SALAMANCA, a city of Spain; on and between three low hills beside the river Tormes, 110 miles N. W. of Madrid. From the middle of the 13th to the close of the 17th century it was the seat of one of the most celebrated universities in Eu rope. In Salamanca's palmy days her population reached 50,000. The library, founded in 1254, contains over 70,500 vol. umes and 870 MSS. The city is still sur rounded with walls, pierced by 10 gates, and preserves very much of its medixval appearance, its houses, convents, and churches, its streets and squares having altered but little since the university be gan to decline. The river is crossed by a bridge of 27 arches, in part of Roman construction. The great square is the largest perhaps in Spain; it is surrounded by an arcade, and has on one side the mu nicipal buildings. It was used for bull fights, and can hold 20,000 spectators. The city possesses two cathedrals; the oid cathedral, cruciform in shape, late Ro manesque in style, and dating from the 12th century, is richly decorated with paintings and monuments; the new cathe dral (1513-1734) is a florid Gothic pile, also richly decorated. Among the re
maining noteworthy buildings are the Jesuit College (1614), Renaissance in style; the Old College, now the gover nor's palace; the convents of the Domini cans and the Augustinians, the churches of which are both elaborately ornamented. In the Middle Ages Salamanca was fa mous for its leather work; at the present day it has not much industry save a little manufacture of cloth, linen, leather, and pottery. The town was captured by Han nibal in 222 B. C. The Moors were ex pelled from its walls in 1055. During the Peninsular War it was taken by the French (1812), who committed great de struction in one of its quarters, and in the vicinity Wellington defeated Marmont on July 22, 1812. Pop. about 35,000.