani'') were an ancient and medieval Iranian nomadic pastoral people of the North Caucasus – generally regarded as part of the Sarmatians, and possibly related to the Massagetae. Modern historians have connected the Al ...

established in Lusitania. Later the city was conquered by the

Visigoth The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...

s and included in their territory. The city was already an

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

, and signatures of

bishops of Salamanca A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

are found in the

Councils of Toledo From the 5th century to the 7th century AD, about thirty synods, variously counted, were held at Toledo (''Concilia toletana'') in what would come to be part of Spain. The earliest, directed against Priscillianism, assembled in 400. The "thi ...

. Salamanca surrendered to the Umayyad invasion, led by

Musa bin Nusair Musa ibn Nusayr ( ar, موسى بن نصير ''Mūsá bin Nuṣayr''; 640 – c. 716) served as a Umayyad governor and an Arab general under the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I. He ruled over the Muslim provinces of North Africa (Ifriqiya), and direct ...

, in 712 AD. The area from this city on the Tormes River north to the

Duero River The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...

then became the main battlefield between the Christian kingdoms and the Muslim

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...

rulers. The constant fighting of the

Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León; es, Reino de León; gl, Reino de León; pt, Reino de Leão; la, Regnum Legionense; mwl, Reino de Lhion was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when t ...

, later reinforced by union with the

Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th centu ...

, against the

Caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

depopulated Salamanca and reduced it to an unimportant settlement. After the

battle of Simancas The Battle of Simancas (also called Alhandega or al-Khandaq) was a military battle that started on 19 July 939 in the Iberian Peninsula between the troops of the King of León Ramiro II and Cordovan caliph Abd al-Rahman III near the walls of ...

(939) the Christians resettled this area. After the 1085 seizure of Toledo by Alfonso VI of León and Castile, the definitive resettlement of the city took place.

Raymond of Burgundy Raymond of Burgundy (c. 1070 – 24 May 1107) was the ruler of Galicia as vassal of Alfonso VI of León and Castile, the Emperor of All Spain, from about 1090 until his death. He was the fourth son of Count William I of Burgundy and Stephanie. He ...

, instructed by his father-in-law Alfonso VI of León, led a group of settlers of various origins in 1102. One of the most important moments in Salamanca's history was the year 1218, when

Alfonso IX of León Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León and Galicia from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until his own death. He took steps towards modernizing and democratizing his dominion and founded the University ...

granted a royal charter to the

, although formal teaching had existed at least since 1130. Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centres in Europe. Class at Salamanca

The 15th century was plagued by social conflict and tensions among the urban elites (a complex development, often oversimplified as an infighting between ''bandos''), with occasional outbursts of grave episodes of violence, conveying a chronic feeling of insecurity. The late 15th century population has been tentatively estimated at 15,000–25,000. By the turn of the 16th century most of the population dwelled at the right (north) bank of the Tormes, with a small ''arrabal'' in the south bank inhabited by roughly 300 people. During the 16th century, the city reached its height of splendour (around 6,500 students and a total population of 24,000). During that period, the

hosted the most important intellectuals of the time; these groups of mostly- Dominican scholars were designated the

School of Salamanca The School of Salamanca ( es, Escuela de Salamanca) is the Renaissance of thought in diverse intellectual areas by Spanish theologians, rooted in the intellectual and pedagogical work of Francisco de Vitoria. From the beginning of the 16th cen ...

. The juridical doctrine of the School of Salamanca represented the end of medieval concepts of law, and founded the fundamental body of the ulterior European law and morality concepts, including rights as a corporeal being (right to life), economic rights (right to own property) and spiritual rights (rights to freedom of thought and rights related to intrinsic human dignity). In 1551, the Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

ordered an inquiry to find out if the science of Andreas

Vesalius Andreas Vesalius (Latinized from Andries van Wezel) () was a 16th-century anatomist, physician, and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, ''De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem'' (''On the fabric of the human body'' '' ...

, physician and anatomist, was in line with Catholic doctrine. Vesalius came to Salamanca that same year to appear before the board and was acquitted. Salamanca suffered the general downturns of the Kingdom of Castile during the 17th century, but in the 18th century it experienced a rebirth. In this period, the new baroque

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

and main square ( Plaza Mayor) were finished. In the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

theatre of the Napoleonic Wars, the

Battle of Salamanca The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of Arapiles) on 22July 1812 was a battle in which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles, so ...

took place on 22 July 1812 in the nearby fields of Arapiles, in which an

Anglo-Portuguese Army The Anglo-Portuguese Army was the combined United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British and Portugal, Portuguese army that participated in the Peninsular War, under the command of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesl ...

led by

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

decisively defeated the French army of

Marmont Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont (20 July 1774 – 22 March 1852) was a French general and nobleman who rose to the rank of Marshal of the Empire and was awarded the title (french: duc de Raguse). In the Peninsular War Marmont succeede ...

. The western quarter of Salamanca was seriously damaged by cannon fire. The battle which raged that day is famous as a defining moment in military history and thirteen thousand men were killed or wounded in the space of only a few short hours. Slm1858

During the devastating

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

(1936–1939) the city quickly went over to the Nationalist side and was temporarily used as the ''de facto'' headquarters for the rebel faction.

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...

was proclaimed ''Generalissimo'' on 21 September 1936 while at the city. In April 1937, the

FET y de las JONS The Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS; ), frequently shortened to just "FET", was the sole legal party of the Francoist regime in Spain. It was created by General Francisco F ...

, the single party of the ensuing dictatorship, was created via a

Unification Decree The Unification Decree was a political measure adopted by Francisco Franco in his capacity of Head of State of Nationalist Spain on April 19, 1937. The decree merged two existing political groupings, the Falangists and the Carlists, into a new ...

issued at the city upon the merging of the fascist Falange and the traditionalist carlists. The Nationalists soon moved most of the administrative premises to

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...

, which, being more central, was better suited for this purpose. However, some administrative apparatus, Franco's headquarters (located at the Palacio Episcopal, next to the Old Cathedral) and the military commands stayed in Salamanca, along with the German and Italian fascist delegations, making it the ''de facto'' Nationalist capital and centre of power during the entire civil war.Hugh Thomas, pág. 550Hugh Thomas, pág. 650 Like much of fervently Catholic and largely rural

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

and

Old Castile Old Castile ( es, Castilla la Vieja ) is a historic region of Spain, which had different definitions along the centuries. Its extension was formally defined in the 1833 territorial division of Spain as the sum of the following provinces: San ...

regions, Salamanca was a staunch supporter of the Nationalist side and

's regime for its long duration. In 1988, the old city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1998, it was declared a European Capital of Culture for year 2002 (shared with Bruges). During 14 and 15 October 2005, it hosted the XV Ibero-American Summits of Heads of State and Governments. Since 1996, Salamanca has been the designated site of the archives of the Spanish Civil War (''Archivo General de la Guerra Civil Española''). The original documents were assembled by the

Francoist Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spani ...

regime, selectively obtained from the administrative departments of various institutions and organizations during the Spanish Civil War as a repressive instrument used against opposition groups and individuals. The socialist government moved the Catalan part of the archive to Barcelona in 2006 despite opposition from the local authorities and popular protests.

Geography

Location

The city lies on the banks of the

river, a major left-bank tributary of the

Douro The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...

. It is also part of the

, an ancient S–N path in Western Spain. It is situated approximately west of the Spanish capital

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

and east of the Spanish-Portuguese border.

Climate

With an altitude of over 800 meters, Salamanca has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (''Csb'') according to the Köppen climate classification, with some cold semi-arid climate (''BSk'') climatic influences, resulting in large diurnal temperature variations, with hot summers and chilly winters, and nearly-semi-arid levels of precipitation. Salamanca does not have a real wet season. Most of the precipitation falls outside of the summer, with upticks at the end of the spring and during the winter; all winters have snow during few days per year, although heavy snowfalls are uncommon, but not unheard of. The city averages around 7 days of snowy days per year, morning

frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...

during winters is very common, as on a normal year, Salamanca has on average 76 days with low temperatures below freezing.

University

The

was founded in 1134 and in 1218 it was given the royal charter of foundation ("Estudio General") by

. It was the first university to receive the title of "University" in 1254. Under the patronage of the learned Alfonso X, its wealth and reputation greatly increased (1252–1282), and its schools of canon law and

civil law Civil law may refer to: * Civil law (common law), the part of law that concerns private citizens and legal persons * Civil law (legal system), or continental law, a legal system originating in continental Europe and based on Roman law ** Private la ...

attracted students even from the Universities of Paris and Bologna. In the 16th century, the city's fortunes depended on those of the university. About the time Christopher Columbus was lecturing there on his discoveries,

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...

took classes at Salamanca, but returned home in 1501 at age 17, without completing his course of study. (About ten years later the ''

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...

was born in Salamanca.) 2008-07-07 Universidad de Salamanca.jpg, Plateresque facade of the

2008-07-08 Detalle del edificio de la Universidad Salamanca.jpg, Detail of facade of the university

Economy

WLM14ES - 03082013 234425 SALAMANCA 0609 -

The city's economy is dominated by the university and tourism, but other sectors including agriculture and livestock rearing along with construction and manufacturing are also significant. Not surprisingly, in December 2007 83% of the working population, equivalent to 55,838, were employed in the service sector.

Industry

Industrial activity accounted for 5% of the working population, or 3,340 workers employed over 360 businesses. Two of the largest businesses, both of them numbered among the largest 100 enterprises in the region, are the veterinary vaccine manufacturer "Laboratorios Intervet", and the fertilizer specialist manufacturers S.A. Mirat, which is the city's oldest industrial company, having been established originally as a starch factory in 1812.

Transport

Road

''Highways'' *A50: Autovía de la Cultura: Ávila - Salamanca *A62: Autovía de Castilla:

- Valladolid - Salamanca - Ciudad Rodrigo. *A66: Autovía Ruta de la Plata: Gijón -

Oviedo Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...

- Mieres - Puerto de Pajares - León - Benavente -

Zamora Zamora may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe Spain * Zamora, Spain, a city in the autonomous community of Castilla y León * Province of Zamora, a province in the autonomous community of Castilla y León * Associated with the city and ...

- Salamanca - Béjar - Plasencia - Mérida - Sevilla. *SA-11: North access to Salamanca. *SA-20: South access to Salamanca. ''Other roads'' *N-501: Ávila -

Peñaranda de Bracamonte Peñaranda de Bracamonte is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 6320 people ...

- Salamanca. *N-620: Burgos - Venta de Baños - Valladolid - Tordesillas - Salamanca - Ciudad Rodrigo - Portugal.

Airport

Salamanca Airport Salamanca Airport is the airport serving the province of Salamanca in the autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autó ...

, located in the military base of Matacán, is located about east of the city.

Public transport

There are 13 bus lines during the day and two night lines. Also, a tram line has been proposed.

Culture and sports

The Old City of Salamanca was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. In 2002, Salamanca shared the title of European Capital of Culture with Bruges. In 2005, Salamanca celebrated the 250th anniversary of the construction of the Plaza Mayor with a number of European events (''Plaza Mayor de Europa'').

Festivals

Holy Week

The Holy Week in Salamanca (''Semana Santa'') is the most well-known feast in the city. Salamanca is renowned for the solemn and sober processions celebrated during Holy Week. 18, 10,000 brothers or "cofrades", 50 floats or " pasos" celebrate the Passion of Christ with 24 processions and thousands of followers, tourist and visitors. Some of the celebrations have been performed for centuries. The confraternities carry artistic pasos created by important Spanish artists such as Luis Salvador Carmona, Alejandro Carnicero or Mariano Benlliure. In 2003 the Semana Santa of Salamanca obtained the official declaration of International Touristic Interest.

Other

Salamanca is also famous throughout Spain and the rest of Europe for its celebrations of "

Nochevieja In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

Universitaria", loosely translated as "University New Year". It is usually held on the Thursday of the last week of school in December and two weeks before the real New Year's Eve. On this day, students congregate in the Plaza Mayor, Salamanca to watch free performances and take part in the countdown to midnight.

Sports

Estadio Helmantico - Spain vs China 2005

From 1923 onward, "Los Charros,” formally the

Union Deportiva Salamanca Unión Deportiva Salamanca, S.A.D. () was a historical Spanish football team based in Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded on 9 February 1923 and nicknamed ''Los Charros'', the club played in white shirts and black ...

, were the Salamanca football team. In 2013, the club went bankrupt and its activities were abandoned. After its dissolution, some managers of the entity decided to refound the farm team to continue competing, maintaining the legacy of the historic club. Thus they created the Club de Fútbol Salmantino. The first

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

over 8 feet (2.44 m) was made in Salamanca, by Javier Sotomayor in 1993. His jump, of 2.45 m (8 feet 0.46 inch), is still the world record in the event.

Local teams

Salamanca CF Salamanca Club de Fútbol UDS, previously known as ''CF Salmantino'', is a Spanish football team based in Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded in 2013 after the dissolution of UD Salamanca, it currently plays in ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team * Unionistas de Salamanca CF, football team * CB Avenida, basketball team *

Club Natación Acuático Salamanca Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

, swimming team

Cinema

The setting provided by the city has been featured in several films, including Ridley Scott's '' 1492: Conquest of Paradise'' and Miloš Forman's '' Goya's Ghosts''. Alejandro Amenábar's 2019 historical film '' While at War'' is set in Salamanca and features scenes shot there. Salamanca was also the setting for the 2008 political thriller ''

Vantage Point Vantage Point (formerly Archway Tower) is a 195-foot (59m) 17-storey residential apartment building above Archway Underground station, designed by Grid Architects, and owned and operated by Essential Living. History Archway Tower was built ...

'', although the movie was almost exclusively filmed in Mexico.

Gastronomy

Among many local dishes, ' (steamed rice with pork) is very popular. Another distinctive dish is the ''cocido'', a slow-cooked

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high ...

-based casserole. However, '' hornazo'', a meat pie, is the most popular dish.

Sister cities and twin towns

* Coimbra (Portugal); since 1981. * Würzburg (Germany); since 1981. *

Hefei Hefei (; ) is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural center of Anhui. Its population was 9,369,881 as of the 2020 census and its built-up ( ...

(China); since 2022.

Notable people

Public service

Alfonso XI of Castile Alfonso XI (13 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes en ...

(1311–1350), King of Castile and León. *

Miguel Ramírez de Salamanca Miguel Ramírez de Salamanca, O.P. (died 1534) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Santiago de Cuba (1530–1534). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Miguel Ramírez de Salamanca was born in Salamanca, Spain and was ordained as a p ...

(died 1534), Bishop of Santiago de Cuba, 1530–1534. * Beatriz Galindo (ca.1465 – 1535), a Spanish Latinist, writer, humanist and teacher * Francisco de Montejo (ca.1479 – ca.1553),

in Mexico and Central America. *

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján (; 1510 – 22 September 1554) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States between 15 ...

(1510–1554),

in Mexico to Kansas. *

Juan Vázquez de Coronado Juan Vázquez de Coronado y Anaya (; 1523 – 1565) was a Spanish conquistador, remembered especially for his role in the colonization of Costa Rica, in Central America, where he gained a reputation for fairness, effective administration, and go ...

(1523–1565)

, colonised Costa Rica * Baldassare de Benavente (1638–1687), a Roman Catholic prelate & Bishop of Potenza *

Jerónimo Bécker Jerónimo Bécker y González (2 December 1857 - 25 May 1925) was a Spanish historian, diplomat and journalist. Bécker was born in Salamanca. He became a member of the ''Real Sociedad Geográfica de España'' in 1913, and was awarded the Knight ...

(1857-1925) historian, diplomat and journalist. *

José María Lamamié de Clairac y Colina José María Lamamié de Clairac y Colina (1887-1956) was a Spanish people, Spanish politician. He supported the Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist cause, until the early 1930s as an Integrism (Spain), Integrist and afterwards as a Carlist. A ...

(1887-1956), politician * José María Gil-Robles (1898–1980), politician *

Antolín de Santiago Antolín Luis de Santiago y Juárez (born 9 October 1918) is a Spanish former politician, lawyer, professor and journalist He was a member of the FET y de las JONS party, and was the Mayor of Valladolid from 12 August 1971 to 12 February 1974. ...

(born 1918), former politician, lawyer, professor, journalist & Mayor of Valladolid, 1971/1974. *

Elena Catena Elena Catena López (12 November 1920 – 19 January 2012) was a Spanish university professor, philologist, publisher, and feminist. She was one of the first women to obtain a doctorate in at the Complutense University of Madrid, and the first t ...

(1920–2012), university professor, philologist, publisher and feminist. *

Francisco Rodríguez Adrados Francisco Rodríguez Adrados (29 March 192221 July 2020) was a Spanish Hellenist, linguist and translator. He worked most of his career at the Complutense University of Madrid. He was a member of the Real Academia Española and Real Academia d ...

(1922–2020), Hellenist, linguist and translator *

Eleuterio Sánchez Eleuterio Sánchez Rodríguez (born 15 April 1942), known as El Lute, was at one time listed as Spain's "Most Wanted" criminal and later became a published writer. He was a legendary Spanish outlaw who escaped several times from prison after be ...

(born 1942), former Spanish thief, today lawyer and published writer. *

Fernando Vérgez Alzaga Fernando Vérgez Alzaga L.C. (born 1 March 1945) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has been President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State since 1 October 2021 ...

(born 1945), Secretary General of the

Governorate of Vatican City State The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State ( la, Pontificia Commissio pro Civitate Vaticana, it, Pontificia Commissione per lo Stato della Città del Vaticano;) is the legislative body of Vatican City. It consists of a president, who also ...

* Alfonso Fernández Mañueco (born 1965), politician, Mayor of Salamanca, 2011 to 2018. *

Juan Moreno Yagüe Juan Ignacio Moreno de Acevedo Yagüe (born 1973), better known as Juan Moreno Yagüe, is a Spanish lawyer, activist and politician. He is a specialist in banking, mortgages, and criminal and economic law. Biography Born on 29 May 1973 in Sala ...

(born 1973), a Spanish lawyer, activist and politician. Diego de Torres Villarroel

The Arts

* Fernando Gallego (1440–1507), Spanish painter, Hispano-Flemish in style. * Lucas Fernández (ca.1474 – 1542), writer, dramatist and musician. * Pedro Hernández (ca.1585 – 1665), sculptor, drawer and engraver of the Castilian school * Diego de Torres Villarroel (1693–1770), writer, poet, dramatist, doctor, mathematician, priest and professor of the

. *

Manuel Francisco Álvarez de la Peña Manuel Francisco Álvarez de la Peña (1727–1797), Spanish sculptor, was born at Salamanca. He followed classical models so closely that he was styled by his countrymen El Griego, "The Greek." His works, which are very numerous, are chiefly to b ...

(1727–1797), Spanish sculptor. * Antonio Carnicero (1748–1814), painter of the Neoclassical style. *

Ventura Ruiz Aguilera Ventura Ruiz Aguilera (1820–1881) was a Spanish lyric poet, called "the Spanish Béranger.” Biography He was born in 1820 at Salamanca, where he graduated in medicine. He moved to Madrid in 1844, where he engaged in political journalism an ...

(1820–1881), a Spanish lyric poet. * Tomás Bretón (1850–1923), conductor and composer. * Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936), writer, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher and academic * Pedro Garfias (1901–1967), poet. * María del Rosario López Piñuelas (born 1943), actress, stage name '' Charo Lopez'' * Yann Martel (born 1963), Canadian author of the

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...

–winning novel '' Life of Pi''. * Juan Carlos Fernández-Nieto (born 1987), a Spanish-American pianist.

Science & business

Abraham Zacuto Abraham Zacuto ( he, , translit=Avraham ben Shmuel Zacut, pt, Abraão ben Samuel Zacuto; 12 August 1452 – ) was a Castilian astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian who served as Royal Astronomer to King John II of Portugal. ...

(1452 – ca.1515), astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian *

José Ignacio Sánchez Galán José Ignacio Sánchez Galán 1 (born 1950) better known as Ignacio Galán, is a Spanish businessman who currently serves as chairman of Iberdrola, a multinational energy company with a presence in dozens of countries worldwide with subsidiarie ...

(born 1950), engineer and manager, CEO of Iberdrola *

Mark Russinovich Mark Eugene Russinovich (born December 22, 1966) is a Spanish-born American software engineer and author who serves as CTO of Microsoft Azure. He was a cofounder of software producers Winternals before it was acquired by Microsoft in 2006. Ear ...

(born 1966) software engineer and author, CTO of

Microsoft Azure Microsoft Azure, often referred to as Azure ( , ), is a cloud computing platform operated by Microsoft for application management via around the world-distributed data centers. Microsoft Azure has multiple capabilities such as software as a ...

. * Susana Marcos Celestino (born 1970), physicist works on human vision and applied optics.

Sport

* Vicente del Bosque (born 1950), footballer with 518 club caps and 18 for Spain and manager of Spain 2008/2016 *

Francisco Javier Sanz Alonso Francisco Javier Sanz Alonso (13 December 1952 – 11 November 2022) was a Spanish chess International Master (IM) (1978), Spanish Chess Championship winner (1973). Biography In the 1970s and 1980s, Francisco Javier Sanz Alonso was one of the ...

(1952–2022), Spanish Chess Championship winner (1973). * Teodora Ruano (born 1969) retired female track and road racing cyclist, competed in three Summer Olympics *

Fátima Blázquez María Fátima Blázquez Lozano (born 14 May 1975) is a road cyclist from Spain. She represented her nation at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the women's road race and at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Gam ...

(born 1975) road cyclist, competed at the

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Félix Prieto Félix Jacinto Prieto Partido (born 24 May 1975) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a forward. Club career Born in Salamanca, Region of León, Prieto played in Real Madrid's youth system, later appearing with the C-team at the same t ...

(born 1975), former footballer with 474 club caps *

Ibán Cuadrado Ibán Javier Cuadrado Alonso (; born 21 February 1979) is a Spanish football manager and former professional footballer who played as a central defender. He amassed Segunda División totals of 248 games and five goals over the course of eight s ...

(born 1979), former footballer with 544 club caps * Jonathan Martín (born 1981), footballer with over 500 club caps * Óscar González (born 1982), footballer with over 438 club caps * Daniel Navarro (born 1983), a professional road bicycle racer * Carlos Peña (born 1983), footballer with 572 club caps * Álvaro Arbeloa (born 1983), footballer with 344 club caps and 56 for Spain *

Cristina González Ramos Cristina González Ramos (born 6 August 1983) is a retired Spanish handball goalkeeper. She played on the Spanish women's national team. She was part of the Spanish team at the 2008 European Women's Handball Championship, where the Spanish tea ...

(born 1983), a retired handball goalkeeper with 142 caps for Spain * Javier Carpio (born 1984), footballer with over 440 club caps *

Kike López Enrique "Kike" López Delgado (born 12 January 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger or a right-back for UE Cornellà. Club career A product of Real Valladolid's youth system, López was born in Salamanca, Cast ...

(born 1988), footballer with over 480 club caps

References

Bibliography

External links

*
City Council of SalamancaOfficial Tourist Information OfficeWiki of the city of SalamancaGeneral information on SalamancaGeneral information about events in SalamancaSalamanca travel guideSalamanca city guide
a
HitchHikers Handbook
Museums
Art Nouveau and Art Decó Museum Casa LisCar History MuseumCathedral Museum
{{Authority control Municipalities in the Province of Salamanca Populated places established in the 3rd century BC Province of Salamanca World Heritage Sites in Spain 3rd-century BC establishments in Spain Establishments in Spain in the Roman era