Towards a European Remembrance 1
SALAMANCA
Salamanca is in the central area of Spain, 212 kilometres away from the capital, Madrid. Its historic centre has been designated a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
PLAZA MAYOR
The Plaza Mayor is in the square of San Martin. It was considered to be the largest in Christianity from the 15 th to the 18 th century.
In 1728 the Mayor Rodrigo Caballero convinced the Town to construct the square. The works began in 1729 and lasted 27 years..
Alberto de Churriguera, Baroque architect, designed the square. It was constructed following the model of other squares of Spanish cities like Valladolid or Cordoba.
Many popular festivals are celebrated in this square. The Town Hall of Salamanca is located here. There are innumerable bars and cafes.
Today, the Plaza Mayor is the center of life in the city and a regular meeting point for the inhabitants.
ART IN SALAMANCA S PLAZA MAYOR
At the time of its construction, it was was called San Martín Plaza. It is not a perfect square, due to the location of San Martín church. It contains four façades, each of them facing to the north, south, east or west. Petrinero s façade San Martín s façade
The City Hall s façade Bell tower with three bells and four allegoric sculptures. Five granite arches. Pabellón Real s façade The whole square is surrounded by pinnacles, symbols of the Spanish king Felipe V. Some of the round arches contain arcades which connect the square with the streets outside. Arcades City Hall s façade
The medallions The spaces between the round arches contain the famous Salamanca medallions. They are divided within the four façades according to the society sector to which they belong. The Catholic Kings Christopher Columbus Curiosities Godoy Miguel de de Cervantes Spanish Kings Godoy was a Spanish politician and aristocrat. In 1808, the University of Salamanca s students ordered their medallions to be erased after a rebellion.
During the last few decades, the meeting point for the students from the University of Salamanca has been the City Hall s clock. On New Year s Eve 35,000 young peolple coming from several provinces of Castilla and León gather in this square to welcome the new
CATHEDRALS OF SALAMANCA
STYLE When we speak about the Cathedral of Salamanca we refer to two churches joined together. The Old Cathedral dating from the 12th-13th centuries has a Romanesque style with Romanesque naves and semicircular arches. The New, dating from the 16th century, has a Gothic style with high altitude, but it has a Baroque dome with two side galleries.
FLOOR New Cathedral Old Cathedral
THE DOMES The dome of the old cathedral is the base of the Tower of Gallo with four impressive scallops. It is supported in one tambour by sixteen columns and thirty two windows that provide light to the cathedral. The dome of the new cathedral is in the middle of the main chapel and the chorus. It is different from the predominant style of the cathedral, because it has a Baroque style.
THE ALTARPIECE The 53 panel paintings of the altarpiece have been made by three 15th century artists. It represents the lives of the Virgin and Jesus Christ. It s concluded with the mural in the dome.
FRONT OF BUILDING There are five large arches decorated with representations of the Saints. The reliefs have vegetative decoration and fantastic animals. There is one main arch for each nave. The other four mirror the side galleries inside.
SALAMANCA UNIVERSITY The University of Salamanca was founded in 1218, gaining a reputation outside of Spain as a great cultural and teaching centre. The university building has a square base and a central courtyard with surrounding galleries. Its artistic interest lies in its unique Plateresque façade.
UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA
THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSITY Academic center where new subjects would be taught Promoted by Alphonse X, who promoted as well the Escuela de Traductores de Toledo Salamanca Oldest universities in Europe Bologna - 1088 Paris - 1090 Oxford - 1167 Salamanca - 1218
MAP OF MEDIEVAL UNIVERSITIES Oxford - 1167 Paris - 1090 Bologna - 1088 Salamanca - 1218
PROMOTORS OF THE UNIVERSITY Symbols of the monarchy and the papade, protectors of the university. The papal bill: beginning of the integration of European students los reyes para la universidad, la universidad para los reyes
IMPORTANT FIGURES AND PROFESSORS Francisco de Vitoria Ius gentium, precursor of the international law Miguel de Unamuno - the bad thing is not that you cannot see the frog, but that from the façade you can only see the Fray Luis de León, arrested for having translated the sacred lectures into spanish.
DID YOU KNOW THAT? When students passed really difficult exams the drew a V standing for Vitor (victory) with bull blood Tuna - group of university students in traditional dress who play guitar and sing serenades
THE FAÇADE
Artist unknown It was built around 1529-33 It is decorated with elements related to the Spanish monarchy
UPPER ZONE We can see the figures of Hércules and Venus that represent the monarchy s origin and passion for knowledge. Between the two figures it is the picture of the Pope. It represents the tradition of religion in Spain.
CENTRAL ZONE We find two medallions with a portrait of Carlos I and his wife Isabel de Portugal, because at the time of the construction, they were the reigning King and Queen. In the middle, we can see three shields; on the left hand side the double-headed eagle (Carlos I), on the right side San Juan s eagle (Isabel the Catholic) and, in the center, representations of all the Spanish Kingdoms.
BOTTOM There is a medallion with the portrait of the Catholic Monarchs and a sentence: Los Reyes a la Universidad y la Universidad a Los Reyes
In these parts of the façade, we can see classical elements like medallions, fantastic animals and a large amount of plant decorations. Also, there s a small sculpture that stands out, a toad or frog on a skull. Some people believe this symbolizes the sin of lust related to death. But now, it is a touristic attraction. According to tradition, if you find it around the huge façade you re going to be successful in your studies.
La Casa de las Conchas It is an example of the power, status and ostentation of the big families in the cities. The house was built between 1493-1517 and commissioned by Don Rodrigo Maldonado de Talavera, rector and professor of the University of Salamanca. The shells may be due to the Pimentel s coat of arms or in honor of Santiago s Order.
The building is a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and Moorish style. The 365 shells are mounted in the front façade, as well as the coat of arms of the Maldonados and the Catholic Kings. The backyard has a well and two galleries with the traditional mixtilinear arches of Salamanca. There are many legends around the house and the ancient inhabitants.
Eva Ventura Otto Paula Vargas torres María Luján Tirado Andrea Burgos Parra Ana González Herrero Patricia Sardinero Esther Sanz García IES EL BURGO DE LAS ROZAS