The Colegio de Calatrava of Salamanca !!!

Posted in Europe, Spain

We were back to my dear Spain again !! love it !! We came by car of course and took time to see new areas and old repeat with some of them as introduction to my sons and our dog Rex ! I rented a small house in a off the beaten path country town that was just perfect ! I like to continue the saga of our new road warrior experiences even if now with less in our family, This post is on my latest road warrior tour of wonderful sublime Spain. For now as I know took the pic will leave in my black and white series,no pictures.  Therefore, let me tell you about the Colegio de Calatrava of Salamanca !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The City of Salamanca is capital of the province of Salama nca located in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León, and in the kingdom of Spain. In 1988, the Old City was declared a World Heritage for UNESCO, The City is located 109 km from Ávila, 121 km from Valladolid, 123 km from Portugal and 214 km from Madrid.

The Colegio Calatrava college located at Calle del Rosario, 18 , built in the 18C, at the initiative of the Order of Calatrava, it currently houses the house of the Church. The College of the Immaculate Conception of Calatrava, currently called, College of Calatrava is the only school founded in Salamanca by military orders whose building still lasts; It belonged to the Order of Calatrava. Instituted as an imperial school in 1552 by Carlos V and incorporated to the University of Salamanca in 1554; The construction of this building did not begin until 1717, consecrated in 1790. In the War of Independence the canvases of Goya that were in the altarpieces disappeared.

The facade has two bodies and is articulated by pilasters of giant order and topped with a balustrade. The decorative elements that adorn it are mostly Renaissance inspiration. We notice in the decoration mixtilinear elements properly baroque around the main cover, at the doors of the side towers and in the moldings that surround all the windows of the facade. Today is the headquarters of the Casa de la Iglesia or Church’s house, an institution that hosts the dependencies of the Diocese of Salamanca.

A bit of history tell us that the building that we now know as the Casa de la Iglesia or Church’s house has a long history. The Order of Calatrava was founded in the city-fortress of Calatrava (Ciudad Real province,region of Castilla La Mancha) in the 12C. Its abbot, San Raimundo de Fitero together with other religious and gentlemen, managed to stop several Muslim attacks at a time when Christians and Muslims dispute hegemony in the different territories. From there, the Order of Calatrava expands through different places in Spain. It is therefore the first religious-military order created in Spain.

The building was initially thought of as a school for the Knights of Calatrava. On June 3, 1552, the General Chapter of the Order determined to found a school assigned to the University of Salamanca,  with the approval of Emperor Carlos V. However, the construction of the building as we know it today began in 1716, being the initial project of Joaquín de Churriguera, which directed the work until his death in 1724. After many avatars, Pedro de Gamboa continued.In 1734, the Colegio Calatrava (College) was unfinished and was very declined, because the works had ceased. On September 29, 1736 the school began to work, although without being finished. In 1750 the works were paralyzed. The orders council decided the resumption of work in 1780.

It is then that the trace of the altarpieces of the chapel ,the idea was to make the stone altarpieces and not in wood, pear its longer duration, and thus avoid the fires. The issues represented in the altarpiece would be the Conception in the major, and the Saints San Raimundo and San Benito on the sides, preferring the painting to the sculpture in this case, since the stone of Salamanca was not good for the size. The paintings are commissioned to Francisco Goya, who in a letter of October 10, 1784, accounts for the Royal Academy of how the entrusted task is going. The day of Santiago de 1790, the chapel was inaugurated in which look in which illuminated looked the Goya Immaculate Conception on the High Altar ,The Goya’s paintings disappeared during the War of Independence against the French. We still do not know its whereabouts and we have no indication of it, On December 21, 2003, a group of 19 residents slept for the first time, the first of many more that would come later. Thus began the new stage in the life of this unique historical building: the Casa de la Iglesia or Colegio de Calatrava !

The City of Salamanca on its history : https://aytosalamanca.es/w/historia

The Salamanca tourist office on its heritage: https://salamanca.es/en/essential-salamanca/culture-and-cultural-heritage/monuments

The Castillay y Léon regional tourist office on the Colegio de Calatrava: https://www.turismocastillayleon.com/en/heritage-culture/buildings/college-calatrava-salamanca

The Unesco world heritage site on old town Salamanca: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/381/

There you go folks , another wonderful nostalgic, sentimental trip to my dear Spain, Do not know when we will be back, we sure will have this trip in our hearts forever, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Colegio de Calatrava of Salamanca !!! as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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