Salamanca, the famous university town at the Rio Tormes 220 km northwest of Madrid was our next destination in Castile-Leon. It is also called the “Golden City”, because the facades of the historical buildings are made of a gold-coloured stone, which give a special characteristic to this town.
We crossed the Tomar river on this very historic bridge, once built by the Romans and part of the Via de la Plata, an important Roman road connecting Mérida in the south with Astorga in the North.
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| Tower of the New Cathedral of Salamanca |
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| Plateresque facade of the Cathedral |
Plateresque, meaning “in the manner of a silversmith”, was an architectural movement in Spain in the late 15th century. The detail of the ornaments and the craftsmanship was fascinating.
The Casa de las Conchas was built by Rodrigo de Maldonadoa, a knight of the Order of Santiago de Compostela and a professor in the University of Salamanca. The façade is decorated with more than 300 shells, symbol of the order of Santiago. The entrance portal has the coat of arms of the Maldonado family.
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| Patio @ Casa de las Conchas |
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| Plaza Mayor |
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| City Hall @ Plaza Mayor |
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| University of Salamanca |
One of the most important moments in Salamanca’s history was the year 1218, when the University was granted by the king. Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centres in Europe.
In the Patio de Escuelas Minores, we found the “Cielo de Salamanca” which once decorated the library of the university. It is a replica of the sky, the constellations and zodiac signs from the 15th century and remained hidden on a vault for years, until in the 1950’s it was found, restored and moved here.
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| Leo – the fifth astrological sign of the zodiac |
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| Cielo de Salamanca |
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| Parking for the Night |
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| Flower of the day |
