Salamanca () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
and city in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, capital of the
province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of
Castile and León
Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...
. It is located in the
Campo Charro
Campo Charro is one of the 11 comarcas in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León. It contains 42 municipalities: Aldeatejada, Aldehuela de la Bóveda, Arapiles, Barbadillo, Barbalos, Berrocal de Huebra, Buenamadre, Calvarrasa de A ...
comarca, in the
Meseta Norte, in the northwestern quadrant of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
. It has a population of 144,436 registered inhabitants (
INE 2017). Its
stable functional area reaches 203,999 citizens, which makes it the second most populated in the autonomous community, after
Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
. Salamanca is known for its large number of remarkable
Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish language, Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially Architecture, architectural, developed in Spanish Empire, Spain and its territories, which appeared ...
-style buildings.
The origins of the city date back to about 2700 years ago, during the first
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, when the first settlers of the city settled on the
San Vicente hill, on the banks of 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. It crosses the provinces of Avila and Salamanca, ending at the Duero River, at a place known locally as A ...
. Since then, the metropolis has witnessed the passage of various peoples:
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).
Origins
Also designated Vaccaena ...
,
Vettones
The Vettones (Greek language, Greek: ''Ouettones'') were an Prehistoric Iberia#Iron Age, Iron Age pre-Roman people of the Iberian Peninsula.
Origins
Lujan (2007) concludes that some of the names of the Vettones show clearly Hispano-Celtic lan ...
,
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 Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
,
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
and
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
.
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 ...
, son-in-law of King
Alfonso VI of León
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century ( Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. ...
, was in charge of repopulating the city during the Middle Ages and laying the foundations of modern-day Salamanca.
Salamanca is home to the oldest active university in Spain, the
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
, founded in 1218 by
Alfonso IX of León
Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León 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 of Salaman ...
on the germ of its
studium generale
is the old customary name for a medieval university in medieval Europe.
Overview
There is no official definition for the term . The term ' first appeared at the beginning of the 13th century out of customary usage, and meant a place where stud ...
, and which was the first in Europe to hold the title of university by royal decree of
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...
dated November 9, 1252 and by the ''licentia ubique docendi'' of
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.
Early career
He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne, Italy, Jenne (now in the Province of Rome ...
of 1255. During the time when it was one of the most prestigious universities in the West, the phrase ''
Quod natura non dat, Salmantica non præstat'', ''What nature does not give, Salamanca does not lend'', became popular. Salamanca is linked to universal history by names such as
Antonio de Nebrija
Antonio de Nebrija (14445 July 1522) was the most influential Spanish humanist of his era. He wrote poetry, commented on literary works, and encouraged the study of classical languages and literature, but his most important contributions were i ...
,
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
,
Fernando de Rojas
Fernando de Rojas (c. 1465/73, in La Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, Spain – April 1541, in Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain) was a Spanish author and dramatist, known for his only surviving work, '' La Celestina'' (originally titled ''Trag ...
,
Francisco de Vitoria
Francisco de Vitoria ( – 12 August 1546; also known as Francisco de Victoria) was a Spanish Roman Catholic philosopher, theologian, and jurist of Renaissance Spain. He is the founder of the tradition in philosophy known as the School of Sala ...
and the
School of Salamanca
The School of Salamanca () was an intellectual movement of 16th-century and 17th-century Iberian Scholasticism, Scholastic theology, theologians rooted in the intellectual and pedagogical work of Francisco de Vitoria. From the beginning of the ...
, friar
Luis de León
Luis de León ( Belmonte, Cuenca, 1527 – Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Castile, Spain, 23 August 1591), was a Spanish lyric poet, Augustinian friar, theologian and academic.
While serving as professor of Biblical scholarship at th ...
,
Beatriz Galindo
Beatriz Galindo, sometimes spelled Beatrix and also known as La Latina ( – 23 November 1535), was a Spanish Latinist and educator. She was a writer, humanist and a teacher of Queen Isabella of Castile and her children. She was one of the mos ...
and
Miguel de Unamuno
Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (; ; 29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca.
His major philosophical ...
.
In 1988, the
Old City of Salamanca was declared a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has an important historical-architectural heritage, among which stand out its two cathedrals - the
Old cathedral and the
New cathedral, the
Casa de las Conchas
The Casa de las Conchas is a historical building in Salamanca, central Spain. It currently houses a public library.
It was built from 1493 to 1517 by Rodrigo Arias de Maldonado, a knight of the Order of Santiago de Compostela and a professor ...
, the
Plaza Mayor, the
Convento de San Esteban and the
Escuelas Mayores. Since 2003,
Holy Week in Salamanca has been declared of
international tourist interest
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
.
Salamanca is home to important scientific institutions and research centers, such as the
Cancer Research Center, the
Institute of Neurosciences of Castile and León
An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes ca ...
, the Center for Water Research and Technological Development and the Ultra-Short Ultra-Intense Pulsed Laser Center. The city and
its metropolitan area, host some of the largest companies, by turnover, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. In addition, it is considered to be a world reference in the teaching of
Spanish language
Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
, since it concentrates 78% of the existing offer in its autonomous community, which represents 16% of the national market.
Toponymy
The origin of the toponym Salamanca is not clear. Greeks
Polybius of Megalopolis
Polybius (; , ; ) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covered the period of 264–146 B ...
and Stephanus called the city Helmantike, Greek name that for them meant "Land of divination". On the other hand,
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...
appeals to a
polis
Polis (: poleis) means 'city' in Ancient Greek. The ancient word ''polis'' had socio-political connotations not possessed by modern usage. For example, Modern Greek πόλη (polē) is located within a (''khôra''), "country", which is a πατ ...
dominated by the
Vaccei
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).
Origins
Also designated Vaccaenas i ...
s with the name of Salmatica or Salmantica. Roman
Livy
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 i ...
and
Plutarch
Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...
will call it Hermandica and
Polyaenus
Polyaenus or Polyenus ( ; see ae (æ) vs. e; , "much-praised") was a 2nd-century Roman Macedonian author and rhetorician, known best for his ''Stratagems in War'' (), which has been preserved. He was born in Bithynia, Asia Minor. The ''Suda'' c ...
calls it Salmantida or Salmatis. Other historians even call it Selium and Sentica.
On the other hand, some others like
Justin
Justin may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Justin (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Justin (historian), Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire
* Justin I (c. 450–527) ...
and later Rui Méndez or Murillo attributed the creation of the city to
Teucer
In Greek mythology, Teucer (; , also Teucrus, Teucros or Teucris), 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-brother, Ajax the Great, Ajax, in the ...
, son of Telamon, king of
Salamis, who after being defeated in the
Trojan War
The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...
, came to the Iberian Peninsula and founded a city, which remembering his homeland he would call Salamatica. Another theory that can be resorted to is that of the existence of a god of the first inhabitants — nomadic shepherds and Neolithic farmers — called Helman, whose name derived from the toponym Helmantica.
The philologist
Martín S. Ruipérez contributes a new interpretative line that is summarized in that "the first element of Salamanca, ''sala-'' is the designation of the ford of a river", "''sal-'' and ''hel-'' cannot be linguistically related one from the other" and regarding the second element ''-manca'' "where some believe to see the same element in the toponym
Talamanca (de Jarama) which, in turn, would coincide in its first element with Talavera, and in
Simancas
Simancas is a town and municipality of central Spain, located in the province of Valladolid, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated approximately 10 km southwest of the provincial capital Valladolid, on the r ...
, all of which is undemonstrable".
Symbols
Coat of arms
The municipal
heraldic shield
In heraldry, an escutcheon (, ) is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In th ...
was approved on 11 June 1996 with the following
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
:
Flag
The municipal flag was approved with the following textual description:
History
Salamanca in the universal history
Salamanca has been linked to Universal History by a series of events and personalities that came to mark the evolution of Western society:
* The creation of the first grammar of
Spanish language
Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
in 1492 by
Antonio de Nebrija
Antonio de Nebrija (14445 July 1522) was the most influential Spanish humanist of his era. He wrote poetry, commented on literary works, and encouraged the study of classical languages and literature, but his most important contributions were i ...
, the famous ''
Gramática de la lengua castellana
() is a book written by Antonio de Nebrija and published in 1492. It was the first work dedicated to the Spanish language and its rules, and the first grammar of a modern Languages of Europe, European language to be published. When it was pre ...
''. It was the first study of the rules of a Western European language other than
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
and this fact marks the beginning of the
Spanish Golden Age
The Spanish Golden Age (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Siglo de Oro'', , "Golden Century"; 1492 – 1681) was a period of literature and the The arts, arts in Spain that coincided with the political rise of the Spanish Empire under the Catholic M ...
.
* The preparations of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
for his first voyage in the
European discovery of the Americas
During the Age of Discovery, a large scale colonization of the Americas, involving a number of European countries, took place primarily between the late 15th century and the early 19th century. The Norse explored and colonized areas of Europe a ...
. The Cloister of the
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
met in council to discuss his project. During these years, Columbus obtained the support of the
Dominicans
Dominicans () also known as Quisqueyans () are an ethnic group, ethno-nationality, national people, a people of shared ancestry and culture, who have ancestral roots in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican ethnic group was born out of a fusio ...
, staying at the
Convento de San Esteban. The Salamanca astronomer
Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto (, ; 12 August 1452 – ) was a Sephardic Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian. Born in Castile, he served as Royal Astronomer to King John II of Portugal before fleeing to Tunis.
His astrolabe of cop ...
was his great scientific support for the trip.
* The years of study of
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (December 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions o ...
before leaving for the Americas and conquering the
Aztec Empire
The Aztec Empire, also known as the Triple Alliance (, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, �jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ or the Tenochca Empire, was an alliance of three Nahuas, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states rul ...
.
* The defense of the rights of the natives of the
New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
by the
School of Salamanca
The School of Salamanca () was an intellectual movement of 16th-century and 17th-century Iberian Scholasticism, Scholastic theology, theologians rooted in the intellectual and pedagogical work of Francisco de Vitoria. From the beginning of the ...
, which, with
Francisco de Vitoria
Francisco de Vitoria ( – 12 August 1546; also known as Francisco de Victoria) was a Spanish Roman Catholic philosopher, theologian, and jurist of Renaissance Spain. He is the founder of the tradition in philosophy known as the School of Sala ...
at its head, reformulated the concept of
natural law
Natural law (, ) is a Philosophy, philosophical and legal theory that posits the existence of a set of inherent laws derived from nature and universal moral principles, which are discoverable through reason. In ethics, natural law theory asserts ...
, renewed
theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
, laid the foundations of modern law of nations,
international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
and modern economic science, and actively participated in the
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent (), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most ...
.
* At this Council, mathematicians from the
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
proposed to Pope
Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII (, , born Ugo Boncompagni; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake ...
the calendar that came to be known as the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...
and is currently used all over the world. The germ was two studies carried out in 1515 and 1578 by scientists at the university, which were submitted to the church.
* The partial translation of the Bible into Spanish, made by
Friar Luis de León
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendic ...
.
* The oldest preserved printed book on modern
chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
, ''Repetición de amores y arte de ajedrez'', by the religious
Luis Ramírez de Lucena
Luis Ramírez de Lucena (c. 1465 – c. 1530) was a Spanish chess player who published the first extant chess book. He is believed to be the son of humanist writer and diplomat Juan de Lucena.
Book
Lucena wrote the oldest surviving printed boo ...
, published in Salamanca in 1496.
* The stay of
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( ; ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelist ...
, a possible student at the university, which influenced his books: ''
La Cueva de Salamanca'', ''
Don Quixote of la Mancha'' in which he makes references to Salamanca through the character of the bachelor Sansón Carrasco, ''La tía fingida'' and ''
El licenciado Vidriera
"El licenciado Vidriera" ("The Lawyer of Glass" or "The Glass Graduate") is a short story written by Miguel de Cervantes and included in his ''Novelas ejemplares'', first published in 1613. In the story, a young scholar goes mad, believing himsel ...
''.
Antiquity

The first human habitat in the Salamanca area has been dated to the beginning of the first millennium BC. This is attested by the ceramic remains found in the "
San Vicente hill" and which have been ascribed to the
Las Cogotas I culture of the
Final Bronze Age. In this same hill has been found what to date is considered the first human settlement of stable and continuous character, although already ascribed to the culture of the Soto de Medinilla of the
first Iron Age (7th century BC). Later, already in the
second Iron Age (from the 4th century BC), it has been found that a new population center developed in the so-called "teso de las catedrales or cerro de San Isidro", this already of
Castro character and that lasted until the definitive Romanization of the city. All these settlements, and therefore the current site of Salamanca, owe their existence to the special geomorphological characteristics of the terrain on which they settled. Thus, the choice of the location of these successive settlements must have had a special influence on the fact that this area had three tesserae -formed by the erosion of the San Francisco and Santo Domingo streams-, their corresponding watercourses and especially the proximity of the Tormes River. These details point to the suitability of this territory for the primitive functions of defense and control of the surrounding territory.
The settlement of the hill of San Isidro must have been a city of great importance between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, not only for its dimensions, but also for its optimal orographic conditions and defensive protection, since it had a wall and moat. In 220 B.C.,
Hannibal
Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.
Hannibal's fat ...
, in his advance through
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...
, besieged and conquered the ancient city of Helmantica (Salamanca). Thus,
Plutarch
Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...
says that "Hannibal besieged it and its inhabitants, to avoid further damage, submitted to him offering them three hundred talents of silver and as many hostages, raising the siege, the Helmantiqueses, failed to keep their promises and protected by their women who had hidden their weapons and managed to defeat Hannibal's troops". However, the Carthaginian general ended up seizing them and, according to
Polybius
Polybius (; , ; ) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covered the period of 264–146 ...
, "admired by the bravery of his women, by them he returned to his men the homeland and wealth".
After the
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...
, the victorious
Roman
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 Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
army began its expansion throughout most of the Iberian Peninsula. Salamanca began an intense period of Romanization as a city annexed to the province of
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after th ...
. The Roman Salmantica was restructured, limiting its settlement to the so-called teso de las catedrales, abandoning the site of the hill of San Vicente. Its new configuration kept it as a remarkable city, not only for its particular defensive and accessibility characteristics, but also for being a center of exchange.
Three of the cultural elements that have had the greatest influence on the configuration and development of the city of Salamanca come from the Roman period. In the first place, the
Calzada de la Plata, considered as its main communication infrastructure, the main axis of city planning and a milestone in the development of its commercial function. Secondly, the
Roman bridge
The ancient Romans were the first civilization to build large, permanent bridges. Early Roman bridges used techniques introduced by Etruscan immigrants, but the Romans improved those skills, developing and enhancing methods such as arches and k ...
, as an infrastructure that since the 1st century guaranteed the passage over the Tormes river and therefore the access to the city from the south. The Roman bridge still remains today in the northern half, since the other half had to be rebuilt in the 17th century after the
San Policarpo flood. Finally, the so-called Cerca Vieja, primitive wall of the city that surrounded the perimeter of the hill of San Isidro or of the cathedrals on the layout of the previous
Castro.
In November 2015, in the course of an emergency excavation carried out in the subsoil of a house located in
calle Libreros, several fragments of a male marble statue of a togado character were found, which must have been originally located somewhere in the Roman forum of the city of Salmantica, although it must have been later reused as filler material in the place where it was discovered. The statue is exhibited in the
Museum of Salamanca and is the first, and to date, the only sculptural find from the Roman period that has appeared in the subsoil of the city. Some specialists consider that this finding, put in relation with several Roman inscriptions from the beginning of the Empire found in the ancient Salmantica, allows to defend the hypothetical juridical promotion of the ancient indigenous
oppidum
An ''oppidum'' (: ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age Europe, Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celts, Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread acros ...
to Roman
civitas
In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by Roman law, law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilitie ...
during the reign of
Augustus
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
.
Middle Ages
With the end of the
Western Roman Empire
In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...
, the
Alans
The Alans () were an ancient and medieval Iranian peoples, Iranic Eurasian nomads, nomadic pastoral people who migrated to what is today North Caucasus – while some continued on to Europe and later North Africa. They are generally regarded ...
settled in
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after th ...
and the city became part of this region. Later the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
conquered the city and annexed it to their territory. There is little information about the development of Salamanca in the Visigothic period, it is only known that in the 4th century the Roman walls were extended with
keeps on the same layout, and that the remains of the previous walls were destroyed practically in their entirety. It is known that in 589 the city was an
episcopal seat
A cathedral is a church that contains the 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 denominations with an episcop ...
because it was among the cities that sent bishops to 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 "thir ...
.
In 712, with
the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula,
Musa ibn Nusayr
Musa ibn Nusayr ( ''Mūsá bin Nuṣayr''; 640 – c. 716) was an Arab general and governor who served under the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I. He ruled over the Muslim province of Ifriqiya, and directed the Islamic conquest of the Visigothic King ...
conquered the city. During the
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...
, the area remained a "no man's land" and most of its population centers were destroyed by the frequent incursions (algaradas) of the Arabs. Salamanca was reduced to an unimportant and almost uninhabited nucleus, although the bridge remained intact, with some settlers in the surrounding area. The successive attempts of the Christian kingdoms to stabilize the area caused many clashes with Muslim expeditions to the north, which caused several skirmishes and battles, such as that of
Alfonso I of Asturias
Alfonso I of Asturias, called the Catholic (''el Católico''), ( – 757) was the third king of Asturias, reigning from 739 to his death in 757. His reign saw an extension of the Christian domain of Asturias, reconquering Galicia and León.
...
in 754, which ended up destroying what was left of the town.
The area remained more or less depopulated until after the important Christian victory, in 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 o ...
of 939, the effective repopulation of the riverside area of the Tormes began. According to the Pelagian wording of the ''Chronicle of Sampiro'', two months after the end of the Islamic attack,
Ramiro II of León
Ramiro II ( 900 – 1 January 951), son of Ordoño II of León, Ordoño II and Elvira Menendez, was a Kingdom of León, King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of the kingdom, he gained the crown of Le ...
ordered the advance of his army towards the banks of the Tormes, where he says that the repopulation began:
Everything seems to indicate that to the pre-existing population was added during this phase the emigration that came fundamentally from comarcas located to the north of the Duero; in the case of Salamanca it is undoubtedly that it is preferably emigrants arriving from the vicinity of
León, according to the donation made by
Ordoño III of León
Ordoño III (–956) was the King of León from 951 to 956, son and successor of Ramiro II (931–951). He confronted Navarre and Castile, who supported his half-brother Sancho the Fat in disputing Ordoño's claim to the throne.
He a ...
in the year 953 to the church of León of all the churches recently constructed in the alfoz of Salamanca.

.
After the conquest of
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Or ...
by
Alfonso VI of León
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century ( Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. ...
in 1085, the definitive repopulation of the city took place. In 1102,
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 ...
went to the city with a large group of settlers of diverse origins, with a composition similar to the new inhabitants of the city of
Ávila
Ávila ( , , ) is a Spanish city located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila.
It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m a ...
-
Franks
file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty
The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...
,
Castilians
Castilians () are the inhabitants of the historical region of Castile in central Spain. However, the boundaries of the region are disputed.
Not all people in the regions of the medieval Kingdom of Castile or Crown of Castile think of themsel ...
, serranos,
Mozarabs
The Mozarabs (from ), or more precisely Andalusi Christians, were the Christians of al-Andalus, or the territories of Iberia under Muslim rule from 711 to 1492. Following the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom in Hispania, the Christian ...
,
Toroans,
Portugueses
The Portuguese people ( – masculine – or ''Portuguesas'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation Ethnic groups in Europe, indigenous to Portugal, a country that occupies the west side of the Iberian Peninsula in ...
and
Bragançans, as well as with the occasional collaboration of Galicians, Jews and Muslims; which are collected in the
Fuero de Salamanca, by order of his father-in-law Alfonso VI. These founded their respective churches and parishes.
[Salamanca Y Su Alfoz En La Edad Media (12th and 13th centuries). Sanchez Iglesias, Jose Luis] Of all the repopulating groups the most important was that of the Serranos (mountainous-Castilian people) , also called the warrior-shepherds, dedicated exclusively to the care of their livestock and warfare. It should not be forgotten that all of medieval Extremadura, territory between the Duero and the Central System, was known in the Arab chronicles as "Country of the Serranos".
Even today there is still a street "calle Serranos" around which this repopulating group was agglutinated.
The new settlers occupied the old walled enclosure and colonized new lands in the surrounding area. The occupation of the city responded to social, ethnic and power criteria. Thus, the social elite was located in the center of the city, a space that coincided with that of the ancient Celtiberian city. The Serranos, linked to political and military power, occupied the western part (house of the royal representative and
Alcázar
An ''alcázar'', from Arabic ''al-Qasr'', is a type of Islamic castle or palace in Spain built during Al-Andalus, Muslim rule between the 8th and 15th centuries. They functioned as homes and regional capitals for governmental figures throughout ...
) and the Franks to the east, together with the Episcopal see and the commercial center around the Azogue Viejo. The Jews will be located next to the Alcázar and the remaining groups of repopulators (Castilians, Portuguese, Jews, Mozarabs, Toroans and Galicians, among others) will be located in the spaces outside the walls.
The
Diocese of Salamanca
The Diocese of Salamanca () is a Latin Church, Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Salamanca in the ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valladolid, Valladolid in Spain. was restored (the first bishop being
Jerome of Périgord) and the construction of the
Old Cathedral was begun, at whose side some schools were founded, which would be the seed of the future university.
In 1218, the monarch
Alfonso IX of León
Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León 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 of Salaman ...
granted privileges that attracted new settlers -among them a large Jewish community-, the city expanded its walled perimeter and granted the
cathedral schools
Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools. Some of these ...
the rank of
studium generale
is the old customary name for a medieval university in medieval Europe.
Overview
There is no official definition for the term . The term ' first appeared at the beginning of the 13th century out of customary usage, and meant a place where stud ...
which, in 1254, would become
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
by royal decree of
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...
, later ratified by
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.
Early career
He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne, Italy, Jenne (now in the Province of Rome ...
, in 1255:
The university would eventually achieve great prestige.
On August 12, 1311, the only king of Castile and León that the city has ever produced,
Alfonso XI
Alfonso XI (11 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 ...
"the Avenger", was born within
Salamanca's walls. He acceded to the throne at the age of fourteen and conquered
Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
in command of the militias of the Crown, in which the large presence of Salamancan contingents stood out.
During the 15th century, Salamanca was the scene of great rivalries that affected all areas of urban life, triggering the so-called
War of the Bandos, which pitted two factions led by families of the nobility - the Benitinos and the Tomesinos, so called because they were grouped around the parishes of
San Benito and Santo Tomé- that disputed the control of the city and that years later concluded with the signing of a Concord achieved by a brave Augustinian friar who, in time, became the patron saint of the city:
Saint John of Sahagún
In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
.
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.
With the rise of the
Mesta
The ''Mesta'' () was a powerful association protecting livestock owners and their animals in the Crown of Castile that was incorporated in the 13th century and was dissolved in 1836. Although best known for its organisation of the annual migrat ...
, Salamanca gained importance as a center of
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the
secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
s draperies and as an exporter of
wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
.
Early modern Age
Like the rest of the historical nuclei of the Crown that had representation in Cortes, Salamanca joined the
movement of the Communities of Castile (1520) against the new taxes demanded by
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...
in the
Cortes of Castile
The (; ) are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house).
The Congress of Deputies meets in the Palacio de las Cortes. The Senate meets in the Palac ...
and in defense of its textile manufactures against the privileges of the wool exporters. After the defeat of the Comuneros, King Carlos V had the upper part of the towers of the palaces of the Salamancans who joined the revolt removed.
The 16th century was the period of greatest splendor of the city, both in demography and in university life, thanks to the prestige of its professors, with the so-called
School of Salamanca
The School of Salamanca () was an intellectual movement of 16th-century and 17th-century Iberian Scholasticism, Scholastic theology, theologians rooted in the intellectual and pedagogical work of Francisco de Vitoria. From the beginning of the ...
. Then it joined the general decline of the cities of the Crown of Castile in the Meseta Norte (12,000 inhabitants in 1651). Moreover, it was around that time that the
Church of San Isidoro was built.
The juridical doctrine of the
School of Salamanca
The School of Salamanca () was an intellectual movement of 16th-century and 17th-century Iberian Scholasticism, Scholastic theology, theologians rooted in the intellectual and pedagogical work of Francisco de Vitoria. From the beginning of the ...
represented a change in trajectory from medieval law, which relied extensively on the tradition of
casuistry
Casuistry ( ) is a process of reasoning that seeks to resolve moral problems by extracting or extending abstract rules from a particular case, and reapplying those rules to new instances. This method occurs in applied ethics and jurisprudence. ...
and on
Roman law
Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I.
Roman law also den ...
, to a system that focused more on
scholasticism
Scholasticism was a medieval European philosophical movement or methodology that was the predominant education in Europe from about 1100 to 1700. It is known for employing logically precise analyses and reconciling classical philosophy and Ca ...
and
Thomism
Thomism is the philosophical and theological school which arose as a legacy of the work and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), the Dominican philosopher, theologian, and Doctor of the Church.
In philosophy, Thomas's disputed ques ...
, and which tried to be more explicitly universal. Since Spain had just started colonizing the Americas, the School of Salamanca was interested in the rights on non-Europeans, 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). Due to the institutional connections of Dominicans at the University of Salamanca (especially
Francisco de Vitoria
Francisco de Vitoria ( – 12 August 1546; also known as Francisco de Victoria) was a Spanish Roman Catholic philosopher, theologian, and jurist of Renaissance Spain. He is the founder of the tradition in philosophy known as the School of Sala ...
) and Dominican missionaries in the colonies (such as
Antonio de Montesinos and
Bartolomé de las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas, Dominican Order, OP ( ; ); 11 November 1484 – 18 July 1566) was a Spanish clergyman, writer, and activist best known for his work as an historian and social reformer. He arrived in Hispaniola as a layman, then became ...
), the School of Salamanca was critical of the Spanish colonists and the laws that permitted their abusive treatment of native peoples. Their work on the idea of ''ius gentium'', or "rights of peoples/nations", was a crucial contribution to the modern development of human rights and
international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
.
During the 16th century, the city reached its height of splendour (it is estimated that Salamanca had about 24,000 inhabitants and around 1580 6500 students were enrolled each year). During that period, the
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
hosted the most important intellectuals of the time; these groups of mostly-Dominican Order, Dominican scholars were designated the
School of Salamanca
The School of Salamanca () was an intellectual movement of 16th-century and 17th-century Iberian Scholasticism, Scholastic theology, theologians rooted in the intellectual and pedagogical work of Francisco de Vitoria. From the beginning of the ...
.
In 1551, the Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...
ordered an inquiry to find out if the science of Andreas Vesalius, physician and anatomist, was in line with Catholic doctrine. Vesalius came to Salamanca that same year to appear before the board and was acquitted.
The Jewish quarter (diaspora), Jewish quarter of Salamanca was located to the north, next to the walls (more or less the current avenida de Mirat). When, Expulsion of Jews from Spain, in 1492, they were expelled, the neighborhood was walled up and respected by the Salamancans, probably thinking of a possible return, and when it became uninhabited it was filled with rabbits, so it has been known until recently as ''barrio del Conejal''.
In the 18th century it had an important economic and cultural revival, which led to the completion of the New Cathedral of Salamanca (whose works had been stopped for almost a century) and the construction of its imposing baroque
Plaza Mayor in 1729. When the great 1755 Lisbon earthquake, Lisbon earthquake of 1755 struck, many of the city's monumental buildings saw the integrity of their fabrics endangered. One of the most revealing images of its effects can still be seen in the Church of San Martín de Tours (Salamanca), Church of San Martín: many of the stones must have been in the air for a fraction of a second, enough for the pillars to tilt and the voussoirs of arches and vaults to fall in a place that was not exactly the one they had occupied until that moment, so that in its interior today one can see arched walls and pillars, deformed arches and ribs. However, the city's economic prosperity made it possible to renovate many of the monumental buildings damaged by the earthquake, including the cathedral, which was the most affected of all the Spanish cathedrals. In the cultural aspect, the influence of the Enlightenment in Spain, Bourbon Enlightenment was also noted in the University in the last third of the century.
Modern era

During the Peninsular War, Salamanca was occupied by the troops of Marshal Soult in 1809 and remained in France, French hands until the Battle of Arapiles (1812), in which an Anglo-Portuguese Army led by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Wellington decisively defeated the French army of Auguste de Marmont, Marmont. During the occupation, the French built defenses and, in order to obtain materials, destroyed an important part of the Salamancan buildings, especially in the neighborhood called Caídos (demolished), where the well-known Residential college, colegios mayores of the University were erected, of which no trace remains. 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. A bad moment came when Fernando VII of Spain closed the Spanish universities. After the reopening, the University of Salamanca was reduced to a provincial university. For the province of Salamanca acted the Salamanca guerrilla and military Julián Sánchez García "El Charro" in command of the Lancers of Castile unit.
In 1833 the province of Salamanca was created, framed in the Region of León, thus making the city of Salamanca the capital of that province, becoming home to the Diputación Provincial de Salamanca, Diputación de Salamanca.
In 1873, after the proclamation of the First Spanish Republic, the first serious attempt to federalize Spain was undertaken through the Spanish Draft Constitution of 1873, draft Constitution of 1873. Barely five days after the presentation of this project, Salamanca suffered a Cantonalism, Cantonalista uprising which, after four days of success, was put down on July 26, 1873. Subsequently, a military pronouncement took away the First Republic and the regionalizing initiative of the Federal State. During the rest of the 19th century the city experienced a slight recovery when it was named provincial capital and the railroad linking France with Portugal, which passed through the Meseta (Medina del Campo and Salamanca, 1877), was built.
During the devastating Spanish Civil War (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 was proclaimed ''Generalissimo'' on 21 September 1936 while at the city. In April 1937, the FET y de las JONS, the single party of the ensuing dictatorship, was created via a Unification Decree (Spain, 1937), Unification Decree 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, which, being more central, was better suited for this purpose. However, some administrative apparatus, the Episcopal Palace of Salamanca, Episcopal Palace, next to the Old Cathedral was the residence and command center of General Francisco Franco, 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. 550][Hugh Thomas, pág. 650] Like much of fervently Catholic and largely rural León (historical region), León and Old Castile regions, Salamanca was a staunch supporter of the Nationalist side and Francisco Franco's regime for its long duration.
After the war, the documents seized by the rebel army as they occupied the territory that had defended the Republic were concentrated in Salamanca, creating a large documentary archive on the Spanish Civil War (General Archive of the Spanish Civil War). The part of this archive, which deals with Catalonia, as well as many valuable papers and documents of individuals and institutions not belonging to that region, was transferred to Barcelona in the spring of 2006, after great disputes between the City Council of Salamanca, Salamanca City Council and the Spanish government, and popular demonstrations. The Salamanca City Council, presided by Julián Lanzarote (People's Party (Spain), PP), changed the name of the street where the archive is located from "Gibraltar" (a name that paid homage to the Salamanca militias that went with Alfonso XI of Castile to the conquest of
Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
) to "El Expolio", as a sign of protest after the transfer of the "Salamanca Papers" to Catalonia.

In 1940, Pope Pius XII founded the Pontifical University of Salamanca as a continuation of the ancient theological studies. In 1988 Salamanca was declared a List of World Heritage Sites in Spain, World Heritage City by UNESCO. In 1998, by agreement of the Ministers of Culture of the European Union, Salamanca was designated (shared with Bruges), European Capital of Culture for the year 2002. The city also aspires to obtain the candidacy for the Universal Exposition of Salamanca in the not too distant future.
Currently the population of the capital of Salamanca, stagnant for about three decades, is around 160,000 inhabitants, although in 2006 it decreased by more than 11,000 people with respect to the year 1994. This is mainly due to the transfer of part of its population to the metropolitan area, and a Total fertility rate, very low birth rates that occurred from the 1980s onwards (See Demographics of Spain) leading to an Ageing of Europe, aging population, a phenomenon common to many other Spanish cities, although there is also a high rate of emigration to places like Madrid. It is significant to note that the province of Salamanca has a high rate of aging population with respect to national data. From June 7–10, 1994, the World Conference on Special Needs Education took place in the capital of Salamanca, with 92 governments and 25 international organizations represented, and concluded with the "Salamanca Declaration of Principles, Policy and Practice for Special Needs Education".
For its part, the service sector (the buoyant cultural tourism and the University of Salamanca, University) is the main source of income for the city. Particularly relevant is the educational activity during the summer, as it has a large influx of students from many countries, who mostly come to learn the
Spanish language
Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
and attend various summer courses. On October 14 and 15, 2005, the capital of Salamanca hosted the XV Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. The Crown Prince of Japan Naruhito visited the city on June 13, 2013 on the occasion of the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Spanish-Japanese exchange. He received from the hands of Mayor Alfonso Fernández Mañueco the keys to the city.
Geography
Integrated in the comarca of
Campo Charro
Campo Charro is one of the 11 comarcas in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León. It contains 42 municipalities: Aldeatejada, Aldehuela de la Bóveda, Arapiles, Barbadillo, Barbalos, Berrocal de Huebra, Buenamadre, Calvarrasa de A ...
, the capital of Salamanca is located 64 kilometers from Zamora, Spain, Zamora, 109 kilometers from
Ávila
Ávila ( , , ) is a Spanish city located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila.
It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m a ...
, 121 kilometers from
Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, 123 kilometers from Portugal and 202 kilometers from Cáceres, Spain, Cáceres.
The relief of the municipality is characterized by the confluence of two geological and environmental units of the southwest of the Castilian-Leonese plateau on the banks of the Tormes, Tormes river. On the one hand, to the north and east, the Tertiary sedimentary basin, characterized by extensive plains dedicated to dry farming; on the other, the peneplain of the Paleozoic socket to the south and west, where an ecosystem of oak groves and pastures known as
Campo Charro
Campo Charro is one of the 11 comarcas in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León. It contains 42 municipalities: Aldeatejada, Aldehuela de la Bóveda, Arapiles, Barbadillo, Barbalos, Berrocal de Huebra, Buenamadre, Calvarrasa de A ...
predominates, mostly dedicated to livestock.
The city is located at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. The altitude of the municipality varies from 911 meters (Los Montalvos), in the southwest, and 763 meters in the last stretch in the municipality of 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. It crosses the provinces of Avila and Salamanca, ending at the Duero River, at a place known locally as A ...
river.
Climate
According to the data in the table below and the criteria of the modified Köppen climate classification Salamanca has a Semi-arid climate, cold semi-arid type ''BSk'' ("cold steppe") the transition boundary to Mediterranean climates of type ''Csa'' and ''Csb''. It is characterized by cool winters, with frequent frosts and summers are warm to hot, although the nights are cool. Precipitation is well distributed throughout the year, with summer being drier than other seasons, with Mediterranean influences.
Hydrography
The municipality of Salamanca is crossed by two surface watercourses: the Tormes, Tormes river and the Zurguén stream, the latter a tributary of the river on its left bank. The valleys of the two watercourses are characterized by alluvial type materials, considered as permeable. The water table is very high, which sometimes gives rise to waterlogged areas.
[PGOU of the municipality of Salamanca (revision-adaptation 2004)](_blank)
/ref>
The Tormes river articulates the entire province of Salamanca, provincial territory and has had a decisive influence on the historical development of the city. Its middle course is regulated by the Santa Teresa Reservoir which also fulfills the function of supplying drinking water and irrigation. Its regulation was also intended to prevent its numerous floods, such as the historic ones that occurred in 1256 and San Policarpo flood, 1626, although it did not succeed, in that they have been reiterated subsequently and significantly. Likewise, the Tormes also serves as a channel for the evacuation of treated wastewater from the capital.
Heritage
The large old city of Salamanca was declared a List of World Heritage Sites in Spain, World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1988. Places of interest in the city, many of them within the "Barrio Viejo" Old Quarter of the city.
Squares and public spaces
* The Plaza Mayor, Salamanca, Plaza Mayor de Salamanca: Baroque style, designed by the architects Alberto de Churriguera, Alberto and Nicolás Churriguera, it is the most important public space and heart of the city. The main building of the square is the City hall of Salamanca.
* Campo de San Francisco: First public garden of the city on land of the former Convent of los Capuchinos, Salamanca, Convent of San Francisco el Real.
* Huerto de Calixto y Melibea: garden near the cathedrals, where, according to some, the plot of the novel ''La Celestina'' by Fernando de Rojas
Fernando de Rojas (c. 1465/73, in La Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, Spain – April 1541, in Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain) was a Spanish author and dramatist, known for his only surviving work, '' La Celestina'' (originally titled ''Trag ...
is situated. Next to it are remains of the Roman Empire, Roman walls.
* Plaza del Corrillo: small square attached to the Plaza Mayor. To the left is the Church of San Martín de Tours, Salamanca, Romanesque church of San Martín and to the right a series of houses with arcades formed by stone columns ending in footings representing the days of the week (a moon for Monday, a Mars for Tuesday, etcetera).
Religious buildings
Cathedrals
Salamanca has two cathedrals, the Old cathedral, from the 12th century and of Romanesque architecture, Romanesque style, and the New cathedral, much larger, begun in the 16th century in Gothic architecture style and completed in the 18th century. The place where the two meet is known as Patio Chico and is one of the most charming corners of the city.
The main tower of the new cathedral was built over the bell tower of the old cathedral. In it is still visible a crack originated by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
La Clerecía
La Clerecía, Salamanca, La Clerecía is currently the seat of the Pontifical University of Salamanca. Its construction began in 1617 and was completed a century and a half later as Espíritu Santo Royal College, of the Jesuits. It is of Baroque style. It differs the college, with an interesting cloister, and the church, with an impressive facade of three bodies, two twin towers of 50 meters high and a huge dome. The name La Clerecía is due to the fact that it belonged to the Real Clerecía de San Marcos after the Pragmatic Sanction of 1767, expulsion of the Jesuits.
Convento de San Esteban
The Convento de San Esteban is a Dominican convent of the 16th century. The Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish language, Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially Architecture, architectural, developed in Spanish Empire, Spain and its territories, which appeared ...
facade, with its triumphal arch shape, is an authentic jewel of the Renaissance of Salamanca. Impressive baroque altarpiece by José Benito de Churriguera. Also noteworthy is the Renaissance Cloister of los Reyes.
Convento de las Dueñas
The Convento de las Dueñas was built in 1533 and the interest of the whole building is mainly focused on the magnificent cloister, which had to adapt its plan to the layout of the primitive dependencies, so it developed a unique irregular pentagonal plan. It consists of two floors. The lower one has segmental arches on columns and medallions with heads in the spandrels, and the upper one is linteled with columns and footings. The capitals, of which the sculptor is unknown, are of inexhaustible fantasy and variety, and monsters and grotesques were carved in the spandrels.
Others
* Church of la Vera Cruz, Salamanca, Chapel of la Vera Cruz: Baroque temple with Renaissance façade, seat of the five times centennial Cofradía de la Vera Cruz, Salamanca, Cofradía de la Vera Cruz de Salamanca. It houses countless works of art.
* Colegio de Calatrava, Salamanca, Colegio de Calatrava: built in the 18th century, on the initiative of the Order of Calatrava, it currently houses the Casa de la Iglesia (House of the Church).
* Convento de las Agustinas e Iglesia de la Purísima, Salamanca, Convento de las Agustinas e Iglesia de la Purísima: in the church there is a picture of the Immaculate Conception painted by Jusepe de Ribera, José de Ribera. It is the only construction of totally Italian space and decoration in Spain.
* Convento de las Isabeles, Salamanca, Convento de las Isabeles: the interior has a single nave and a main chapel containing several tombs of the Solís family, Gothic decoration and several altarpieces, the most outstanding being the altarpiece of Saint Isabel of Hungary attributed to Nicolás Florentino. Also noteworthy is the artesonado of the lower choir, Mudéjar style, which is considered the oldest in the city. The vault of the church is of neo-Gothic style of 1911, designed by Santiago Madrigal to replace the coffered ceiling in poor condition.
* Remains of the Convento de San Antonio el Real, Salamanca, Convento de San Antonio el Real (1736): of Baroque style, its remains are divided between the Teatro Liceo and a store where they can be visited.
* Convento de la Anunciación, Salamanca, Convento de la Anunciación (also called of las Úrsulas): founded by Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo, Archbishop Fonseca in 1512. The exterior apse of Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic style stands out. Inside, the Baroque altarpiece and the tomb of the founder, Renaissance, the work of Diego Siloe, Diego de Siloé.
* Convento de la Trinidad, Salamanca, Convento de la Trinidad: Former Palacio de Montellano adapted in the 16th century to house a Trinitarian convent.
* Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, of the Hieronymites, completed in 1513, half-destroyed by the French in the early 19th century, in the Peninsular War, it is currently integrated within the manufacturing facilities, of the 19th century, of the Mirat, Grupo Mirat.
* Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia, Salamanca, Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia (16th-17th centuries): small baroque temple that began to be built in 1389 in the Plaza de San Cristóbal. Nowadays very deteriorated, it is a printing press, while its bell-gable decorates the church of the barrio de Pizarrales.
* Former church of las Bernardas, Salamanca, Former church of las Bernardas: work of Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón. Prototype of the Salamanca churches of the 16th century. The shell-shaped chevet stands out. Today it is inside the School of San Joseph Calasanz, José de Calasanz.
* Church del Carmen de Abajo, Salamanca, Church del Carmen de Abajo: Chapel of the Lay Carmelites integrated into the Convento de San Andrés. It is the only remaining part of the aforementioned convent that disappeared in the 19th century.
* Church of San Benito, Salamanca, Church of San Benito: Gothic church built under the patronage of Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo, Alonso II de Fonseca, pantheon of the Maldonado family.
* Church of San Julián y Santa Basilisa, Salamanca, Church of San Julián: Romanesque church later reformed.
* Church of San Marcos, Salamanca, Church of San Marcos: Romanesque architecture, Romanesque church near the route along which the Walls of Salamanca, north wall of the city used to run. Externally it has a circular plan with three naves and apses in the interior.
* Church of San Martín de Tours, Salamanca, Church of San Martín: Romanesque architecture, Romanesque church with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque reforms, annexed to the Plaza Mayor.
* Church of San Pablo, Salamanca, Church of San Pablo: Baroque temple belonging to the old convent of the Trinitarians, it houses the image of Congregación de N.P. Jesús Rescatado (Salamanca), Jesus Rescued, very venerated in the city. It is a parish seat, governed by the Diocesan Priest Operators.
*Church of Santa María de los Caballeros, Salamanca, Church of Santa María de los Caballeros: Renaissance church with baroque window camarín window to calle Bordadores.
* Church of Santiago del Arrabal, Salamanca, Church of Santiago del Arrabal: remains of the church (modern reconstruction) in Romanesque-Mudéjar style.
* Church of Santo Tomás Cantuariense, Salamanca, Church of Santo Tomás Cantuariense: Romanesque architecture, Romanesque church founded in honor of Thomas Becket, Saint Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury in 1175, just five years after his death and two after his canonization. It consists of three apses and a nave with a wooden roof. It forms a parish next to San Pablo's, governed by the Diocesan Priest Operators.
* Convento del Rollo: modern work of Antonio Fernández Alba and National Architecture Award of Spain, National Prize of Architecture in 1963.
University buildings
* University: set of buildings that made up the old University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
, including the Escuelas Mayores, the Escuelas Menores, Salamanca, Escuelas Menores and the Hospital del Estudio, Salamanca, Hospital del Estudio (current rectorate), located around the square called Patio de Escuelas, Salamanca, Patio de Escuelas. In this same square is the house of Doctor Álvarez Abarca or of the Doctors of the Queen (15th century), whose facade is Gothic with Renaissance details and which today is the Museum of Salamanca.
* Casa-Museo de Unamuno (18th century): former house of the rectors of the University. It is preserved as it was when Miguel de Unamuno
Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (; ; 29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca.
His major philosophical ...
held this position.
* Colegio Mayor de Santiago el Zebedeo, also called "del Arzobispo Fonseca" or "de los Irlandeses" (16th century).
* Colegio de San Ambrosio (1719): nowadays it is General Archive of the Spanish Civil War. It houses documents and objects seized by Francisco Franco, Franco's troops and his allies during and at the end of the Spanish Civil War. Although throughout the post-war period its basic objective was to preserve information related to organizations and individuals potentially opposed to the Franco regime and, consequently, to use this information for repressive purposes, since the return of democracy this building would become one of the most important archives that existed in Spain to investigate the historical period of the Second Republic. Many of the documents and objects that still remain in the archive are related to Freemasonry, including various pieces of furniture with which a Masonic lodge has been reconstructed.
* Colegio Trilingüe: founded in 1554 for the teaching of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Designed by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, part of the original courtyard is preserved, remade from 1829, in the Faculty of Physics.
* Palacio de Anaya which was the last seat of the Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé, Salamanca, Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé or Colegio de Anaya, founded in the 15th century by Diego de Anaya Maldonado, Diego de Anaya, disappeared at the beginning of the 19th century. It is currently the Faculty of Philology. Next to the building is the church of San Sebastián, former chapel of the college, and la Hospedería, work of Joaquín de Churriguera.
* Colegio Santa Cruz de Cañizares (16th century): Professional Conservatory of Music. Of it only remains of the old chapel, today incorporated into the auditorium of the conservatory, and the main facade, in Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish language, Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially Architecture, architectural, developed in Spanish Empire, Spain and its territories, which appeared ...
style, are preserved.
* Colegio de San Pelayo: founded in the middle of the 16th century. Since 1990 and after a restoration, it houses the Faculty of Geography and History (University of Salamanca), Faculty of Geography and History.
Palaces and palatial houses
* Casa de las Conchas
The Casa de las Conchas is a historical building in Salamanca, central Spain. It currently houses a public library.
It was built from 1493 to 1517 by Rodrigo Arias de Maldonado, a knight of the Order of Santiago de Compostela and a professor ...
(House of Shells): it was built at the end of the 15th century. Of civilian Gothic architecture, Gothic style, its façade is decorated with around 350 scallop shells, distinctive of the Order of Santiago. Also important are the Gothic grilles on the windows. It currently houses a public library.
* Casa de Don Diego Maldonado: Plateresque palace from the 16th century. It houses the Hispanic-Brazilian Cultural Foundation and the Center for Brazilian Studies of the University of Salamanca.
* Casa de doña María la Brava: Gothic building of the 15th century, prototype of the noble mansions of the time. Its owner, María Rodríguez de Monroy, was the head of one of the two War of the Bands, bandos into which the city was divided in the 15th century. She cut off the heads of the murderers of her sons. It is located in the Plaza de los Bandos, Salamanca, Plaza de los Bandos.
* Casa Lis: small Art Nouveau palace of 1905 with iron facade. Built on the wall. It houses the Museo de Art Nouveau y Art Déco, Salamanca, Art Nouveau and Art Deco collections donated by Manuel Ramos Andrade.
* Casa de las Muertes (early 16th century): built by Juan de Álava, and so called because of the skulls that decorate the facade. On one occasion when the building was renovated, the skulls were rounded and turned into balls, but it remained so gloomy denomination and this was enough reason for the popular imagination to invent a legend that ran for many years. According to it, the name came from the fact that a woman was found dead in the house and no one could explain how the misfortune had happened. The curse weighed on the house and everyone who lived in it would die. This resulted in it remaining empty for a long time and people mysteriously lowered their voices as they passed by. Nowadays the spheres have been re-sculpted as skulls (much smaller than the original ones).
* Casa del Regidor Ovalle Prieto, Casa del Regidor Ovalle (13th century): Miguel de Unamuno
Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (; ; 29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca.
His major philosophical ...
died there.
* Casa de Teresa of Ávila, Saint Teresa of Ávila (16th century): here the saint stayed when she visited Salamanca in 1570 to found a convent and here she wrote the poem ''I live without living in me''.
* Casa de los Sexmeros de la Tierra (15th century): doorway with semicircular arch, Gothic tracery window. Headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Salamanca.
* Casa de las Viejas (17th century): former asylum for widows without resources, currently home to the Castile and León Film Archive, Castile and León Regional Film Archive. Permanent exhibition of apparatus related to cinema and its history, owned by the Salamancan filmmaker Basilio Martín Patino.
* Fonda Veracruz: this building served as an inn until the middle of the 20th century, and has a courtyard with wooden galleries with two staircases. It was a hotel management's school until 2019.
* Palacio de San Boal, Salamanca, Palacio de San Boal (15th century): sgraffito façade very similar to that of Arias Corvelle. It houses the Escuela de Nobles y Bellas Artes de San Eloy.
* Palacio de Castellanos (15th-16th centuries): the palace of the Marquises of Castellanos was begun at the end of the 15th century, although its facade dates from the end of the 19th century, so it combines Gothic and Neoclassical styles. With a powerful interior Gothic courtyard, this building currently functions as a hotel.
* Palacio de Garci Grande (16th century): Renaissance façade and chamfered windows on the corner, unique in the city. Headquarters of the Regional Savings Bank (Caja Duero).
* Palacio de Monterrey, Salamanca, Palacio de Monterrey: it was built in the 16th century and is in the Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish language, Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially Architecture, architectural, developed in Spanish Empire, Spain and its territories, which appeared ...
style. It belongs to the house of Alba and its towers and chimneys stand out. Only one of the four blocks that would compose the initially conceived complex was built.
* Palacio de Orellana, Salamanca, Palacio de Orellana (16th century): building of classicism, classicist architecture with mannerism, mannerist influences. The ''L'' shaped courtyard and the staircase stand out.
* Palacio de Figueroa (Casino Building), Palacio de Rodríguez de Figueroa (1545): it has interesting facades on calles Concejo and Zamora and an interior courtyard. Today is the Casino of Salamanca.
* Palacio de la Salina (1546): Renaissance, work of Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón. Since 1884 it has been the seat of the Diputación Provincial de Salamanca, Diputación Provincial.
* Palacio de Arias Corvelle, (Salamanca), Palacio de Arias Corvelle (15th century): facade decorated with sgraffitos. It was a trade school and later a business school. Since 1999 it houses the Hispanic-Japanese Cultural Center of the University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
. In the same square is the Church of San Boal, Salamanca, church of San Boal (17th century).
* Palacio de Solís (15th century): in this palace was celebrated the wedding between Philip II of Spain and Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal, Maria Manuela of Portugal in 1543. On the site, José María de la Vega Samper designed a Neoplateresque building as the Telefónica headquarters, which was inaugurated in 1930 and in which he included the remains of the front and the balcony of the palace that were the only things that were preserved.
* Torre del Aire: it is all that remains of the palace of the Dukes of Fermoselle, built in the 15th century. It has beautiful Gothic windows. It is currently a student residence.
* Torre del Clavero (15th century): remains of a palace, built by Francisco de Sotomayor, Clavero Mayor of the Order of Alcántara, around 1470. The lower body is quadrangular, while the upper one is octagonal adorned with eight cylindrical turrets.
* Torre de los Anaya (15th century): an old manor house in civilian Gothic architecture, Gothic style with a mullioned window and a three-sided courtyard. For years it was the seat of the Institute of Ibero-American and Portuguese Studies, Salamanca, Institute of Ibero-American and Portuguese Studies of the University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
, also known as Palacio de Abrantes.
University
The University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
was founded in 1134 and in 1218 it was given the royal charter of foundation ("Estudio General") by Alfonso IX of León
Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León 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 of Salaman ...
. It was the first university to receive the title of "University" in 1254. Under the patronage of the learned Alfonso X of Castile, Alfonso X, its wealth and reputation greatly increased (1252–1282), and its schools of canon law and Civil law (legal system), civil law 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
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
was lecturing there on his discoveries, Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (December 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions o ...
took classes at Salamanca, but returned home in 1501 at the age of 17, without completing his course of study. (About ten years later the ''conquistador'' Francisco Vásquez de Coronado was born in Salamanca.)
Economy
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. In December 2007, 83% of the working population, equivalent to 55,838, were employed in Tertiary sector, 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 Mirat, 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, Spain, Ávila - Salamanca
*A62: Autovía de Castilla: Burgos - Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
- Salamanca - Ciudad Rodrigo.
*A66: Autovía Ruta de la Plata: Gijón - Oviedo - Mieres - Puerto de Pajares - Leon, Spain, León - Benavente, Zamora, Benavente - Zamora, Spain, Zamora - Salamanca - Béjar - Plasencia - Mérida, Spain, Mérida - Sevilla.
*SA-11: North access to Salamanca.
*SA-20: South access to Salamanca.
''Other roads''
*N-501: Ávila - Peñaranda de Bracamonte - Salamanca.
*N-620: Burgos - Venta de Baños - Valladolid - Tordesillas - Salamanca - Ciudad Rodrigo - Portugal.
Airport
Salamanca Airport, 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 "Paso (float), 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 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, Plaza Mayor de Salamanca to watch free performances and take part in the countdown to midnight.
Sports
From 1923 onward, "Los Charros," formally the Union Deportiva Salamanca, 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 Deportivo Club de Fútbol Salmantino, Club de Fútbol Salmantino.
The first high jump 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 High jump#Men .28absolute.29, world record in the event.
Local teams
*Salamanca CF, association football, football team
*Unionistas de Salamanca CF, football team
*CB Avenida, basketball team
*Club Natación Acuático Salamanca, swimming (sport), 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 (film), Vantage Point'', 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-based casserole. However, ''hornazo'', a meat pie, is the most popular dish.
Sister cities and twin towns
Salamanca is twinned with:
* Coimbra, Portugal; since 1981.
* Würzburg. Germany; since 1981.
* Hefei, China; since 2022.
Notable people
Public service
*Alfonso XI of Castile (1311–1350), King of Crown of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León.
*Miguel Ramírez de Salamanca (died 1534), Bishop of Santiago de Cuba, 1530–1534.
*Beatriz Galindo
Beatriz Galindo, sometimes spelled Beatrix and also known as La Latina ( – 23 November 1535), was a Spanish Latinist and educator. She was a writer, humanist and a teacher of Queen Isabella of Castile and her children. She was one of the mos ...
(ca.1465 – 1535), a Spanish Latinist, writer, humanist and teacher
*Francisco de Montejo (ca.1479 – ca.1553), conquistador in Mexico and Central America.
*Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (1510–1554), conquistador in Mexico to Kansas.
*Juan Vázquez de Coronado (1523–1565) conquistador, colonised Costa Rica
*Baldassare de Benavente (1638–1687), a Roman Catholic prelate & Bishop of Potenza
*Jerónimo Bécker (1857–1925) historian, diplomat and journalist.
*José María Lamamié de Clairac y Colina (1887-1956), politician
*José María Gil-Robles y Quiñones, José María Gil-Robles (1898–1980), politician
*Antolín de Santiago (1918–?), politician, lawyer, professor, journalist & Mayor of Valladolid, 1971/1974.
*Elena Catena (1920–2012), university professor, philologist, publisher and feminist.
*Francisco Rodríguez Adrados (1922–2020), Hellenist, linguist and translator
*Eleuterio Sánchez (born 1942), former Spanish thief, today lawyer and published writer.
*Fernando Vérgez Alzaga (born 1945), Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State
*Alfonso Fernández Mañueco (born 1965), politician, Mayor of Salamanca, 2011 to 2018.
*Juan Moreno Yagüe (born 1973), a Spanish lawyer, activist and politician.
The Arts
*Fernando Gallego (1440–1507), Spanish painter, Hispano-Flemish in style.
*Lucas Fernández (musician), Lucas Fernández (ca.1474 – 1542), writer, dramatist and musician.
*Pedro Hernández (sculptor), 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 University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
.
*Manuel Francisco Álvarez de la Peña (1727–1797), Spanish sculptor.
*Antonio Carnicero (1748–1814), painter of the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style.
*Ventura Ruiz Aguilera (1820–1881), a Spanish lyric poet.
*Matilde Cherner (1833–1880), writer and journalist
*Tomás Bretón (1850–1923), conductor and composer.
*Miguel de Unamuno
Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (; ; 29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca.
His major philosophical ...
(1864–1936), writer, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher and academic
*Pedro Garfias (1901–1967), poet.
*Charo Lopez, María del Rosario López Piñuelas (born 1943), actress, stage name ''Charo Lopez''
*Yann Martel (born 1963), Canadian author of the Man Booker Prize–winning novel ''Life of Pi''.
*Juan Carlos Fernández-Nieto (born 1987), a Spanish-American pianist.
Science & business
*Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto (, ; 12 August 1452 – ) was a Sephardic Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian. Born in Castile, he served as Royal Astronomer to King John II of Portugal before fleeing to Tunis.
His astrolabe of cop ...
(1452 – ca.1515), Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian
*José Ignacio Sánchez Galán (born 1950), engineer and manager, CEO of Iberdrola
*Mark Russinovich (born 1966) software engineer and author, Chief technology officer, CTO of Microsoft Azure.
*Susana Marcos Celestino (born 1970), physicist works on Visual perception, human vision and applied optics.
*Flora de Pablo (born 1952), biologist
Sport
*Vicente del Bosque (born 1950), footballer with 518 club caps and 18 for Spain national football team, Spain and manager of Spain national football team, Spain 2008/2016
*Francisco Javier Sanz Alonso (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 (born 1975) road cyclist, competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, 1996 & 2000 Summer Olympics
*Félix Prieto (born 1975), former footballer with 474 club caps
*Ibán Cuadrado (born 1979), former footballer with 544 club caps
*Jonathan Martín (footballer), Jonathan Martín (born 1981), footballer with over 500 club caps
*Óscar González (Spanish footballer), Óscar González (born 1982), footballer with over 438 club caps
*Daniel Navarro (born 1983), a professional road bicycle racer
*Carlos Peña (Spanish footballer), Carlos Peña (born 1983), footballer with 572 club caps
*Álvaro Arbeloa (born 1983), footballer with 344 club caps and 56 for Spain national football team, Spain
*Cristina González Ramos (born 1983), a retired handball goalkeeper with 142 caps for Spain women's national handball team, Spain
*Javier Carpio (born 1984), footballer with over 440 club caps
*Kike López (born 1988), footballer with over 480 club caps
*David Alcaide (born 1978), professional Pool (cue sports), pool player, European Open Pool Championship winner (2023)
See also
*Salmanticenses and Complutenses
*Monument to Columbus (Salamanca)
References
Bibliography
External links
*
City Council of Salamanca
Official Tourist Information Office
Wiki of the city of Salamanca
General information on Salamanca
General information about events in Salamanca
Salamanca travel guide
Salamanca city guide
a
HitchHikers Handbook
Museums
Art Nouveau and Art Decó Museum Casa Lis
Car History Museum
Cathedral Museum
{{Authority control
Salamanca,
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