Universidad de Salamanca

Frommer's Review

The oldest university in Spain was once the greatest in Europe. No other university in Spain has such a grand entrance. Dating from 1534, the entryway is a splendid piece of sculpture, intricate in its detail. It is said the architects carved this "doorway to heaven" in emulation of a goldsmith's art. The main medallion in the first register depicts the Catholic monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, who supplied the cost of creating this work of art. You can visit a dim 16th-century classroom cluttered with crude wooden benches. The library upstairs can't be entered but can be viewed through a glass door, and it's an impressive sight. The university is 2 blocks from the cathedral in the southern section of the Old Town.

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