Monday 27 February 2023

University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares

Alcalá de Henares is the hometown of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote 


University of Alcalá
This postcard was sent by Melita

The University of Alcalá (SpanishUniversidad de Alcalá) is a public university located in Alcalá de Henares, a city 35 km (22 miles) northeast of Madrid in Spain and also the third-largest city of the region. It was founded in 1293 as a Studium Generale for the public, and was refounded in 1977.
By a royal order of 29 October 1836, Queen Regent Maria Christina ordered The University to move to Madrid, where they took the name of Literary University and, in 1851, the Central University of Madrid.
In 1975, after years of the buildings passing between various businesses, Complutense University opened its Alcalá branch as a means to decongest its growing student population. In 1977, the university was re-founded as "the University of Alcalá de Henares," which later was shortened to "the University of Alcalá" in 1996. - in: wikipedia


Plaza de Cervantes
This postcard was sent by Marco

Alcalá de Henares is a Spanish city in the Community of Madrid. Straddling the Henares River, it is located 31 kilometres (19 miles) to the northeast of the center of Madrid.
The city has a long university tradition. Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros founded the Complutense University in Alcalá de Henares in the late 15th century. The city currently hosts the (refounded) University of Alcalá. It is the native city of Miguel de Cervantes. - in: wikipedia

Cardinal Cisneros Tomb

This postcard was sent by Marco

The Chapel of San Ildefonso is the oldest enclosure of all those preserved at the University. The portal is made of limestone, probably from the mid-16th century. We know that it belonged to the old Trilingual College and that, after its demolition, "it moved to a church." The beautiful and stylized belfry with its spectacular silhouette nested by storks stands out.
Inside, we find the church, with a single nave and floor plan, built by the architect Pedro Gumiel between 1510 and 1516. The aesthetic combination of the Mudejar-style coffered ceilings is surprising, in contrast to the plasterwork on the walls. The presbytery is covered by an octagonal coffered ceiling made of polychrome wood. On the plasterwork a frieze of mural painting based on intertwined arches and on it, the Franciscan cord that runs along the walls. In the presbytery stands the mausoleum of Cardenal Cisneros, an excellent example of Renaissance funerary sculpture in our country. Drawn by Doménico Fancelli, it was carved in Carrara marble by Bartolomé Ordoñez and his disciples in 1521. The figures in the corners representing the four Fathers of the Church, of exquisite classicism, deserve special attention. - in: https://www.turismoalcala.es/turismo/monumento-capilla-de-san-ildefonso-2/


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