University of Salamanca
Founded 1218. Spain's oldest university, cradle of the School of Salamanca.
Overview
Alfonso IX of Leon founded Salamanca in 1218, making it the oldest university in Spain still in operation and one of the oldest in Europe. Alfonso X issued a royal charter in 1254, and a papal bull of 1255 recognized its degrees across Christendom. In the 16th century theologians of the School of Salamanca, such as Francisco de Vitoria, laid foundations of international law and economic thought. A small frog sitting on a skull is carved into the plateresque facade, and students search for it for luck. The writer Miguel de Unamuno served as rector in the 20th century.
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