Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-05
AN OLD UNIVERSITY
Founded in Salamanca, Spain,
in 1918.
HOW IT HAS DECLINED
NOW HAS FEW STUDENTS, BUT
FORMERLY HAD THOUSANDS.
It's Buildings and Splendid Library
The New Cathedral-Six Other
Churches of Various Styles.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
SALAMANCA October 25, 1903.
The University of Salamanca is worth
more space than 1 can give 1t. 1t was
founded by Alfonso. the ninth king of Leon,
in 1913 just before the union of that king
dom with CASTLE. and was the subject Of
generous grants from several of his sue
cessors down to the time of Philip II, when
the expression of opinions on any subject
became dangerous in Spain and education
was discouraged. In 1854 it was recognized
by the pope and placed on an equality with
the great institutions at Paris, oxford and
Bologna. 1t was greater than the latter
two. both in the numbers of it's faculty and
students and in the advantages it offered
for education. 1t ranked Immediately after
that of Paris. the second in the world. Stu
dents came here from all over the world.
Its lectures had universal regulations. Its
students were sought as instructors by for
eign universities, and it's diplomas carried
weight in scholastic circles everywhere. The
faculty controlled the privileges of printing
in those days and exercised a censorship
over the literature of Spain. Their "cate-
dras," or opinions. upon theological, scien-
tif1c, and legal questions were considered
final. There was no higher court of appeal.
But the university has now dWindled to
absolute insignifcance. The rector's salary
is only 81 coo a year and none of the seven
professors receives more than $780, The
few students who remain lodge in private
houses, because the great dormtories are
uninha bitable and only a few of the hun
dreds of great lecture halls which were once
thronged with students are used. The prin-
cipal building. erected in 14l5, is considered
one of the most notable examples of what is
called the grotesaue style of architecture.
1t is profusely adorned with Picturesque
details, executed with the greatest skill,
and the facade is very elaborate, covered
with armorial bearings and busts with
heroic figures of Ferdinand and Isabella
over the principal entrance, where there is
an inscription in Greek too badly defaced
to be read.
Higher and Minor Schools.
The university is divided into Escuelas
Mayores higher schools), which rank with
our ordinary colleges. and Escuelas Me-
nores (minor schools, which compare with
our academies, and both have the same
faculty. The lecture rooms are grouped
around a quadrangle with fine cloisters.
The professors occupy desks known as
cathedraS, which in several cases are of
handsomely carved old oak, but the stu
dents have plain wooden benches without
backs, like those you see in crossroads
school houses in the southern states. They
are evidently of recent construction, and
several of them are nearly whitfield away.
The chapel was originally a beautiful
specimen of Gothic work, but was spoiled
by being restored by an incompetent
arnl,it IN Tho
Alfonzo 1.-The Learned, in 1854, has 50, 900
volumes. all old. Scarcely book has been
added to it for a century. 1t contains many
autograph letters of Cervantes and Cardi-
nal Ximines, who are numbered among the
eminent graduates of the institution and
splendid collection of manuscripts, many
brought from the Holy Land during the
Crusades. and more captured from the
Moors during the wars that ended with
their expulsion in the fifteenth century.
The collection of Arabian manuscripts Is
surpassed only by that at the Escorial A
curious volume containing the Lords
prayer in 157 languages, and beautifully
illuminated, the librarian told us, once be-
longed to the great Napoleon and if that is
true how 1t came here is a mystery. Ma
poleon never left anything of that sort any,
where. He looted libraries, art galleries
churches, palaces, monasteries and private
houses of the gems of literature and art,
most of which are now in Paris, but never
heard before of his contributing anything
of value to library or gallery outside of
his own country.
The greatest riches of the Salamanca Ii
brary are the printed books of the fifteenth
century. Printing was introduced into
Spain at Barcelona in 1471. 1t has almost
everything that came from the press in any
language at that period, with which the
librarian is on most familiar terms. but he
seems to have no interest in modern pub
lications.
New Cathedral.
The university buildings face what is
called the new cathedral, for Salamanca
has two. The old one was built in the
twelfth century by the famous Bishop
Geronimo. confessor of The Cid, who ac-
companied him in several battles, and con-
tatns many interesting tombs, with some
fine carvings in both oak and marble The
new cathedral, which, is connected with it
by passage way, was begun in 1913, and
Is good example of the fiorid Gothic
school. Why there should be two is not
explained in any of the books have read
about Salamanca, and the local authorities
think there is anything unusual about 1t,
and act as If it were customary for cities
Of 21,0O0 people to have two cathedrals.
Above the tomb of Bishop Geronimo there
hung for 800 years bronze crucific which
was carried by The Cid in all his battles,
but in 1883 it disappeared and has not been
recovered. There is a popular impression
that one Of the canons of the cathedral
knows the reasons and the time of its dis
appearance, but that may be an injustice.
1t had no intrinsic value, for 1t was made
of brass, and it cannot have any historical
value to one who is not allowed to exhibit
1t. There a few fine old pictures in
both Of the cathedrals, but nothing extra
ordinary.
The old cathedral is said to have been
used by Richardson. the great architect of
Boston, as a model for Trinity Church in
that city, which is famous for its massive
and harmonious proportions.
Six Other Churches.
AS if two cathedrals were not enough
Continued on Fourteenth Page.)