Magic of Stones

At the far end of the patio, presided over by its statue of Fray Luis de León, stands the building of the Minorite Schools (Escuelas Menores) (6), now home to the University Museum, with its heraldic portal, Plateresque entrance-way coat of arms, and mixtilinear arches, granite and columns and 18th century Baroque balustrade gracing the inner courtyard.

Salamanca Museum (7). This 15th century palace bears a certain resemblance to the House of Shells and originally belonged to Fernando Alvarez Abarca, erstwhile physician to Queen Isabel the Catholic.
It houses a fine art collection of painting and sculpture, including an outstanding pietá by Luis de Morales.
The graffiti featuring the word, "VICTOR", are references to the academic achievements of illustrious figures associated with the university. Turning into Calle Calderón de la Barça, one is surprised by the impressive sight of the New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva) (8).

It was built at the behest of King Ferdinand the Catholic when the Old Cathedral became too small. Work on a late Gothic-Style desgin commenced in 1513 under the supervision of Juan Gil de Hontañón, son of Juan, continued the work, introducing Renaissance touches, such as the decorative addition of medallions.

Towards the end of the 16th century, Juan de Ribero took charge of the project, envisaging a square-cut east en flanked by two towers, a plan that eventually came to naught.
The Lisbon earthquake (1755) caused serious damage. The tower had to be reinforced and sagarvinaga was charged with building a new lantern. The main façade, facing Calle Cardenal Plá y Deniel, is an example of Flamboyant Gothic and contains an amalgam of decoration; on the typanum there are two different reliefs, a Nativity scene and the Adoration of the Magi, and above this a third, depicting Christ on the cross.
The Ramos Door, on the Plaza Anaya, is much in the same vein, its richly decorated tympanum and relief of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem ensconced within an ogee arch.

If you enjoyed the challenger of searching for the University frog, try to spot an astronaut, the brainchild of the new stonemasons responsible for restoring the jambs whose stone had deteriorated. A treasure trove of art awaits inside. The main chapel, choirstalls and tracoto (the retrochoir or wall enclosing the choir) are all by (Churriguera (18-century). Then there is the Golden (Dorada) Chapel and the Retable of Christ of the Battles, containing the Romanesque carving that accompanied El Cid is his exile Movew round the church to get to the Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja). Begun in 1550, the building work continued into the next century, hence explaining the presence of typically Romanesque elements alongside eminently Gothic features. It through the New Cathedral that ones enters the Old. The original cruciform grounplan had a nave and two aisles with their corresponding apses but when the New Cathedral was constructed, one entire side was razed. Rising above the transept crossing is the popular scallop-tiled cock Tower (Torre del Gallo), one of the city's classic landmarks. It consists of a ribbed umbrella lantern set on a two-tiered drum, reinforced by four circular turrets. Clearly Byzantine in influence, the view one gets from the idyllic Patio Chico (small square) is truly impressive. Note too the point of union between the two Cathedrals, the visible transition from Romanesque to Gothic. The altarpiece in the central absidal chapel is an ensemble of 53 panels painted by Nicholas of Florence in the 15th century, narrating the life of jesus and Mary. At the very centre of this gorgogeous symphony of colour is the city's patron saint , the Virgin of the Vega (vega; fertile plain or valley bottom). Gothic murals line St. Martin's Chapel. The cloister was destroyed during the Lisbon earthquake and rebuilt some years afterwards. The St. Barbara Chapel was where doctoral students spent their pre-examination night: for candidates who passed, there were pealing bells, feasting and celebrations, but for those who failed, there was only a silent exit by the Carros Door. See also the New Chapterhouse (16th century), nowadays the Diocesan Museum, with works by Francisco Gallego, Juan of Flanders, etc. En route to the Patio Chico, one passes Salamanca's leading example of the Modernist movement, the House of Lis (9), now a Gallery o Art Nouveau and Art Deco. If time permits, this is a good point from which to visit the Roman Bridge (10), erected in the time of TRajan. Only the first 15 arches nearest to the city are original, the remainder having been swept away by the food of 1626. Standing on a column is the statue of the Verraco Ibérico (boar) (11), also sometimes known locally as the Toro or bull, in allusion to the pre-Roman, reputedly Celtic, inhabitants of the area. St. James' (Iglesia de Santiago) (12) preserves a 12th century Romanesque-Mudejar style apse. This church enjoyed a certain degree of importance on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela thanks to it's position by the Silver Route bridge. Close to the Old Cathedral and to the right of the Patio Chico is the Garden of Calisto y Melibea (Huerto de Calisto y Melibea) (13) a reference to the star-crossed lovers of Fernando de Rojas' world-famous work La Celestina.
Skirting the Cathedral one gets to the Plaza Anaya, the site of a superb architectural group: the Student' Hospice (Hospedería)(14) by Joaquín de Churriguera; the Church of San Sebastián (St. Sebastian's) (15) by Alberto de Churriguera (1731), with a statue of the saint set into a niche on the façade; and the Anaya Palace (16).

Founded in 1401 by Diego de Anaya y Maldonado, the original edifice was Salamanca's oldest university residence. The present neoclassical-style building (almost an exception in this city) was designed by juan de Sagarvinaga in 1760. Adding the final touch to the grooup is one of the university doorways on Rúa Mayor, a street which leads back to the starting point.

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