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Salamanca
The elegant grandeur of the Plaza Mayor, coupled with the cathedrals and university buildings, suggests a city of size as well as stature. In fact it is quite a small place; everywhere is easily accessible on foot, and this is a real bonus if you want to make the most of the city's excellent n'ghtlife. The university and the international language schools here ensure a vibrant youth scene and the place has an abundance of great bars, clubs and discos. There is never any problem finding somewhere lively to spend the evening, and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays things don't stop till around four in the morning.
Most places of interest are within Salamanca's compact centre a great source of charm. The Plaza Mayor is at the very heart of the city and the most obvious focus for visitors. You can pick up a free street map from the tourist kiosk here; more comprehensive tourist information is available at the Turismo on the Gran Via. Rua Mayor runs south from the Plaza Mayor into the most rewarding area of the city, leading to the ornate Casa de las Conchas literally the "house of shells", the Baroque church of La Clerecia and into Calle Libreros with its ancient university buildings. Here is the quiet and stately Plaza de Anaya alongside the two cathedrals. If you fancy walking farther south, you can reach the Roman bridge and cross it for superb views of Salamanca's jumbled skyline of domes, towers and flying buttresses.
A short walk east of the Plaza de Anaya leads to the Plaza
del Concilio de Trento and the church of San Esteban, a
piece of Salamancan plateresque architecture that's every
bit as impressive as the New Cathedral. Nearby stands the
Dominicas Duenas with its fascinating Grotesque cloisters.
Calle de Espana (also known as the Gran Via) runs from
beside San Esteban the length of the city centre, by day an
important main road and home of the Turismo and the post
office, by night a riot of drinking, dancing revellers. It meets
Plaza de Espana at its north end and feeds into Paseo, de la
Estacion; the train station is just off here.
Salamanca Attractions The sights in this section are fisted in the order in which you come across them if you start at the Plaza Mayor and head south down Rua Mayor. If you are really short of time, the highlights are the Plaza Mayor, a walk past the Casa de las Conchas, the two cathedrals, and the church and convent of San Esteban. Plaza Mayor The Plaza Mayor is a glorious sight; built of the warm, honey coloured stone that is found throughout the city, its rows of rounded colonnades create a beautiful, rhythmic symmetry. Over 20 arches span each side of the square an above them, in perfect proportion, are three storeys of windows, each with louvred shutters and iron balconies. The Town Hall at the centre of the north side is the work of Andres Garcia de Quinones, an integral part of the overall design. The plaza was begun in 1729 and completed in 1755, the masterly planning of Alberto Churriguera. Bullfights were held here well into the 19th century and today the Plaza remains the centre of Salamancan life. It is alive with people throughout the day, and the scene of the traditional paseo in the early evening. The wood beamed ceilings of its colonnaded walkways amplify the sound of people talking as they stroll beneath them, so that a constant hum rises from the square, as if it were a huge, human drum. All in all it really is the kind of sight you could never tire of. You are bound to pass through the Plaza Mayor more than once a day: make sure you find the time to sit out at one of its cafes on bars and soak it all in.
Row upon row of conches the scallop shells of the pilgrims of Santiago cover the external walls of this solid town mansion. It belonged to Dotor Talavera Maldonado, a knight of Santiago, and was built in 1493; windows and doorways are decorated in the elaborate Spanish Gothic style typical of the era of the Catholic Kings. La Clerecia The view of this imposing Baroque church is somewhat hampered by surrounding buildings: none the less it remains a powerful monument. It was begun in 1617 as a Jesuit school by Philip III and his wife Margaret of Austria. The lower part of the facade is austere and restrained; a statue of St Ignatius presides over the entrance. The upper section, added over a hundred years later, is a far more wordly affair, heavily decorated and topped with a couple of hearty, hefty Baroque towers. Inside, a massive, gold coloured Baroque altarpiece barely relieves the sour grey gloom. A glimpse of adjacent cloisters hints at more appealing interiors nearby, but unfortunately the rest of La Clerecia is inaccessible to the public. Once outside the Clerecia again, take Calle Serranos, passing the refined simplicity of the church of San Isidoro, and turn left into Calle Libreros. Wander down here to the Plazuela Universidad The University Salamanca's old colleges sit around a quiet square. The entrance to the main building is a superb example of the plateresque. fbe facade is a riot of intricately carved flowers, foliage, beasts and flowing urns There is a frog hidden somewhere among all this too, but you need sharp eyes to find it. Medallions of the Catholic Kings, Charles V's coat of arms, two headed imperial eagles and St John are among the key figures in the overall design. Above these range carvings of Hercules, Venus, the pope and cardinals.
For a glimpse of more restrained aspects of university life, visit the lecture rooms. Some are grandiose those with huge, aulted ceilings, tapestries and paintings, but university life was far from comfortable: painfully narrow, splinter ridden benches line the lecture room of Fray Luis de Leon's scholars. In the far comer of the plazuela is the Escuelas Menores. Las Escuelas Menores Across the Plazuela Universidad the Escuelas Menores sports a fine plateresque doorway, bearing the three imperial coats of arms. Inside is a very elegant cloister and one of the lecture halls has an impressive fresco of the zodiac, moved here from the library. New Cathedral The New Cathedral is a late Gothic masterpiece iced with Renaissance and plateresque decoration. Biblical scenes above the portal form the focus of the overall design of the main facade, but it is the surrounding detail that has real impact. From a distance it looks like delicate lace; close up, tiny detail shows animals weaving their way in and out of succulent vines. The obsessive complexity of it is mind boggling. The interior is less magnificent largely because so much money was lavished on the exterior. Most of the building was completed between 1513 and 1560, though additions were made over the following 200 years. The ornate 18th century choir stalls are particularly worthy of attention, designed by Alberto Churriguera, the Salamancan who also planned the Plaza Mayor. Old Cathedral The distinctive Torre del Gallo of the Old Cathedral, a Romanesque Byzantine ribbed dome, seems lost against the decorative exuberance of the New Cathedral shoved up against it. In fact this peculiar arrangement was necessary: the Old Cathedral, built in the Keith century, was after 400 years in danger of collapse, and the new one was built right next to it to give it structural support. The Romanesque interior of simple, bold lines can be enjoyed unimpeded: solid columns are topped by capitals carved as griffins and snarling beasts; tombs bear traces of the bright paintwork with which they were originally covered, and most impressive of all is the altarpiece. Fifty three tablets depict scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary, painted by Nicolas Florentino in the 15th century. The central copper covered statue, the "Virgen de la Vega", dates from the 12th century, its throne decorated with Limoges enamel. Above this looms an ominous, lurid painting of the Day of judgement. Tucked away at the west end of the nave is the chapel of San Martin, covered with 13th and 14th century frescoes. Off the cloister, the El Salvador chapel (12th century) has a fine Mudejar vault beneath which the Mozarabic Mass was celebrated. The Diocesan Museum here also contains evidence of the Christian Moorish presence in Salamanca; most notably, the 16th century Salinas Organ, covered in Mudejar designs. The collection of paintings here includes works by Fernando Gallegos, Salamanca's most famous painter, and an outstanding triptych by Juan de Flanders (1506). Church and Convent of San Esteban The golden sandstone faade of this 16th century church drips with intricate carving, a monumental celebration of the plateresque style. A relief of the stoning of St Stephen takes centre place and statues of saints and clerics are studded all over the surrounding stonework. Entrance is via the adjacet connvent building. The elegant, broad arches of the Renaissance cloisters are decorated with medallions of the prophets. A range of rooms off here include the Panteon de los Teolocos (Pantheon of the Theologists), a small and suitably plain mausoleum, and a chilling, overbearing chapter house. Sinous grotesques writhe beneath the arches of the cloister's upper storey, access to which is via a heavily embellished Renaissance staircase. There are good views of the families of herons nesting on the church roof, too, and a door off here marked Coro leads into the upper choir of the church. It is a great place from which to appreciate the sheer size of the nave and to inspect a fresco by Palomino showing "The Triumph of the Church through the Dominican Order". To get downstairs you need to retrace your steps back through the cloisters. Phantasmagorical flying horses and wheezing dragons decorate the inside of the doorway from the cloister to the nave, easily missed since back in the church again the huge altarpiece demands attention, a wholly extravagant Baroque masterpiece by Jose de Churriguera, constructed in 1693.
Exceptional two storey Renaissance cloisters form the core of interest in this 16th century convent. ne stonework is creamy and smooth, the irregular five sided garden is lush with potted yuccas and the overall scene is deceptively charming. Take a closer look: the capitals are carved with nightmarish grotesques; those on the upper storey portray hideous characters from Dante's Divine Comedy, and a portrait of the poet. Notice, too, the Mudejar doorway as you step out on to the upper level from the small collection of religious paintings housed here.
Seville, Cordoba and Toledo are among the classic examples, but other beautiful towns suddenly come into view as one travels along the roads of Spain. Religious festivals and, bullfights form another great tourist attraction. The influx of foreign tourists to Spain rose to over 50 millions in 2005. The majority were from France, Great Britain, the United States, Portugal, Germany, Belgium,Italy,India and Japan. It is in the summer months, particularly July and August, that the greatest influx occurs. Spain’s landlocked capital spreads over a high windswept plateau like wine spilled on aged linen. To the north and west are mountains tall enough to carry snow on their peaks until spring, and rivers rise among them to curl around the city to the west and south. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS Americans, Canadian, and New Zealand citizens require only a valid passport for stays up to three months. Citizens of the EU require only an identify card. Australians must have a visa. TIMING YOUR TRIP A hoary goes that MADRILEFIOS SUFFER nine months of winter and three months of hell. The reality is less extreme. Humidity is usually low, and the hot weeks are form mid-June through August. The most agreeable conditions are during May and early June and the September into October. From November to April the weather is changeable but can be quite acceptable, with high temperatures in the 50s, blue skies, and warm sun. Snow and frost are rare in the city. ARRIVING Marble floors give Madrid Barajas international airport a grand air, but the best thing about it is its closeness to the city: 16 kilometers (10 miles), The nearby national terminal serves flights to and from such cities as Barcelona, Seville, and Malaga. Buses to Madrid are fast and cheap; taxis a little faster, and not nearly as cheap. Duty free shops at Barajas are soso. For anything except liquor and cigarettes, you'll do better in Madrid.Trains from France and points in the north east arrive at Chamfrains station. The south of Spain is served by the Chamasrtin and Arch stations and the Principe pio (also called Norte) station.All these stations are on the metro for easy across to anywhere in the city. Non Spanish speakers however will probably prefer to have a travel agency make reservation and obtain tickets. Many first time visitors are surprised by Madrid’s energy and sophistication. Yet scratch the high-tech surface and the core of tradition runs deep and strong. Tapas, zaruela, flamenco and churros continue to be enduring passions among a populace that mange to enjoy the best the new order and an old world still recalled. RESTAURANTS
SPECIAL EVENTS Madrid’s Festival of San Isodro is celebrated during the middle weeks of May with concerts, neighborhood fairs, craft shows, and daily bullfights. Summer and fall have their seasonal festivals, Los Veranos de la Villa and Festival de Otono with myriad concerts and shows to suit all tastes. The international Jazz Festival in November attracts some of the world’s best players. Religious festivals are celebrated with parades and pageantry, particularly the procession of the Three kings on January 5, Carnivals before Lent, and the solemn procession of the penitents during Holy Week. Spain is one of the world's greatest producers of wines and they remain one of the world's great bargains, given their quality. They are usually stronger and fuller bodied than wines from other countries, because Spain enjoys more sun and heat than, say, its rival French producers in Bor deaux and Burgundy. Spain invented sherry Uerez), now imitated by other wine producing countries. It makes a good, palate clearing aperitif, and in Spain is usually served chilled. Again, though, be aware that sherry is high in alcoholic content. Many Spanish cities trace their origin to the early peoples that dominated the Mediterranean basin. Many were founded in the roman period and others have characteristics derived from the period of Moorish. Some no less remarkable cities have resulted from the Recon quest that began in the north and lid the basis for the unification is commemorated in the typically Spanish gander of Madrid.
Industrial development during the last century caused certain cities to grow very quickly and to take on the typical appearance of great modern commercial and industrial centers (for instance, Bilbo and Barcelona). Other cities have derived new life and functions from newly developed means of communications.
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Salamanca is easily one of the most enjoyable cities in Spain It is stunning to look at, packed with history and very, very lively. Two cathedrals vie for space in the heart of the old quarter, but the real jewel of Salamanca is the Plaza Mayor at its centre, arguably Spain's finest town square. Salamanca's university was founded in the 13th century and the city retains a wealth of ancient college buildings along with medieval and Renaissance convents, churches, cathedrals and squares. Delicate, intricate carving decorates doorways ' walls and windows in a style known as "plateresque", the hallmark of Salamancan architecture.
GETTING YOUR BEARINGS
Casa de las Conchas
Take a stroll around the cloister inside beneath its coloured, panelled ceiling and look out for the Renaissance staircase, busy with frolicking swains performing all sorts of antics to impress pedestal bound maidens. The women look rather pleased with themselves.
El Convento de las Duenas
There’s no shortage of hotels in Madrid, and it’s possible to eat fairly well for relatively low cost. In the old part of the city around the Puerto del sol and plaza Mayor the selection of cafeterias offering decent food is enormous. A title to the east, in the area bounded by Calle de las Huertas, Carr era de San Jeronimo, Calle de Leon, Calle de Echegaray, and Ventura de la Vega, are dozens lively bars and cafeterias. Head north to Calle de Hartzenbusch and Cardinals Cisneros and the surrounding few blocks for scads of inexpensive restaurant and bars serving everything from tortillas and tapas to Italian and German cuisine. In sprain, by the way, a cafeteria is an informal, inexpensive sit-down restaurant with table service. What Americans call a cafeteria is known as an autoservicio here.
During recent years a number of foreign restaurants have open in Madrid. Moroccan, French, German, Chinese, Greek, Japanese, and American foods are seen with ever-greater regularly. Spaniards are slow to accept other cuisines however, partly because their own or so varied and extensive. And, apart from a few of their tapas, they don’t like spicy-hot dishes. That puts a serious crimp in the efforts of chefs trying for authority in Szechjuan, human, Tex-Mex, Indian, and Mexican dishes who find they must tone down their recipes more than they had like. Of the various foreign cuisines, the one best reproduced is Italian. Pastas and pizzas are nearly as common in Madrid as in Chicago and New York and Spanish cooks have started to learn the meaning of al dente. This is why the relatively few foreign restaurants suggested below are primarily Italian.