Things to do in Salamanca
The golden glow of Salamanca lingers long after you have left this city. The splendid Plateresque, Renaissance, and Baroque facades of the buildings in the historic section of town made of soft, fine piedra arenisca (amber sandstone )have, with age, acquired a warm, distinctive patina that grows ever richer with the passing centuries and that makes the cityscape truly memorable.
Unlike other towns in Spain, Salamanca has remained reasonably free of the deleterious effects of modern architecture and mass tourism. The home of one of the world's most ancient universities, it has conducted itself through the ages with dignity so much so that its magnificent monuments and academic structures can seem somewhat imposing to visitors. But Salamanca is really an intimate, lively place, with an army of students to nip any nascent pompousness in the bud.
While the Phoenicians were busy establishing Cadiz in the south, the area of Salamanca was inhabited by Iberian tribes who left their mark with the imposing carved stone bulls, or verracos, that are seen throughout the province. Beginning about 900 BC, the Celts from the north mingled with the Iberians of the central plateau, creating two Celtiberian tribes known as Vettons (primarily herdsmen) and Vacceos (primarily farmers).
Hannibal conquered the city in 220 BC during the Second Punic War, and soon after, under the Romans, it became an important communications and trade center. A long, peaceful, and prosperous Roman reign was brought to a contentious halt with the arrival of Germanic tribes in the 5th century AD. Under the Vandals and Visigoths, and then the Islamic Moors, Salamanca fell into relative obscurity. After the Moors were driven out by the Christians in 1085, the area was resettled by an ethnic mix of Franks, Castilians, Portuguese, Jews, Galicians, and some English.
Salamanca University Spain
The Universidad de Salamanca was established in 1218, making it along with those in Paris, Bologna, Prague, and Oxford one of Europe's oldest universities. It achieved great renown and garnered tremendous intellectual respect for its role in reintroducing the world to the works of the ancient Greek and Muslim philosophers, translated into Latin and vernacular Spanish by the university's Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars. Favored by kings and popes, the university reached its peak of prestige during Spain's golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Early in the 16th century, 8,000 of Salamanca's 20,000 residents were university students. Miguel de Cervantes, St. John of the Cross, and others studied, taught, or spent time in Salamanca, the prime intellectual breeding ground of the period. Delicate and elaborately detailed, the Plateresque facade of the university in the Patio de Escuelas (Courtyard of the Schools) is a symbol of the spirit and wealth of those times.
With the waning of Spain's golden age during the 17th century, Salamanca shared in the decline of Castilian cities, a condition that lasted throughout the 18th century. As the 20th century dawned, the city had only 25,000 inhabitants; but despite the tremendous political upheavals of Spain in this century, Salamanca has continued to thrive. The university also continues to attract a sizable foreign student body, which lends a cosmopolitan air to this otherwise staunchly Castilian town.
Present-day Salamanca society is clearly divided into students and non-students, who, for the most part, studiously avoid each other. The university which is not as prestigious as it used to be has buildings throughout the city, and most after-class socializing takes place in the city's numerous bars. Meanwhile, the salmantinos go about their business largely indifferent to the cultural legacy handed down to them through the centuries. It is left to the legions of visitors, drawn here by the city's architectural and intellectual riches, to marvel at Salamanca's golden splendor.
Salamanca Attractions
The best view of the city is from the Parador de Salamanca, located on a hill south of the city and across the Rio (River) Tormes. On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, many of the monuments are illuminated for several hours after nightfall. The spires of the city's sidebyside cathedrals and the dome and towers of La Clerecfa dominate the scene.
Many of Salamanca's streets are narrow and winding, with numerous one way thoroughfares, but the Centro Ciudad (City Center) signs lead those arriving by car right into the heart of the city. Once there, it is best to proceed on foot, as all the main sights are concentrated compactly in the zona monumental (monument zone), largely between the Plaza Mayor and the river. Visiting hours for the city's sights are erratic and may change with the seasons, so be sure to check with the main tourist information office (see Tourist Information, below) for current hours, though even those may not turn out to be completely accurate.
The Roman Bridge in Salamanca Spain
Spanning the Rio Tormes, this 26-arch bridge was constructed by the Romans in 217 BC. In the middle of the bridge stands an imposing verraco (catone bull), the handiwork of the Iberian tribes who first lived in the area. Local historians say that the statue has always been in the vicinity of the bridge since its pre-Roman inception, but it has been in its present post since the mid 1800s. Once vilified as a symbol of the pagan past, it was at one point thrown into the river on orders from a provincial governor; his successor had it fished out a few years later.
The Plaza Mayor Salamanca
Deemed by many to be he most beautiful plaza in all of Spain, there can be no better place to sIt down and enjoy a cup of coffee than this golden trapezoid. Foreign students sit on the cobblestones and practice their espanol, while mothers sit on benches and try to keep their children from rolling on the ground.
In the evening, bands of students uniformed in black and red breeches, leotards, and billowing sleeves wander through the plaza armed with violins, guitars, and mandolins. Known collectively as la tuna, they occasionally come to rest around a cafe table, singing local songs, attracting crowds, and drinking on the house.
Like most places in Spain, this 18th century square wasn't always quite so peaceful; it used to double as the city's bullring (and still does on rare occasions).The square measures roughly 63,500 square feet, with arcades housing boutiques, souvenir stores, pastry shops, and assorted bars and eateries surrounding it at ground level. Above the arcades are three stories of balconies, interrupted only by the fagade of the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall), which juts out and up to break the uniformity. Begun in 1729 and completed 34 years later, the plaza was originally built as an enclosed market area and arena for public fiestas.
It remains the heart of town and the focal point of the festivities of the Feria de Salamanca, celebrated every year during the second two weeks in September.
The Old Cathedral Salamanca
These stand adjacent to one another, though they are four centuries apart in age. Visitors ordinarily enter the old structure through the new one. The Catedral Nueva was begun in 1513 and was in use by 1560, although it wasn't consecrated until 1733. Conceived in a Gothic vein, in actual construction it also drew from the Renaissance and Baroque vernaculars. Outside, the church bristles with more than 400 Gothic spikes, and the main doorway, facing Calle Cardenal Playdeniel, is a prime example of the Plateresque stone carvers' art, with biblical scenes in high relief and ornamental borders so richly detailed they tax the eye.
Inside, the new cathedral is notable for the 18th-century Baroque wooden choir stalls; for the two organs; for the Cristo de las Batallas, a famous 11th-century Romanesque crucifix said to have been carried into battle by EI Cid; and for the Capilia Dorada (Golden Chapel) located near the entrance to the old cathedral, its walls plastered with small statues of saints, angels, and prophets.
The Catedral Vieja, down a flight of stairs off the south aisle of the new one, dates from the 12th century. Its layout, columns, capitals, and external arches are in Romanesque style, its internal arches and vaults are Gothic. Simpler and more fortresslike than its replacement, the church's monochromatic interior is enlivened by an extraordinary 15th-century main altarpiece made up of 53 panels depicting the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Among the rooms around the adjoining cloister, be sure to note the 12th-century Capilla Talavera, used at one time for Mozarabic rite masses (of Christians living under Moorish rule) and topped with a distinctive Romanesque Mudejar dome; the 14th-century Capula Santa Barbara, where university examinations once were held and where degree candidates customarily spent the night before finals praying; and the Capilla Santa Catalina and Salas Capitulares (Chapter Rooms), set up as a museum of religious items.
Most of the exterior of the old cathedral is obscured by the new one, but before leaving the complex entirely, walk around back to the Patio Chico (Little Courtyard), from which the older church's strange looking Torre del Gallo (Rooster Tower), covered with scalelike stones, is visible.
The Fine Arts Museum Salamanca
Through the door adjacent to the Escuelas Menores and under the 15th-century roof of the former house of Dr. Alvarez Abarca, Queen Isabella's physician, the museum has an eclectic display of paintings and sculptures, both Spanish and foreign, old and modern.
The Convent of St Stephen Salamanca
This 16th-century church, part of a Dominican convent, is just down Calle Tostado from Plaza de Anaya. It sports another of Salamanca's stunning Plateresque facades, this one depicting the martyrdom of San Esteban and the crucifixion of Christ. Inside is a sumptuous, late-17th century golden altarpiece by Jose Benito de Churriguera, in the upper reaches of which is El martirio de San Esteban, Claudio Coello's painting of the saint's martyrdom by stoning.
To the side of the church is the beautiful two-story Claustro de Los Reyes (Kings' Cloister), the only one of the convent's three cloisters that is open to the public. From its second story, a door opens into the church's coro alto (upper choir), from which the view of the altarpiece is breathtaking. Open daily. Admission charge. Plaza Santo Domingo.
The Convent of the Ladies Salamanca
Nearly next door to San Esteban, the 15th-century Moorish-style structure here was a private home before it was donated to a group of duenas (aristocratic nuns or pious lay women of high social standing living in community). Only the five-sided, 16thcentury Renaissance cloister is open to visitors, but it's a real treat. Whereas most of the rich stone carving in Salamanca is too distant or too much in the dark to be easily seen, the elaborate capitals of the cloister's upper tier are only slightly above eye level, so their charming, amusing, and grotesque human and animal figures can be brought into sharp focus. The duenas sell their homemade sweets at the despacho (shop) in a corner of the entry courtyard. Convent and shop are open daily. Admission charge. Plaza del Concilio de Trento.
The House of Shells Salamanca
Covered with the carved seashells that give the building its name, this is one of the more famous landmarks in Salamanca. It dates from the 15th century and incorporates Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance elements. The scallop shell is the emblem of Santiago (St. James) and, by extension, the international symbol for pilgrims; today it's used as a symbol to mark the Pilgrims' Route to Santiago de Compostela. The concha was also the badge of the Pimental family, one of whose members was the bride of the building's owner, a member of the Maldonado family.
The Maldonado symbol, the fleurdelis, is on the coat of arms above the door. In recent years the building has been opened to the public as a general library, and visitors are free to stroll through the rooms and patio as long as library rules are observed. But unfortunately, after the interior's extensive renovation not much of the onginal workmanship remains. Open daily. No admission charge. Corner of Rua Antigua and Calle de la Compania.
Unlike other towns in Spain, Salamanca has remained reasonably free of the deleterious effects of modern architecture and mass tourism. The home of one of the world's most ancient universities, it has conducted itself through the ages with dignity so much so that its magnificent monuments and academic structures can seem somewhat imposing to visitors. But Salamanca is really an intimate, lively place, with an army of students to nip any nascent pompousness in the bud.
While the Phoenicians were busy establishing Cadiz in the south, the area of Salamanca was inhabited by Iberian tribes who left their mark with the imposing carved stone bulls, or verracos, that are seen throughout the province. Beginning about 900 BC, the Celts from the north mingled with the Iberians of the central plateau, creating two Celtiberian tribes known as Vettons (primarily herdsmen) and Vacceos (primarily farmers).
Hannibal conquered the city in 220 BC during the Second Punic War, and soon after, under the Romans, it became an important communications and trade center. A long, peaceful, and prosperous Roman reign was brought to a contentious halt with the arrival of Germanic tribes in the 5th century AD. Under the Vandals and Visigoths, and then the Islamic Moors, Salamanca fell into relative obscurity. After the Moors were driven out by the Christians in 1085, the area was resettled by an ethnic mix of Franks, Castilians, Portuguese, Jews, Galicians, and some English.
Salamanca University Spain
The Universidad de Salamanca was established in 1218, making it along with those in Paris, Bologna, Prague, and Oxford one of Europe's oldest universities. It achieved great renown and garnered tremendous intellectual respect for its role in reintroducing the world to the works of the ancient Greek and Muslim philosophers, translated into Latin and vernacular Spanish by the university's Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars. Favored by kings and popes, the university reached its peak of prestige during Spain's golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Early in the 16th century, 8,000 of Salamanca's 20,000 residents were university students. Miguel de Cervantes, St. John of the Cross, and others studied, taught, or spent time in Salamanca, the prime intellectual breeding ground of the period. Delicate and elaborately detailed, the Plateresque facade of the university in the Patio de Escuelas (Courtyard of the Schools) is a symbol of the spirit and wealth of those times.
With the waning of Spain's golden age during the 17th century, Salamanca shared in the decline of Castilian cities, a condition that lasted throughout the 18th century. As the 20th century dawned, the city had only 25,000 inhabitants; but despite the tremendous political upheavals of Spain in this century, Salamanca has continued to thrive. The university also continues to attract a sizable foreign student body, which lends a cosmopolitan air to this otherwise staunchly Castilian town.
Present-day Salamanca society is clearly divided into students and non-students, who, for the most part, studiously avoid each other. The university which is not as prestigious as it used to be has buildings throughout the city, and most after-class socializing takes place in the city's numerous bars. Meanwhile, the salmantinos go about their business largely indifferent to the cultural legacy handed down to them through the centuries. It is left to the legions of visitors, drawn here by the city's architectural and intellectual riches, to marvel at Salamanca's golden splendor.
Salamanca Attractions
The best view of the city is from the Parador de Salamanca, located on a hill south of the city and across the Rio (River) Tormes. On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, many of the monuments are illuminated for several hours after nightfall. The spires of the city's sidebyside cathedrals and the dome and towers of La Clerecfa dominate the scene.
Many of Salamanca's streets are narrow and winding, with numerous one way thoroughfares, but the Centro Ciudad (City Center) signs lead those arriving by car right into the heart of the city. Once there, it is best to proceed on foot, as all the main sights are concentrated compactly in the zona monumental (monument zone), largely between the Plaza Mayor and the river. Visiting hours for the city's sights are erratic and may change with the seasons, so be sure to check with the main tourist information office (see Tourist Information, below) for current hours, though even those may not turn out to be completely accurate.
The Roman Bridge in Salamanca Spain
Spanning the Rio Tormes, this 26-arch bridge was constructed by the Romans in 217 BC. In the middle of the bridge stands an imposing verraco (catone bull), the handiwork of the Iberian tribes who first lived in the area. Local historians say that the statue has always been in the vicinity of the bridge since its pre-Roman inception, but it has been in its present post since the mid 1800s. Once vilified as a symbol of the pagan past, it was at one point thrown into the river on orders from a provincial governor; his successor had it fished out a few years later.
The Plaza Mayor Salamanca
Deemed by many to be he most beautiful plaza in all of Spain, there can be no better place to sIt down and enjoy a cup of coffee than this golden trapezoid. Foreign students sit on the cobblestones and practice their espanol, while mothers sit on benches and try to keep their children from rolling on the ground.
In the evening, bands of students uniformed in black and red breeches, leotards, and billowing sleeves wander through the plaza armed with violins, guitars, and mandolins. Known collectively as la tuna, they occasionally come to rest around a cafe table, singing local songs, attracting crowds, and drinking on the house.
Like most places in Spain, this 18th century square wasn't always quite so peaceful; it used to double as the city's bullring (and still does on rare occasions).The square measures roughly 63,500 square feet, with arcades housing boutiques, souvenir stores, pastry shops, and assorted bars and eateries surrounding it at ground level. Above the arcades are three stories of balconies, interrupted only by the fagade of the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall), which juts out and up to break the uniformity. Begun in 1729 and completed 34 years later, the plaza was originally built as an enclosed market area and arena for public fiestas.
It remains the heart of town and the focal point of the festivities of the Feria de Salamanca, celebrated every year during the second two weeks in September.
The Old Cathedral Salamanca
These stand adjacent to one another, though they are four centuries apart in age. Visitors ordinarily enter the old structure through the new one. The Catedral Nueva was begun in 1513 and was in use by 1560, although it wasn't consecrated until 1733. Conceived in a Gothic vein, in actual construction it also drew from the Renaissance and Baroque vernaculars. Outside, the church bristles with more than 400 Gothic spikes, and the main doorway, facing Calle Cardenal Playdeniel, is a prime example of the Plateresque stone carvers' art, with biblical scenes in high relief and ornamental borders so richly detailed they tax the eye.
Inside, the new cathedral is notable for the 18th-century Baroque wooden choir stalls; for the two organs; for the Cristo de las Batallas, a famous 11th-century Romanesque crucifix said to have been carried into battle by EI Cid; and for the Capilia Dorada (Golden Chapel) located near the entrance to the old cathedral, its walls plastered with small statues of saints, angels, and prophets.
The Catedral Vieja, down a flight of stairs off the south aisle of the new one, dates from the 12th century. Its layout, columns, capitals, and external arches are in Romanesque style, its internal arches and vaults are Gothic. Simpler and more fortresslike than its replacement, the church's monochromatic interior is enlivened by an extraordinary 15th-century main altarpiece made up of 53 panels depicting the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Among the rooms around the adjoining cloister, be sure to note the 12th-century Capilla Talavera, used at one time for Mozarabic rite masses (of Christians living under Moorish rule) and topped with a distinctive Romanesque Mudejar dome; the 14th-century Capula Santa Barbara, where university examinations once were held and where degree candidates customarily spent the night before finals praying; and the Capilla Santa Catalina and Salas Capitulares (Chapter Rooms), set up as a museum of religious items.
Most of the exterior of the old cathedral is obscured by the new one, but before leaving the complex entirely, walk around back to the Patio Chico (Little Courtyard), from which the older church's strange looking Torre del Gallo (Rooster Tower), covered with scalelike stones, is visible.
The Fine Arts Museum Salamanca
Through the door adjacent to the Escuelas Menores and under the 15th-century roof of the former house of Dr. Alvarez Abarca, Queen Isabella's physician, the museum has an eclectic display of paintings and sculptures, both Spanish and foreign, old and modern.
The Convent of St Stephen Salamanca
This 16th-century church, part of a Dominican convent, is just down Calle Tostado from Plaza de Anaya. It sports another of Salamanca's stunning Plateresque facades, this one depicting the martyrdom of San Esteban and the crucifixion of Christ. Inside is a sumptuous, late-17th century golden altarpiece by Jose Benito de Churriguera, in the upper reaches of which is El martirio de San Esteban, Claudio Coello's painting of the saint's martyrdom by stoning.
To the side of the church is the beautiful two-story Claustro de Los Reyes (Kings' Cloister), the only one of the convent's three cloisters that is open to the public. From its second story, a door opens into the church's coro alto (upper choir), from which the view of the altarpiece is breathtaking. Open daily. Admission charge. Plaza Santo Domingo.
The Convent of the Ladies Salamanca
Nearly next door to San Esteban, the 15th-century Moorish-style structure here was a private home before it was donated to a group of duenas (aristocratic nuns or pious lay women of high social standing living in community). Only the five-sided, 16thcentury Renaissance cloister is open to visitors, but it's a real treat. Whereas most of the rich stone carving in Salamanca is too distant or too much in the dark to be easily seen, the elaborate capitals of the cloister's upper tier are only slightly above eye level, so their charming, amusing, and grotesque human and animal figures can be brought into sharp focus. The duenas sell their homemade sweets at the despacho (shop) in a corner of the entry courtyard. Convent and shop are open daily. Admission charge. Plaza del Concilio de Trento.
The House of Shells Salamanca
Covered with the carved seashells that give the building its name, this is one of the more famous landmarks in Salamanca. It dates from the 15th century and incorporates Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance elements. The scallop shell is the emblem of Santiago (St. James) and, by extension, the international symbol for pilgrims; today it's used as a symbol to mark the Pilgrims' Route to Santiago de Compostela. The concha was also the badge of the Pimental family, one of whose members was the bride of the building's owner, a member of the Maldonado family.
The Maldonado symbol, the fleurdelis, is on the coat of arms above the door. In recent years the building has been opened to the public as a general library, and visitors are free to stroll through the rooms and patio as long as library rules are observed. But unfortunately, after the interior's extensive renovation not much of the onginal workmanship remains. Open daily. No admission charge. Corner of Rua Antigua and Calle de la Compania.
Labels: Old Cathedral Salamanca
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