Salamanca

The first association to this city is the University of Salamanca.The university was founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León and it is one of the oldest European universities. It is the oldest university in Spain for sure. It receives up to 30,000 students per year. In particular, there are a lot of people who want to study Spanish language at this University because Salamanca’s inhabitants speak the purest Spanish language (called Castilian).

Salamanca is located in western Spain near the border with Portugal. The Old town of Salamanca is under UNESCO’s protection since 1988. The city of Salamanca is very popular for monumental sights. Salamanca is the capital city of the province that holds the same name.Salamanca belongs to the autonomous community of Castile and Leon and it has about 150,000 inhabitants. Moreover, it lies at an altitude of 890 m above sea level.

This city was proclaimed as the “capital of culture” in 2002 and UNESCO added Salamanca in another category also – Heritage of Humanity.
Salamanca was founded by the Celtic tribe Vacceos. While it was under the rule of Romans, Salamanca was called Helmantica and was on the Roman road Via de la Plata.

Due to its location, Salamanca was the main battlefield during the Moor occupation of Spain.La Ciudad Dorada or the golden city of Salamanca
Salamanca’s architecture is mostly in renaissance style. Main material for the construction was sandstone with golden shine, unique in Spain and it can be found only near Salamanca.

Salamanca has a huge main square-Plaza Mayor which dates from the 18th century. Architect Andrés García de Quiñones made this square as a bullring which could fit 20,000 people, but later it was turned into a square. However, this square has been declared as one of the most beautiful in the world.

Next to the square, there is a cathedral from the 12th century. It was built in Romanesque style and later, in the 15th century, the new cathedral was built in the Gothic style. It was situated right next to the old one. The following churches are also significant: the Augustinian monastery, White Chapel of the Cross Trues, Dominican Convent of St. Stephen and Convent of the Annunciation. Some of the palaces in Salamanca that are worthy of visitors are the Palacio de Monterrey, House of Doña María la Brava, Casa de las Conchas, Palacio de la Salina and Palacio de Orellana.