Salamanca

First Stop: Salamanca!!!

Salamanca is considered to be one of the most spectacular Renaissance cities in Europe.  In Salamanca, the people speak the "purest" Spanish in Spain - Castilian.  For this reason Salamanca is enormously popular with people all over the world who want to learn Spanish. 

 

The Plaza Mayor

Behind these guys is Salamanca's Plaza Mayor  which was constructed between 1729 and 1755.  It is considered among the most beautiful plazas in all of Spain with its Baroque style architecture of the 18th century.  Bull fighting occurred in the plaza until the mid 1800s.

We've been told that you can barely walk through here on busier days. 

And here it is again looking in from the other side.  This is just before the girls drank some shrinking potion.

 House of Shells

 Casa de las Conchas:(shells)  built in the late 15th century. of Gothic civil style, its façade is decorated with about 350 shells of scallops, distinctive of the Order of Santiago.   It currently houses a public library.  I'm sure there is a secret (smaller) door for the public.

 

The University of Salamanca

This University is currently a Spanish higher education institution,  founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218.  It is the oldest university in Spain and the third oldest western university.

Just another shot to give you a close-up of the amazing detail work.  While Columbus was lobbying the King and Queen for a contract to seek out a western route to the Indies, he made his case to a council of geographers here at the University of Salamanca.

 The New Cathedral

The New Cathedral is connected to the Old Cathedral built in 1102, one of the two cathedrals of Salamanca, Spain.  Building began in 1513 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1733.

Just a closer shot before we walked inside this beauty.

The architecture inside this cathedral was breathtaking as you can see in the pictures.

 Convent of San Esteban

The Dominicans settled in Salamanca in about 1255, but their original monastery was demolished to construct the parish church of St. Stephen (behind Kaiya) in 1524. The construction was completed in 1610 and is now the Convent of San Esteban.  The Dominican monastery housed Christopher Columbus when he came to Salamanca to defend his idea of reaching the Indies by sailing west.

This is looking from the convent back to the New Cathdral.

Now we are on to Guarda, Portugal!!!!