University of Salamanca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
University of Salamanca

Universidad de Salamanca
Seal of the University of Salamanca
Latin: Universitas Studii Salamanticensis
Motto	Omnium scientiarum princeps Salmantica docet (Latin)
Motto in English	Salamanca is foremost in teaching all the sciences
Type	Public
Established	1218
Academic affiliations	EUA, Coimbra Group
Rector	Ricardo Rivero Ortega
Academic staff	2,453
Administrative staff	1,252
Students	30.000
Doctoral students	2,240
Location	Salamanca , Castile and León , Spain 40°57′41″N 05°40′00″W / 40.96139°N 5.66667°W / 40.96139; -5.66667
Campus	Urban/College town
Colours	Carmine

A close-up of the beautiful stone carvings on the university's main building.

The university's detailed front wall, with a statue of Fray Luis de León nearby.

The School Courtyard, a historic area within the university.

Inside the old library, filled with ancient books.

The classroom where the famous scholar Fray Luis de León once taught.

The University of Salamanca (known as Universidad de Salamanca in Spanish) is a public research university in Salamanca, Spain. It was started in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. This makes it the oldest university in the Spanish-speaking world. It is also one of the oldest universities in the world that has been open continuously. Today, more than 30,000 students from 50 different countries study here.

How the University Began

Before the university was officially founded, there was a cathedral school in Salamanca around 1130. This school was a place for learning. In 1218, King Alfonso IX decided to create a studium generale. This was a special type of school that taught many subjects. It was the start of what would become the university.

Official Recognition and Growth

Later, in 1254, King Alfonso X set up rules for the university. He also provided money to help it run. A year later, in 1255, Pope Alexander IV officially recognized the university. This meant that degrees from Salamanca were accepted everywhere.

The university quickly became very famous. People used to say, "What nature does not give, Salamanca does not lend." This meant that if you weren't naturally smart, Salamanca couldn't make you smart. Another saying was, "Salamanca has many very learned people." These phrases show how highly respected the university was.

Training Leaders for Spain

During the time of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, Spain's government changed a lot. The University of Salamanca played a big part in this. It trained many "letrados," who were educated people like lawyers and government workers. These graduates helped run the country and later, the vast Spanish Empire.

For example, when Christopher Columbus wanted to find a new route to Asia, he talked to experts at the University of Salamanca. Even though some were unsure, the university supported the idea that new lands could be found. Later, scholars at Salamanca debated important ideas about colonization. They also helped develop studies in science, geography, and cartography related to the Americas.

University Colleges and Changes

Like other old universities, Salamanca had special places called Colegios Mayores. These were first set up to help students who didn't have much money. Over time, they became very powerful. However, many were destroyed by Napoleon's troops.

In the 1800s, the Spanish government closed some of the university's departments. These included religious law and theology. But in the 1940s, these subjects were brought back as part of the Pontifical University of Salamanca.

Important Contributions

The university's teachers helped update the study of religion. They also laid the groundwork for modern law and international law. They even helped create modern economics. Many professors were involved in the Council of Trent, an important meeting for the Catholic Church.

Solving Calendar Problems

Salamanca's mathematicians were very clever. They helped fix the calendar. This was a big project asked for by Pope Gregory XIII. The solution they suggested was the one that was used. By 1580, about 6,500 new students joined Salamanca each year. Many of them became important government officials.

Early Female Scholars

It was also around this time that some of the first female university students might have been admitted. Beatriz Galindo and Luisa de Medrano are two famous examples. Luisa de Medrano might even have been the first woman to teach classes at a university!

Fun Facts and Legends

The Legend of Sorcery

In old stories, the University of Salamanca was sometimes linked to magic. There's a legend about a secret cave in Salamanca. People believed it was a school for black magic. The name "Salamanca" itself can mean things like "cave" or "hand trick" in Spanish. A type of lizard called a salamanquesa (which sounds like Salamanca) was also thought to have magical powers.

In some stories from Romania, there's a school of black magic called the Scholomance. This name is thought to come from "Salamanca" and the wise king "Solomon".

Salamanca Today

Today, the University of Salamanca attracts students from all over Spain and the world. It's known as a top university in Spain for students coming from other regions. It's also very popular for its Spanish language courses. More than two thousand international students come each year to learn Spanish.

What Students Study Now

The University of Salamanca is a major center for studying humanities. This includes subjects like languages, history, and philosophy. It's especially famous for its language programs, as well as law and economics.

The university also does a lot of scientific research. It has special research centers for things like cancer research, neuroscience, and powerful lasers. It's one of only two Spanish-speaking universities that works with the United Nations. They help train language experts for the UN. The university also helped start the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) in 1989.

In 2018, the university celebrated its 800th birthday!

The University Library

The university's library is very large. It holds about 906,000 books and other materials.

Famous People from Salamanca

Many important people have studied or taught at the University of Salamanca.

Notable Teachers

• Juan de Galavís, a theology professor who became an Archbishop.
• Francisco Elías de Tejada y Spínola, a professor of law and philosophy.
• Enrique Gil Robles, a natural law professor.
• Paul Nuñez Coronel, a Hebrew professor.
• Miguel de Unamuno, a famous writer.
• Beatriz Galindo, a Latin and rhetoric professor.
• Luis de Medrano, a university rector.
• Luisa de Medrano, a Latin professor, possibly the first woman to teach at a university.
• García de Medrano y Álvarez de los Ríos, a canon law professor.
• Domingo de Medrano y Mendizabal, a university rector.
• Garcia de Medrano y Mendizabal, a university rector.

Notable Students

• Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote.
• Luis de Góngora, a famous poet.
• Fray Luis de León, a well-known writer and scholar.
• Francisco de Vitoria, considered a founder of international law.
• Pedro Calderón de la Barca, a famous playwright.
• Bartolomé de Las Casas, a historian and social reformer.
• Beatriz Galindo, a scholar.
• Miguel de Unamuno, a writer and philosopher.
• Bernardino de Sahagún, a missionary and historian.
• Gustavo Petro, a former President of Colombia.
• Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez, a former President of Colombia.
• Aristides Royo, a former President of Panama.
• Francisco J. Ayala, a biologist.
• Susana Marcos Celestino, a physicist.
• Abraham Zacuto, an astronomer.
• Domingo de Soto, a theologian.
• Melchor Cano, a theologian.
• Francisco Suárez, a philosopher.
• St. John of the Cross, a mystic and poet.
• Antonio de Nebrija, a scholar who wrote the first Castilian grammar.
• Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, a powerful minister.
• Gaspar Sanz, a composer.
• Cardinal Mazarin, a French cardinal and statesman.
• Mateo Alemán, a novelist.
• Pedro Salinas, a poet.
• Adolfo Suárez, a former Prime Minister of Spain.
• Manuel Belgrano, an Argentine statesman.
• Pedro Nunes, a Portuguese mathematician.
• Antonio Tovar, a philologist.
• Xavier Becerra, an American politician.

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de Salamanca para niños

• School of Salamanca
• Pontifical University of Salamanca
• List of medieval universities

Literature

• Manuel Fernández Álvarez, Luis E. Rodríguez San Pedro & Julián Álvarez Villar, The University of Salamanca, Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca, 1992. ISBN: 84-7481-701-3.