Our Blog - Salamanca, Spain

From Viseu, we headed East and North, back into Spain. We decided to stop at a few places on the way back, the first stop was Salamanca. Also dating back to the Celtic era, it’s known for its ornate sandstone architecture, a university, and Ibérico ham. The University of Salamanca, which was founded in 1218, is the oldest university in Spain.

We started our tour at the market. The Mercato Centrale, or Central Market, is the oldest market in the city and is located next to the Plaza Mayor. Mind you, the building itself was created in the early 20th century. The market started in the 12th century near the Old Cathedral. It then moved a couple times and at the beginning of the 19th century, the city decided it would be better to have a covered market.

Next door is Plaza Mayor, which is the main public square, the heart of Salamanca, and is said to be one of the most beautiful plazas in Spain. This is the exterior, which shows the massive buildings that surround the square, with the carved coat of arms on the corners.

Construction took place between 1729 and 1755 and is made out of sandstone, like much of the city. It has 6 entrances, features 88 semicircular arches with medallions in which important people are represented, and 247 balconies. One side contains a clock and a bell tower, but the original plan was to have 2 towers (one on each side of the clock) but they were never built. It is also not a perfect square (it is an irregular quadrilateral) and none of its facades measures the same.

While we were there, they were filming something (we assumed a movie), in the middle of the square which, based on the cars and clothing, was a older war film. I did some Googling and I *think* they were filming a movie called “Mientras dure la guerra” (which translates to “While the War Lasts”). The film is set in 1936, as Fascist leader Francisco Franco and fellow generals rise up against the republic. The film follows one of Spain’s greatest writers, Miguel Unamuno, during the tumultuous first months of the Spanish Civil War. Although he first supported Franco, Unamuno went on to raise his voice in opposition, which cost him his career and could well have cost him his life. His actions have become a moral touchstone in Spain.

The Café Novelty is the oldest café in Salamanca, founded in 1905 by a set of brothers. It used to be much larger (4 times larger) and was a favorite meeting place for writers, artists and politicians.

I don't normally do a separate page for churches, but there was so much that I have on the Cathedral, that I thought it would be better. So, click here for the Salamanca Cathedral. But don't worry, I'll link you back here to finish the page.

We walked out across the Puente Romano, or Roman Bridge, and got a good view of the city behind it. The city was on the Roman silver route and there are still Roman walls and defensive turrets visible. It has 26 arches, 15 of them are Roman of the 1st century BC, while the remainder date from a 16th-century reconstruction after a flood.

There is pre-Roman carving near the bridge of a boar. We originally thought it was a bear, although I guess without a head, it could be almost any animal :-)

This is the perfect building to house the Museum of Art Nouveau and Art Déco .. the Casa Lis. It was built in 1905 with a steel frame construction and a spectacular set of stained glass windows. We didn't go inside, but this view (which is, in fact, the back of the building) was pretty nice.

The Convento de San Esteban was started in 1524 but didn't finish until 1624. Although the church is considered to be an excellent example of the Plateresque style (which is a melding of Renaissance and Gothic), the long period of construction explains the mixture of styles ranging from Gothic to the late Baroque. It replaced an earlier monastery from 1255 that was built when the Dominicans settled in Salamanca. The front forms somewhat of a triumphal arch with a large variety of decoration, including the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

Casa de las Conchas is one of the best examples of Spanish Gothic civil architecture. It was built in the late 15th/early 16th century with shells as the main ornaments of the façade. The owner was a knight in the Order of Santiago de Compostela, and their symbol is the shell. The façade also includes the coat of arms of the Maldonado family.

Interior courtyard of the Casa de las Conchas, which is quite nice, with arches and Carrera marble columns.

The University of Salamanca was founded in 1134 and was the first university to receive the title "La Universidad" in 1254. This is one of the buildings around the Patio de Excuelas, the Old University Library. Supposedly there is a frog hidden in the ornate façade, although we never found it.