Salamanca

For other places named Salamanca, see Salamanca (disambiguation).

City of Salamanca
Flag	Coat of arms

Region	Castilla y León
Province	Salamanca
Autonomous community	Castilla y León
Postal code	37001-370nn
Coordinates - Latitude: - Longitude	40°58' N 5º40' W
Altitude	802 m
Surface	38'6 km²
Distances	212 km to Madrid 115 km to Valladolid
Population - Total (2005) - Density	160,331 inhab. The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. Castile and León (Castilla y León known formally as the Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. Salamanca is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Castile and León (Castilla y León known formally as the Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. A postal code (known in various countries as a post code, postcode, or ZIP code) is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a In Mathematics and its applications a coordinate system is a system for assigning an n - Tuple of Numbers or scalars to each point A minute is a Unit of measurement of Time or of Angle. The minute is a unit of Time equal to 1/60th of an Hour or 60 This is about the direction for other uses see North (disambiguation. This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International In Mathematics, specifically in Topology, a surface is a Two-dimensional Manifold. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand \|\|-\|\|} is an industrial city and it is a Municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume (census of 2005) 4153 hab. /km²
Demonym	Salmantino/a, Charro/a
Rivers	River Tormes Arroyo Zurguén
Mayor (2003- )	Julián Lanzarote (Partido Popular)

Salamanca (population 160,000) is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca, which belongs to the autonomous community (region) of Castile and Leon (Castilla y León). A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there The People's Party ( Spanish: Partido Popular, PP) is the main right Political party in Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. In addition to its autonomous communities, Spain is divided into fifty Provinces. Salamanca is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Castile and León (Castilla y León known formally as the Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Main sights
4 Culture and sports
- 4.1 University
5 Town twinning
6 Gallery
7 See also
8 External links

Geography

The city lies on a plateau by the Tormes River, which is crossed by a bridge 150 m long built on 26 arches, fifteen of which are of Roman origin, while the remainder date from the 16th century. For a list of all known Roman bridges see List of Roman bridges For the railway station in Wales, see Roman Bridge railway station

History

The city was founded in the pre-Ancient Rome period by the Vacceos, a Celtic tribe, as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the Duero river. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Vaccaei were an ancient tribe who settled in the Meseta Central of northern Hispania. The Douro or Duero ( Latin: Durius, Spanish: Duero, Portuguese: Douro, pron. In the third century BC, Hannibal laid siege to the city. Hannibal (Pronounced in Phoenician: Hanniba'al means " Ba'al is my grace " or " Ba'al has given me grace " 247 BC &ndash With the fall of the Carthaginians to the Romans, the city began to take more importance as a commercial hub. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the At this time it was called Helmantica or Salmantica.

Salamanca surrendered to the Moors in the year 712AD. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent The defensive city wall was strengthened, with the Mozarab population being relegated outside of it. The Mozarabs (in Spanish: mozárabes; in moçárabes in Catalan: mossàrabs; from musta'rib "مستعرب" “arabicized” It was, however, a time of constant fighting with the Astur-Leonese kingdoms, and the city was trapped on the line between Christian North and Muslim South, with the city becoming a no-man's land between the two sides. Astur-Leonese is a Dialect continuum included in the West Iberian branch of the Romance languages. It was reconquered from the Moors in the twelfth century by Ramn de Borgoa, son-in-law of Alfonso VI of Castile. Alfonso VI may refer to Alfonso VI of Portugal -- (1643-1667 second king of the House of Braganza Alfonso VI of Castile -- (1065-1109

One of the most important moments in Salamanca's history was the year 1218, when Alfonso IX created the University of Salamanca. The University of Salamanca (Universidad de Salamanca located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid, is the oldest university in Spain (the older Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centres in Europe. [1]

In the Peninsular War of the Napoleonic campaigns, the Battle of Salamanca, fought July 22, 1812, was a serious setback for the French, and a mighty setback for Salamanca, whose western quarter was seriously damaged. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France The Battle of Salamanca saw an Anglo - Portuguese army under General Arthur Wellesley defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont 's French Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The battle which raged that day is famous as a defining moment in military history; many thousands of men were slaughtered by cannon fire in the space of only a few short hours.

Main sights

Salamanca is considered one of the most spectacular Renaissance cities in Europe. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Through the centuries the sandstone buildings have gained an exquisite golden glow that has given Salamanca the nickname La Ciudad Dorada, the golden city. This golden glow is unique in Spain and is due to the "Villamayor Stone", a type of sandstone coming from a quarry situated in Villamayor, a village close to Salamanca.

The Plaza Mayor is the central square in the city and is known as the living room of the Salmantinos (Salamancans). Plaza ( / latin america) is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban Public space, such as a City square. It was constructed by Andrés García de Quiñones at the beginning of the 18th century. The plaza has a capacity of 20,000 people and is surrounded by shaded arcades. The plaza was originally a venue for bullfights but is currently used primarily for concerts. Bullfighting or Tauromachy (from Greek ταυρομαχία - tauromachia, "bull-fight" is a traditional spectacle of Spain The plaza is regarded as one of the finest squares in Europe. Next to Main Square we can see the Central Market of Salamanca with typical fresh products of Spain. The Central Market of Salamanca, is the oldest market of the city

The old Romanesque cathedral was founded in the 12th century. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which The dome that covers its crossing springs from a double arcade that is daringly pierced with windows, a distant reflection of Hagia Sophia. A dome is a common structural element of Architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a Sphere. Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Αγία Σοφία " Holy Wisdom " Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia) is a former patriarchal Basilica, later The mass of four pinnacles at the outside corners counter the thrust of the dome's weight. The thrust of the vaulting is borne by four massive pinnacles. The vault of the apse was frescoed by the Early Renaissance painter Nicolas Florentino. APSE standing for Ada Programming Support Environment is a program or set of programs to support Software development in the Ada programming language. The adjoining "new" cathedral was built in stages from 1509 and combines Late Gothic architecture, particularly in the interior, with the Renaissance style called Plateresque. The New Cathedral ( Catedral Nueva) of Salamanca, Spain, is near the Old Cathedral, one of the two Cathedrals of the city See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Plateresque refers to the 15th and 16th century Art form in Spain, characterized by an ornate style of architecture It was still being finished in 1734. In the treasury is the bronze crucifix that was carried into battle before El Cid. Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar (c 1040 Vivar, near Burgos &ndash 10 July 1099, Valencia) known as

The Augustinian monastery contains the tomb of the count and countess de Monterrey, by Alessandro Algardi. Alessandro Algardi (July 31 1598 &ndash June 10 1654 was an Italian high- Baroque sculptor active almost exclusively in Rome, where for the latter

Since 1996 Salamanca has been the designated site of the archive of the Spanish Civil War (Archivo General de la Guerra Civil Española). The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of This archive was assembled by the Francoist regime, selectively obtained from the administrative departments of various institutions and organizations during the Spanish Civil War as a repressive instrument used against opposition groups and individuals. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid [2] The socialist government moved the Catalan part of the archive to Barcelona in 2006 despite opposition from the local authorities and popular protests. Salamanca's mayor, Julian Lanzarote (PP), changed the name of the street where the archive is located from "Gibraltar" to "El expolio" ("the plundering") in February 2006. The People's Party ( Spanish: Partido Popular, PP) is the main right Political party in Spain.

In 1551 the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V ordered an inquiry to find out if the science of Andreas Vesalius, physician and anatomist, was in line with the Catholic doctrine. Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was Andreas Vesalius ( Brussels, December 31, 1514 - Zakynthos, October 15, 1564) was an anatomist, Physician Vesalius came to Salamanca that same year to appear before the board and was acquitted.

Culture and sports

Old City of Salamanca*
UNESCO World Heritage Site

State Party	Spain
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv
Reference	381
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1988 (12th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

In 2002 Salamanca shared the title of European Capital of Culture with Bruges. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Salamanca is a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer. Tourism is the primary economic activity in the city.

Salamanca offers the amenities of a larger city while retaining an intimate small town atmosphere. Since 1923, "Los Charros", formally the Union Deportiva Salamanca, have been the Salamanca soccer team. Unión Deportiva Salamanca is a Spanish football team based in Salamanca.

Salamanca's inhabitants are said to speak the "purest" Spanish of Spain, a reputation it shares with Valladolid. ||-||} is an industrial city and it is a Municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region For this reason Salamanca is popular with people all over the world who want to learn Spanish.

Salamanca was the setting for the 2008 political thriller Vantage Point, although the movie was almost exclusively filmed in Mexico. Vantage Point is a 2008 Mystery thriller Film from Columbia Pictures, written by Barry Levy and directed by Pete Travis

The classic dish of the Salamancan, known as Charreria ("peasant lands"), is a cocido, a baked casserole of garbanzo beans. The chickpea ( Cicer arietinum) (also garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram, chana, kadale kaalu,

A traditional Salmantinian celebration is the Lunes de Aguas, "Water Monday", the Monday after the Sunday following Easter. Originally this served to celebrate the official allowance of the authorities for the prostitutes to return to the city after Lent and Easter. All the shops close and Salmantinos picnic in the countryside to eat a kind of pie called "hornazo". Hornazo is a sort of Spanish meat pie eaten in the provinces of Salamanca and Ávila made with flour and yeast and stuffed with Pork Loin

University

Plateresque facade of the University.

In 1218, Alfonso IX of León founded the University of Salamanca. Alfonso IX of Leon and Galicia ( August 15, 1171 &ndash September 23 or 24 1230 first cousin of Alfonso VIII of Castile and numbered next The University of Salamanca (Universidad de Salamanca located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid, is the oldest university in Spain (the older Under the patronage of the learned Alfonso X, its wealth and reputation greatly increased (1252-1282), and its schools of canon law and civil law attracted students even from the Universities of Paris and Bologna. Alfonso X (November 23 1221 Toledo Spain &ndash April 4 1284 Seville Spain) was a Spanish monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. At the height of the university, in the 16th century, one in five of Salamanca's residents was a student, and the city's fortunes depended on those of the university. About the time Christopher Columbus was lecturing there on his discoveries, Hernán Cortés took classes at Salamanca, but returned home in 1501 at age 17, without completing his course of study. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca ( 1485&ndash December 2, (About ten years later the conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was born in Salamanca. This article is about the Spanish explorer soldiers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuriesfor other uses see Conquistador (disambiguation A Conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján (Born in 1510 &ndash Died on September 22 1554 was a Spanish Conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other ) It was scholars of the University, heavily influenced by the Paris-based Scottish philosopher John Mair, who established in Spanish law (at the Council of Burgos, 1512) the right to life and liberty of the indigenous peoples of America - perhaps the first ever international statement of human rights. John Mair or John Major (also known in Latin as Joannes Majoris and Haddingtonus Scotus) (1467-1550 was a Scottish Philosopher History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Miguel de Unamuno was a student here as was Miguel de Cervantes. Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo ( September 29, 1864 &ndash December 31, 1936) was an Essayist Novelist poet, playwright Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( in modern Spanish; September 29, 1547 &ndash April 22, 1616) was a Spanish Novelist Ignatius Loyola, while studying at Salamanca in 1527, was brought before an ecclesiastical commission on a charge of sympathy with the alumbrados, but escaped with an admonition. Saint Ignatius redirects here for other Saints see Ignatius. Ignatius of Loyola, also known as Íñigo Oñaz López de Loyola "Illuminata" redirects here For the 1998 John Turturro film see Illuminata (film. In the next generation St. John of the Cross studied at Salamanca and so did the poet and writer Mateo Aleman. For another saint who lived around the same time and area see John of Avila. Aleman is sometimes used to refer to German. Mateo Alemán y de Enero ( Seville, Spain, 1547 &ndash 1615? in Mexico

Many people continue to come from all parts of Spain to study at the University, and the students represent a significant percentage of the city's population (the University has 36000 students, approximately). The support of the student population is one of the most important economic activities in the city. These young people (also consisting of international students studying the Spanish language) provide Salamanca with a highly active night life, specially when school is in session on both weekdays and weekends. This has led Salamanca to be in the top list of cities with the highest bar per inhabitant ratios in Europe, second to Bilbao. Bilbao, (also Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque