:''For other places named Salamanca, see
Salamanca (disambiguation).''
'Salamanca' (population 160,000) is a leonese city in western
Spain, the capital of the
province of
Salamanca, which belongs to the
autonomous community (region) of
Castile and Leon (Castilla y León).
History, Culture, and Geography
The city was founded in the pre-
Roman period by the
Vacceos, an indigenous tribe, as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the
Duero river. In the third century BC,
Hannibal laid siege to the city. With the fall of the
Carthaginians to the
Romans, the city began to take more importance as a commercial hub. At this time it was called Helmantica or Salmantica.
One of the most important moments in Salamanca's history was the year 1218, when Alfonso IX created the
University of Salamanca. Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centres in Europe.
[1]
In the
Peninsular War of the Napoleonic campaigns, the
Battle of Salamanca, fought
July 22,
1812, was a serious setback for the French, and a mighty setback for Salamanca, whose western quarter was seriously damaged. The battle which raged that day is famous as a defining moment in military history; many thousands of men were slaughtered by cannon fire in the space of only a few short hours.
Salamanca offers the amenities of a larger city while retaining an intimate small town atmosphere. Since 1923, "Los Charros" formally the
Union Deportiva Salamanca, have been the Salamanca soccer team from Salamanca.
The city lies on a plateau by the Tormes River, which is crossed by a bridge 500 ft long built on 26 arches, fifteen of which are of
Roman origin, while the remainder date from the 16th century.
The
Plaza Mayor is the central square in the city and is known as the living room of the ''Salmantinos'' (Salamancans). It was constructed by Andres Garcia de Quifiones at the beginning of the 18th century. The plaza has a capacity of 20,000 people and is surrounded by shaded arcades. The plaza was originally a venue for
bullfights but is currently used primarily for concerts. The plaza is regarded as one of the finest squares in Europe. Next to Main Square we can see the
Central Market of Salamanca with typical fresh products of Spain.
Salamanca is considered one of the most spectacular
Renaissance cities in Europe. Through the centuries the sandstone buildings have gained an exquisite golden glow that has given Salamanca the nickname ''La Ciudad Dorada'', the golden city. This golden glow is unique in Spain and is due to the "Villamayor Stone", a type of sandstone coming from a quarry situated in Villamayor, a village close to Salamanca.
The old
Romanesque cathedral was founded in the 12th century. The
dome that covers its crossing springs from a double arcade that is daringly pierced with windows, a distant reflection of
Hagia Sophia. The mass of four pinnacles at the outside corners counter the thrust of the dome's weight. The thrust of the vaulting is borne by four massive pinnacles. The vault of the
apse was frescoed by the Early Renaissance painter Nicolas Florentino. The adjoining "new" cathedral was built in stages from 1509 and combines Late
Gothic architecture, particularly in the interior, with the Renaissance style called
Plateresque. It was still being finished in 1734. In the treasury is the bronze crucifix that was carried into battle before
El Cid.
The Augustinian monastery contains the tomb of the count and countess de Monterrey, by
Alessandro Algardi.
Since 1996 Salamanca has been the designated site of the archive of the
Spanish Civil War (''Archivo General de la Guerra Civil Española''). This archive was assembled by the
Francoist regime, selectively obtained from the administrative departments of various institutions and organizations during the Spanish Civil War as a repressive instrument used against opposition groups and individuals.
[2] The socialist government moved the Catalan part of the archive to Barcelona in 2006 despite opposition from the local authorities and popular protests. Salamanca's mayor,
Julian Lanzarote (
PP), changed the name of the street where the archive is located from "Gibraltar" to "El expolio" ("the plundering") in February 2006.
In 2002 Salamanca shared the title of European Capital of Culture with
Bruges. Salamanca is a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer. Tourism is the primary economic activity in the city.
The classic dish of the Salamancan ''Charreria'' or "peasant lands" is a ''cocido'', a baked casserole of
garbanzo beans. A traditional Salmantinian celebration is the ''Lunes de Aguas'', "Water Monday", the Monday after the Sunday following Easter. Originally this served to celebrate the official allowance of the authorities for the prostitutes to return to the city after Lent and Easter. All the shops close and Salmantinos picnic in the countryside to eat a kind of pie called "hornazo".
The University
Plateresque facade of the University
In 1218,
Alfonso IX of León founded the
University of Salamanca. Under the patronage of the learned
Alfonso X, its wealth and reputation greatly increased (1252-1282), and its schools of
canon law and
civil law attracted students even from the Universities of Paris and Bologna. At the height of the university, in the 16th century, one in five of Salamanca's residents was a student, and the city's fortunes depended on those of the university. About the time
Christopher Columbus was lecturing there on his discoveries,
Hernán Cortés took classes at Salamanca, but returned home in 1501 at age 17, without completing his course of study. (About ten years later the ''
conquistador''
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was born in Salamanca.) It was scholars of the University, heavily influenced by the Paris-based Scottish philosopher
John Mair, who established in Spanish law (at the Council of
Burgos, 1512) the right to life and liberty of the
indigenous peoples of America - perhaps the first ever international statement of
human rights.
Miguel de Unamuno was a student here as was
Miguel de Cervantes.
Ignatius Loyola, while studying at Salamanca in 1527, was brought before an ecclesiastical commission on a charge of sympathy with the
''alumbrados'', but escaped with an admonition. In the next generation St.
John of the Cross studied at Salamanca and so did the poet and writer
Mateo Aleman.
In Salamanca, the inhabitants are said to speak the "purest"
Spanish of Spain, a reputation it shares with
Valladolid. For this reason Salamanca is popular with people all over the world who want to learn Spanish.
Many people continue to come from all parts of Spain to study at the University, and the students represent a significant percentage of the city's population (the University has 36000 students, approximately). The support of the student population is one of the most important economic activities in the city. These young people (also consisting of international students studying the Spanish language) provide Salamanca with a highly active night life, specially when school is in session on both weekdays and weekends. This has led Salamanca to be in the top list of cities with the highest bar per inhabitant ratios in Europe, second to
Bilbao. Popular night clubs for international students include Camelot, La Chupitería, and Medievo.
==
Town twinning==
★
Coimbra,
Portugal
★
Nimes,
France
★
Würzburg,
Germany
Gallery
See also
★
Salmantinos (Latin for 'people/things from Salamanca'; several specific uses)
★
Salmanticenses (Is another denomination for the 'people/things from Salamanca'; it is less used than the one above.)
External links
★
Official Tourist Information Office
★
Salamanca.com
★
Tourism and travel information about Salamanca
★
Free Pictures of Salamanca
★
Tourist attractions in Salamanca
★
Students' Asociation Juan Bosco
★
Conceyu Xoven
★
Central Market of Salamanca
'Museums' (among many other without a webpage):
★
Art Nouveau and Art Decó Museum
★
Car History Museum
★
Cathedral Museum
'Electronic editions of local newspapers':
★
El Adelanto de Salamanca
★
La Gaceta de Salamanca
★
Tribuna de Salamanca
★
La Voz de Salamanca
★
Salamanca News
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