Universidad

Introduction
It is the tradition to try and find the "frog" on the rich Plateresque facade.

Chronology
The current building was built in the first half of the 16th century. The facade is an enormous Plateresque tapestry. The patio of the Escuelas Menores with its mixed angle arches and Baroque crest plate stands out.

Historical fact
The history of the University of Salamanca began when in King Alfonse IX founded the School of Salamanca in 1218. In 1254, Pope Alexander IV granted the School the privilege of beginning a " General Study", thereby becoming a University. New departments were created and students were exempted from paying taxes. In 1255 Pope Alexander IV granted a new privilege to the University: universal recognition of its degrees.
Classes were given in the cloister of the Old Cathedral until the first half of the 14th century when the different schools in law, theology, astrology, etc. began to be founded. In 1428 construction on the Escuelas Mayores and Escuelas Menores began. Between 1504 and 1528 the University building was remodeled and it took on the appearance it has today. Since the reign of the Catholic Kings the University has been run by the state, which allowed it to expand greatly. At the end of the 16th century the University had 29 schools and more than seventy departments. There were more than 8,000 registered students.

Architectural element
The facade was built in the first half of the 16th century and it is considered one of the most important facades of the Spanish Plateresque. This façade was created to be looked at. During the Renaissance man became the centre of reality. He stopped being a mere pawn of destiny, and became the principal player in his own life.
The facade is an enormous tapestry, masterfully crafted with three sections and five panels framed by two half columns. The decorative symbols can be interpreted as a praise of the Spanish monarchy. The king is presented as a protector of the University. The monarchy needed jurists and lawyers to help build its nation-state, and these professionals were provided to it by the University in exchange for protection.
In the first section the Catholic Kings are represented with the legend: "The kings to the University and the University to the kings". Under the protection of the Catholic Kings the University became a state institution, with allowed it to expand greatly. This section symbolises the past history of the monarchy.
In the second section we find the figures of Charles V and Isabel de Portugal. They were the governing monarchs when the façade was built and, therefore, the main characters on it. In the centre we find the coat of arms of Charles V. To the right, the coat of arms of the Catholic Kings, and to the left, the coat of arms of Maximilian I of Germany. The coat of arms symbolises the union of the Spanish Crown with the German empire. This section symbolises the present.
The third section is the one with the highest symbolism. In the centre, the figure of the Pope is a reference to the holy nature of Charles V’s empire. Next to him are four historical figures (Trajan, Caesar, Augustus and Alexander the Great) and two mythological ones: Hercules and Venus. These figures represent the virtues that a good emperor has to have: temperance, wisdom, strength and justice. It is the project for thefuture of the Spanish Monarchy.
To finish our discussion on the façade, it is necessary to make a special mention of the famous "frog". In medieval iconography, frogs are a symbol of lust. People were told to be on the look out because the wicked one was everywhere and, at any moment, could "jump" on them.
In the interior we find a cloister with two floors. The lower floor has half point arches, and the upper floor has mixed angle arches. The friezes on the railings are unique. The famous enigmas of the cloister transmit messages to the visitor that invite him to observe prudence and temperance. The stairway to the upper floor has plateresque reliefs. The reliefs on the first section symbolise vice and sin, those on the second section passion, and those on the third the victory over sin.

Other artistic elements
The different classrooms open up to the corridors of the patio through Gothic style doors. It is worth noting that the classroom named after Friar Luis de León has been kept the same way it looked in the 16th century. The students sat down on the rough wooden seats. The side benches were reserved for professors and illustrious guests.
At the end of the Patio of Schools we find the Escuelas Menores (or "Lower Schools"). It received this name because it was a school for pre-university studies. On the inside there is a patio with mixed angle arches crowned with a Baroque balustrade that conserves the old Plateresque pinnacles. Through this patio you can enter the Museum of Salamanca. The ceiling, known as the "Sky of Salamanca", represents astrological signs related to the teaching of astronomy and astrology in the University.

Curiosity legend
According to student tradition, if one wants to pass his exams with ease, he should look at the frog on the façade of the University before taking it.
On almost all the university buildings we find the famous "vítores". These signs contain the initials and year of graduation of docorate students. Originally they were painted with the blood of a bull. Vítores symbolise the victory of recently graduated doctorate students over the difficulty of their studies.
The "Sky of Salamanca" has become one of the symbols of the city and in 2002 it was the symbol of Salamanca used to advertise the city as the European Capital of Culture.

Open hours
Monday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Discounts for pensioners and students. Members of the University enter free.

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Catedral Nueva

Introduction
Gothic style cathedral with a basilical floor design crowned and with an ambulatory.

Chronology
It is the next to the last Gothic cathedral of Spain. Its construction began in 1513 and did not conclude until 1733. Although its style is essentially Gothic, Baroque, Plateresque and Neoclassical elements can be found . In this sense, the Baroque tower stands out.

Historical fact
Throughout the 15th century the city of Salamanca experienced significant demographic growth that, among other things, made the Romanesque cathedral unable to hold such a large population. In 1491 the town council took into consideration the idea of constructing a new temple, that would be beautiful and spacious, and harmonise with the stateliness and importance that Salamanca had acquired throughout the century. But it was not until 1510 when steps began to be taken for the construction of the new temple. With this in mind, a meeting of experts was called to examine the proposals of different architects. In 1512 this meeting decided to maintain the old Romanesque cathedral in order not to interrupt religious ceremonies and the project was given to Juan Gil de Hontañón. Juan Gil was one of the most outstanding architects in Isabelian Gothic art.
Construction on the cathedral began May 12, 1513 and from the first moment was marked by continuous critisims and litigation that different architects brought against the project of Gil de Hontañón. These disputes not only slowed down the construction process, but also led to numerous revisions of the initial project. It was not until 1733 that the cathedral was finished.
It is necessary to make a special reference to the Bell Tower of the Cathedral of Salamanca. The Old Cathedral of Salamanca originally had two towers: the "Mocha" (or "Blunt") tower that is still conserved, and the tower of the "Bells". The town council decided to maintain this tower and, after elevating its height, have it serve as a steeple for both cathedrals. The history of this tower is marked by continuous misfortunes. In 1705 a lightning bolt struck the tower and caused a fire that damaged it severely; the main bell fell to the street; and one of the small ones melted due to the heat. The tower had to be rebuilt under the direction of Pantaleón Pontón, who gave it the appearance that it has today. In 1755, the serious damage caused by the earthquake of Lisbon to the cathedral made some experts consider demolishing it. Finally the problem was solved by placing metal reinforcements in its structure. In 1940 the damages caused by the Spanish Civil War.

Architectural element
The last stage of the Middle Ages was characterized by a social, cultural and economic revolution. Little by little the bases were being set for what was going to be the Renaissance: the figure of man began to become important once again. Urban life flourished again, and the medieval class system became more heterogeneous with the consolidation of the bourgeois. These changes were reflected in the art of the moment: Gothic. Gothic architecture is colour, light and elevation toward God. Cathedrals became its maximum exponent. The cathedral of Salamanca is one of the last works of the Spanish Gothic period. Its floor design is rectangular and basilical with three naves and side chapels located next to the buttresses. The exterior is structured according to the medieval ad triangulum outline, characterized by a progressive development of the naves. On the walls a rhythmic movement takes place between the windows and the buttresses, which are projected upwards by flying buttresses and pinnacles. The top is crowned with a beautiful display of balustrades and crest plates. The main facade was originally decorated with five arches, but the one corresponding to the chapel on the right disappeared in the 18th century when the base of the tower was widened to avoid its collapse. Among them the central one, also known as the Facade of the Nativity, stands out. In the lower part we find a door with a mullion, and the image of the Immaculate Virgin. The arches are flattened, which is characteristic of the Plateresque. In the middle section the Nativity and the Epiphany of the Lord are depicted above a tri-lobulated arch crowned by a large keel arch. In the upper part of the facade the Calvary of the Lord is represented with the figures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Symbolically, it is the eternal message of the beginning (the Nativity) and end (the Calvary). The façade of Palms, on the northern wall, represents Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and it follows the same structural outline as the façade of the Nativity. The bell tower and the dome are Baroque.
The interior of the cathedral stands out due to its width and the great magnitude of its heights. The visitor feels he is in a forest in which the top of the trees rise toward God. The dome stands out under the cross vault. Its drum is decorated with panels that represent scenes of Mary. The dome is neoclassic and is articulated by means of Corinthian columns.

Other artistic elements
The chapels are located along the side naves. There are two which stand out: the Golden Chapel (or "all saints chapel") and the Chapel of the Sacred Christ of Battles. The Golden Chapel is in fact a small church inside the cathedral. It has choir and its own sacristy and it is thought that in its day it even had a small organ. In it all the saints from the beginning of time to the 16th century are represented. The chapel was founded by archdeacon Francisco Sánchez de Palenzuela; he is represented lying below an arch. At his sides are the figures of his parents and nephew who are praying. Above them in a niche is the figure death. In the chapel of the Sacred Christ of Battles, the Christ that is worshipped is the one that Bishop Jeronimo Visque took into battle. According to the tradition, Christ accompanied the Cid in his battles. The seats of the choir are one of the best examples of Baroque carving. It was designed by Alberto de Churriguera. Carved in walnut wood, the choir is organized into two floors with a total of 104 seats. On the lower floor there are medallions and reliefs of saints and martyrs. On the upper floor bishops and prophets has represented. The collection is crowned by a crest plate formed by little angels playing musical instruments. In the centre of the choir there is a lectern with the effigies of the prophets.

Curiosity legend
In the mullion of the main façade there is a figure of the Immaculate Ascension with angels on either side. The one on her right is carrying a kind of poster which has a phrase in Latin referring to the Assumption of the Virgin: "Assumpta est María in coelum"; The one on the left is missing an arm. Originally it too was carrying a poster which made reference to the Virgin's immaculate conception. But the poster was sawed off in the 17th century by a religious current that rejected that idea. En 1755 the earthquake of Lisbon damaged the bell tower. The bell system was so damaged that a bellringer had to climb up to the bells to make them ring. Today that event is immortalised in a tradition that continues, and on October 31 a person dressed in a typical Salamanca suit, climbs to the top of the tower and plays a traditional song.

Open hours
Every day from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Construction date
Between 1513 and 1733.

Casa de las Conchas

Introduction

Gothic building with Plateresque elements. Construction began in 1493.

Chronology
Late Gothic style combined with the new airs of Plateresque Renaissance. It began to be built around 1493 and construction concluded in 1503. Around 1701 the house was repaired and enlarged, and the façade facing Rúa Mayor street appeared.

Historical fact
The house was built for the marriage between Rodrigo Aryans Maldonado and María de Pimentel. Shells and lilies, symbols of both families, appear throughout the whole building. Throughout history it has suffered important modifications and restorations. At the moment it has become a public library for all citizens to use.
At a moment of major political and social changes, the Catholic Kings produced a definitive consolidation of the Monarchy and ended struggles for power. A court nobility was developed that was incorporated into the apparatus of the State in exchange for its submission and important social and economic privileges. They were influenced by the Renaissance through their contacts with Italy, which led them to develop a growing sence of pleasure toward aesthetics and the arts. The end of the nobiliary struggles for power and the definitive defeat of the Muslims opened up a period of peace. The cities became safe and the nobility left their rural castles and returned again to the urban setting. A revival of the city took place and the construction of civil buildings multiplied, especially urban palaces. This became a symbol of power for the nobility. Reminiscences of the old medieval castles can be seen in them: high towers which stand proudly over the rest of the buildings of the city, and a crest plate that reminds us of the battlements. The outer and inner walls are covered in heraldries and symbols of the lord the palace, who, proud of his condition in life, shows them to the rest of the citizens.
Salamanca wasn’t going to stay at the margin of this "rebirth", which is reflected in an intellectual awakening and an architectural expansion, an example of which is the House of the Shells. 

Architectural element
The most prominent thing without a doubt is its facade decorated with more than 300 shells and multiple heraldries and coats of arms. The ornamental nature of the wall is one of the characteristics of the Renaissance. The facades of urban palaces were covered with ornamental elements such as diamond tips or picks. The originality of the House of the Shells is not only in the motif that was chosen, but also in the rhomboid position of the shells, which follows the Mudejar tradition. Around 1701 the building was enlarged toward Rúa Mayor street, and again shells were chosen to cover the walls.
On the main facade the door and lintel of two ornamental orders stand out. Toward the top we find the heraldry of the Maldonados, framed in curved and straight lined moulding. Toward the bottom of the lintel dolphins are represented, which is a Renaissance symbol of love, together to floral motifs. The four large Gothic style windows are also important and of exceptional beauty and variation. Each is different; this asymmetry is something characteristic of the Gothic period. Lastly it is necessary to make a reference to the elegant tower (which, in its day had a twin, and which, in later modifications, also lost a third of its own height) that stands so majestically above the rest of the city, safeguarding the message of power that the nobleman wanted to send to the rest of the citizens.
When passing into the interior, the visitor is fascinated by the originality and beauty of the patio, which again represents a symbiosis of medieval, Mudejar and Renaissance elements. On the bottom floor the mixed angle arches so characteristic of Salamanca stand out. The upper floor is completely Renaissance. The arches, partly mixed angle, stand on Italian white marble columns from Carrara which have decorated capitals. The railings of the balconies are decorated with honeycomb and white basketwork motifs, which are influences from Mudejar art. Finally, the roof has a railing made of fleur-de-lis flowers and gargoyles. On both the upper floor and the lower floor the heraldries of both families are repeated. In the centre there is a well that, in its day, guaranteed the supply of drinkable water.
Lastly it is necessary to mention the stairway and its three sections, which, following the Muslim tradition of preserving the privacy of the home from onlookers, is not in front of the vestibule. The first section opens up with the figure of a dog that is holding the coat of arms of the Porras, of whose lineage Rodrigo's mother belonged; the dog keeps and preserves the privacy of the home. The second section opens up with a lion that is holding the coat of arms of the Maldonados. The third section opens up with the union of the heraldries of the Pimentels and the Maldonados.

Other artistic elements
The grills have been characterised as one of the best example of Spanish Gothic forge work, and were done by Salamanca iron smiths. Their function is not only ornamental but also to protect the privacy and the security of the residents of the house.
The moulding on the ceiling of the second floor of the patio is made of hexagonal motifs surrounding a square. All the motifs are richly painted in white, blue and golden colours. The interior of the hexagons are decorated with floral motifs.

Curiosity legend
Perhaps one of the points that generates the most controversy is why shells were choosen as an ornamental element. Some historians see it as a show of pride of the Maldonados for belong to the order of Saint James. Other historians, certainly the more romantic ones, suggest that the repetition of the shells, a nobiliary symbol of the Pimentels, was an expression of the love that Rodrigo felt for his wife María.
The basements of the house later on became a place where the students of the University had to pay fines imposed by the Master of the school.
The coat of arms of the Maldonados crowned by a scepter appears above the lintel of the door. According to legend, the fleur-de-lis or lily flower was given to Aldana, an ancestor of the Maldonados, after conquering the Duke of Normandy in a dule. The King of France, to avoid the death of his son, gave (or "maldonó") lilies to the Aldanas, who, from that moment on, called themselves Maldonados.  

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Plaza Mayor

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  Introduction

  Prototype of a XVIII century Baroque square, it was built between 1729 and 1755.

  
  
  

  
  

  Chronology

  Baroque style square built in the first half of the 18th century, from 1729 to 1755. Almost a perfect square in shape, it is closed and has an arcade with large arches over the passageways to the various streets that converge at the square. 
  
  
  
  

  Historical fact

  The square was built on the site of the old square of Saint Martin, which was the centre of the city for commerce, social life and games. But at the beginning of the 18th century this square was filthy and in a state of deplorable abandonment. This situation bore sharp contrast to the refomist ideas of the moment which imagined the city as an oderly and healthy place that it should welcome the growing population of the moment.

  The main promotor of the project was mayor Rodrigo Caballero y Llanes who, in 1728, expressed to the city council the idea of building a new square to substitute the square of Saint Martin. Three reasons were offered to justify the project: to substitute the old square for a more majestic and more appropriate one considering the monumental nature of the city, to organise the vendors’ stands under arcades to favour the circulation of people and animals through the centre of the square and to create a great public enclosure to hold all type of shows.

  Alberto de Churriguera took charge of the project from 1729 to 1735. In this first phase both the Royal pavilion and Saint Martin's pavilion were built. Between 1735 and 1750 the project was interrupted due mainly to court cases involving old residents of Saint Martin's square. In 1750 the second phase of the project began under the direction of Andrés García de Quiñones and the rest of the square and the pavilion of the City council were built. The square was definitively finished in 1755.

  Up to 1869 the Square was very similar in appearance to the square today. But in that year a tiny octogonal fountain was placed in the centre of the square. A few years later the square was landscaped. It had gardens until 1954, when mayor Carlos Gutiérrez de Ceballos gave it the appearance that it has today. 

  
  
  
  

  Architectural element

  It is an almost perfect square structure, with an arcade of half point arches, above which there are three floors which have a balustrade and pinnacles decorated with lillies. The enclosure conforms perfectly to the traditional Castilian square around which the social and municipal life of the city hinges. The main axes of the old city converge under the large arches. The layout of these streets was respected in building the square, which is why the main entrance arches don't have the symmetry of other Baroque squares.

  In spite of everything, the square stands out because of its great unifomity and homogeneity, in which the City council is the only building that breaks this unifomity due to its height. It was the Municipality who took the initiative of the project and who financed most of it, which is why the Town Hall is the most significant building. It consists of a lower part with an arcade of five arches, two intermediate floos with balconies and a bell tower and cornice on top. In comparison to the rest of the plaza, its decoration is denser and more varied, in which one can see a certain influence of the French Roccocco with its characteristic waves. In the rest of the square, the Baroque elements are concentrated on the facades and surrounding parts of the windows. The Royal Pavilion should be considered part of the structure, since, except for the relief of Saint Ferinand and the bell tower with the shield of Philipp V, it shares the same iconography. At that moment the town felt great devotion toward the Monarchy and, therefore, the Municipality decided to highlight the power of the king. 
  
  
  
  

  Other artistic elements

  As a whole, the medallions should be considered a review of the histoy of Spain through its kings, heroes, intellectuals and saints. On the east side of the Royal Pavilion the kings from Alfonse XI to Ferinand VI are represented. The great warrios, discoverers and conquerers of the histoy of Spain are on the side of Saint Martin’s Pavilion in front of the City Council. The medallions, for reasons that are not known, are incomplete on the two remaining sides. It is thought that the pavilion of the City council should hold the medallions of mayor Spanish saints and the west side should hold the most outstanding intellectual of the various arts. Through out the 19th and 20th century new medallions have been placed, among which that of Teresa of Jesus and that of Miguel de Cervantes stand out.

  Above the large bell tower of the City council building, placed in 1852, four figures can be seen that some historians have identified with the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, strength and temperance. Other figures were placed at both sides of the bell tower, four in all, which are the symbols of agriculture, trade, industry and astronomy.

  The Royal pavilion was built above a large arch which holds the medallions of Phillip V and his wife Isabel de Farnesio. Under the effigy of Saint Ferinand, the patron saint of the monarchy, is a plaque which commemorate the beginning of the construction of the Plaza. Finally, on the bell tower, we find the coat of arms of Phillip V. 
  
  
  
  

  Curiosity legend

  Just like today, some of the most important religious, civilian and leisure activities of the city took place here: bullfights, processions and even executions. Some flat owners of the square rented their balconies to spectatos at quite a high price.

  In 1954 the gardens that were placed in the middle of the 19th century disappeared. A curious tradition had developed in which the men of the city would walk around the gardens clockwise, and the women in the opposite direction. The square was a point of civil encounter and, therefore, also of romantic encounter.

  Every August 15, a mast is placed on the City council building, crowned by the figure of a bull with the flag of Spain. This figure, known as the "Mariseca", is placed to announce the upcoming fair of Salamanca. It is not removed until the fair is over.
  
  
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