Salamanca

We were loaded onto the buses at 7am for a three hour drive to Salamanca and a walking city tour.  The city was probably established in the early 12th-13th centuries but most of the oldest buildings are from the 15th century and later.  

Every town has a central plaza and Salamanca’s is very large.  The covered walkway surround the plaza sport 88 arches with busts of royals and nobles between each one.

A House of Shells shows that Salamanca is on the Camino Santiago and down the street is the largest and oldest university in Spain and the third largest in all of Europe.  We noted names and dates written in red on many walls in the city.  These are students who have graduated and after a 3 day celebration of their graduation which included slaughtering a bull, they write their names in the bull's blood on the walls.  Not so much in todays world but some of those names date back over a couple of hundred years. 

Many of the buildings of the University are from the 15th century.  At that time students would sit on the floor and listen to lectures, no books and no note taking.  The rooms were poorly lit and there were only very small windows so there was little light.  Later there were benches and desks and candles. The small windows kept the rooms from getting too cold and later the candles and fireplaces were added, with some walls lined with tapestry that also helped keep it warmer.

Most of the rooms and the chapel in the oldest part of the University are used for ceremonial purposes only these days.

The cathedral is from the 16th Century.