SALAMANCA, a city of Spain, capital of the modern province of Salamanca, which is Included in the ancient province of Leon. It is situated in 4P 5' N. lat., 5' 43' W. long., on the north bank of the Tormea, which is hero crossed by a atone bridge resting on 27 arches solidly built on Roman foundations. Salamanca is about 130 miles W.N.W. from Madrid, and 120 miles S. by E. from tho city of Leon. It is the see of a bishop. The population in 1845 was 12,870.
The city Is built on rocky and elevated ground, in the form of a horse-shoe, with the curve sweeping round to the north. It is Bur rounded by a wall, and entered by 13 gates. That portion of the wall which overlooks the river is very ancient. The atreets are steep, narrow, crooked, and dark, mostly consisting of old stone houses, among which are some large and stately resideneca of the old nobility.
The western portion is mostly in ruins, as it was left by the French on their retreat from the city in 1812. The whole place has and venerable look, but is dull and cheerless. There are several public squares and a few fountains, but the main supply of water is from the river. The Plaza Mayor is a vast square, the largest in Spain, with an arcade, or piazza, of 90 arches supported on columns. It was constructed in 1700-1733. This Plaza contains the town-hall (case del ayuntamiento) and the post-office. It is occasionally fitted up as a bull arena (plaza de toms), when it can accommodate 16,000 to 20,000 spectators.
Salamanca contains two cathedrals. The old cathedral is a building of the 12th century, simple and massive. The new cathedral, which is close to the old one, is a splendid specimen of the florid gothic. It was begun in 1513, and was not completed till ]731. The grand entrance-portal is covered with statues and ornamental carving, and is exceedingly beautiful The two towers are of later date, and of inferior architecture. The interior is divided into a nave and side aisles, the nave being 130 feet high, and the aisles 80 feet. The length of the cathedral is 378 feet, and the width 181 feet. Besides the two cathedrals Salamanca contains 24 parish churches, which exhibit various styles of architecture, mostly gothic. In 1791, when Mr. Town send was at Salamanca (`Journey through Spain'), there were 27 parish churches, with 15 chapels ; 39 convents, of which 16 were nunneries ; and 25 colleges. In the course of the three years during which the French held possession of the city, they destroyed about 20 of the convents, and about the same number of the colleges, partly in order to construct fortifications for the defence of the city, and partly to use the timber for fire-wood.
During the middle ages Salamanca acquired great celebrity by its university, one of the first in Europe. It was founded in 1200 by Alfonso IX. of Leon, and afterwards in 1239 extended by Alfonso X., who incorporated with it that of Palencia. It soon rose into import ance, and its professors became eminent in Europe by their acquaint ance with the Arabian writers oo medicine and philosophy, and through them with the writings of the Greeks. It remained however stationary
during the 15th century ; and whilst sound science was spreading throughout the rest of Europe, very little was taught here except medicine and dogmatic theology. The number of students in the 14th century amounted to 14,000. In the 16th century the number had diminished to 7000. It continued to languish till the French invasion, since which it has been comparatively deserted. The students are now about 600. The university buildings consisted of 4 superior colleges (colegios mayores) and a library, which still remain ; and 21 smaller colleges, which are all or nearly all destroyed. The college of San Bartolom6 is the oldest of the collegios mayores, and is thence called El Colegio Viejo (the Old College). It was modernised about 1767. The Colegio de Cuenca was an exquisite specimen of the cinque cento style, but only a small part of it remains. The Colegio do Santiago, usually called El Colegio del Arzobispo, was begun in 1521, and is also of the best period of the cinque-ceuto style. The Colegio del Rey (King's College) was commenced in 1625. The quadrangle is Doric. The Jesuits had also a college, which was built by them in 1614. It consists of two wings each 200 feet long, and three stories high. When the Jesuits were expelled from Spain, one wing was appropriated to the students of the Bishop's Seminary, and the other to the Irish Catholic clergy, who were then educated here. One wing is still used as a clerical seminary, and the other as an Irish mission school. The facade of the Library of the University is of the period of Ferdinand and Isabella, and is a rich specimen of the decorative and heraldic style. The Library contains about 25,000 volumes. The Dominican convent of San Esteban, which still remains, was one of the finest structures of enriched gothic in Spain. The facade and portal are full of elaborate details of great beauty, and the church belonging to the convent is also a noble building. The French made a magazine of the church, and converted the cloisters into stables.
The manufactures of Salamanca consist of common cloth, hats, leather, earthenware, and a few other articles.
The battle of Salamanca took place on July 22, 1812, between the British under Wellington and the French under Marmont. Tho French had abandoned the place on tho first attack by the allies; but Marmont, having received reinforcements, advanced against the British line, and after various movements the battle took place near the heights of Arapiles, a short distance from the city. The French com mander having imprudently extended his left wing too far, Wellington took advantage of his error, and the enemy was defeated with great loss.
Under the Romans, Salamanca was a municipium of the province of Lusitania. The Roman name was Salmantica. It does not seem to have been of much importance during the Roman domination in the peninsula.
(Ford, Handbook of Spain; Madoz, Diceionnario Geografico de Espaita ; Townsend, Travels in Spain.)