Libraries in Salamanca

Do you like our new location in Palominos St? Tía Tula has moved, but it is still in privileged location: the heart of the city centre. And in social media and this blog we will continue to share news about the school, Salamanca and Spain, as well as about culture and practical information. Just as this article, in which we're going to tell you about four libraries situated at less than 5 minutes from Tía Tula.

As we were saying yesterday… With such proverbial words Fray Luis de León resumed his classes at University of Salamanca, after five years in jail. Just like him, many other writers and important people of the arts and culture have been in Salamanca and today all the fruits of the past centuries are well guarded in the numerous libraries of the city.

In the very centre, near Tía Tula and in less than 5 minutes, you can find different libraries. The closest one, the Faculty of Philoly's, is in Palominos St, just opposite to Tía Tula. The library's main building was projected in 1969 by the architect Fernando Chueca Goitia.
The Unamuno House Museum is a 18th Century's building in which Miguel de Unamuno lived when he was the Dean of the University of Salamanca, in the earlier 20th Century. The museum keeps the memory of Miguel de Unamuno, spreading his works and guarding an extensive archive, which help us to reconstruct the history between XIXth and XXth Centuries.

The University Historical Library since 1995 is exclusively a research centre.

It guards and keeps many collections from the 13th Century, as well as codices, manuscripts and fragments, books, pamphlets, periodical publications, maps, etc., nowadays considered as a part of the Historical Spanish Heritage. 
If you'd like to visit it in a virtual way, in this link you can see the library and the treasures it guards.

As the University Historical Library, the House of Shells hosts a public library. The edifice, built between 1493 and 1517, is an example of gothic and plateresque style, typical of the Spanish Renaissance. The singularity of this building resides in his approximately 300 Saint Jaime shells that decorate the façade and, according to the legend, in one of these shells there is a golden coin... 

If you are a student staying in Salamanca for more than 4 months, then you can request the library card and thus be entitled to the library's loan service. Otherwise, you can just go and read the books and enjoy the study material, as well as the Internet connection and PCs.

'Thinking' in Salamanca

It’s official - the autumn has arrived to the city. While some people use the New Year’s Eve as a time for reflexion, I get the same feeling with autumn, the smell of fallen leaves, foggy mornings and chestnuts lying on the ground (although the chestnuts were actually in Segovia which I visited this past weekend). 

Some people can think anytime anywhere; for me it’s a process that requires a certain mood, place and a correct ambiance such as a nice city park or a random rock in the mountains. Now, I am not saying I need to go to the mountains every time I need to make a decision (I can buy a croissant without having to leave the bakery) but when it comes to understanding the ‘meaning of life’ I need some peace and quiet. In the past few days I’ve been searching for some places very ‘intensely’ and I would like to share my two favourites: El Campo de San Francisco and El Huerto de Calixto y Melibea. 

‘El Parque de San Francisco’ (as the locals call it) is located in the very centre of Salamanca. According to public records, ‘El Campo de San Francisco’ (as the authorities call it) is the first public garden in Salamanca, standing on the grounds of the former convent of San Francisco el Real y los Padres Capuchinos. The park has a certain ambiance to it (to be honest, the entire historical centre of Salamanca has one), but maybe that’s one of the reasons why Miguel de Unamuno, the famous Spanish writer and rector of the university, found it dear to its heart and was known to stroll around (if you would like to know more about the writer's life you can have a look at this previous post). I took his example and you can see me doing the same (although I doubt anybody cares) while I enjoy the falling leaves of its vegetation - including 600 poplars planted back in 1828.

You can also see me walking around the beautiful Huerto de Calixto y Melibea. I mentioned this garden in my previous post although back then I had no idea what it was called or that it was connected to the famous novel La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas. If you would like to know more about the history of this place you can read about it here. 

To be honest, although I find the (potential) history of the garden quite interesting, it is not the reason why I enjoy going there almost every day. It lies on the city walls and the view of the cathedrals is simply splendid. It feels slightly secluded so if you like some peace and quiet this is the place for you. However, since it is no secret (unfortunately) other people go there too and if they are in an overly socialising mood you don´t really stand a chance and you will have to go for a walk somewhere else (but I’ve been so ‘unlucky’ only once). 

On the other hand, Salamanca is a city made for walking. Actually, mostly its historical city centre is made for walking. When you want to avoid ‘the youth’ you can always walk towards and across Puente Romano and/or walk along the river and just enjoy the view.

Overall, for a person who enjoys walking along the historical monuments on a daily basis Salamanca is the place to be :) After all, even Friedrich Nietzsche said that “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking”. So, ¡hasta luego!, I need to go for a walk...