Founding of University of Salamanca

The University of Salamanca is the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe still in operation. It was founded in the early thirteenth century by King Alfonso IX of León, and its status was later confirmed by the papacy, which gave its degrees recognition across Christendom. In the sixteenth century it was one of the leading centers of learning in Europe, and the School of Salamanca, with theologians and jurists such as Francisco de Vitoria, made important contributions to international law and economic thought. Famous figures connected to it include Fray Luis de León and, in the twentieth century, the writer Miguel de Unamuno, who served as rector. Its historic buildings, with their richly carved facade, stand in the center of the city of Salamanca.

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