Photos

Good Morning,

On an evening during my stay in Salamanca, I took this picture of Old Cathedral, located in the heart of city of Salamanca.

Hope you like the flair of this old architecture.


thanks and regards,

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General Information (from WiKiPedia) on the City of Salamanca (The Golden City of Spain):

Salamanca (population 155,740) is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca, which belongs to the autonomous community of Castile and Leon. The Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

The city lies on a mountain by the Tormes River, which is crossed by a bridge 150 m long built on 26 arches, fifteen of which are of Roman origin, while the remainder date from the 16th century.

The city was founded in the pre-Ancient Rome period by the Vacceos, a Celtic tribe, as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the Duero river. In the third century BCE, Hannibal laid siege to the city. With the fall of the Carthaginians to the Romans, the city began to take more importance as a commercial hub. At this time it was called Helmantica or Salmantica.[citation needed]

Salamanca surrendered to the Moors in the year 712 CE. The defensive city wall was strengthened, with the Mozarabs (Christians under Muslim rulers) were relegated to living outside of it. It was, however, a time of constant fighting with the Kingdom of León, and the city was trapped on the line between Christian North and Muslim South, with the city being evacuated, as part of the depopulated no-man's land between the two sides. Christian forces, led by Ramón de Borgoña, son-in-law of Alfonso VI of León, retook the city in the twelfth century.

One of the most important moments in Salamanca's history was the year 1218, when Alfonso IX of León created the University of Salamanca. Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centres in Europe.

In 1551 the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V ordered an inquiry to find out if the science of Andreas Vesalius, physician and anatomist, was in line with the Catholic doctrine. Vesalius came to Salamanca that same year to appear before the board and was acquitted.

In the Peninsular War of the Napoleonic campaigns, the Battle of Salamanca, fought July 22, 1812, was a serious setback for the French, and a mighty setback for Salamanca, whose western quarter was seriously damaged. The battle which raged that day is famous as a defining moment in military history; many thousands of men were slaughtered by cannon fire in the space of only a few short hours.

(Source of Information: WiKiPedia)

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Information on New Cathedral of Salamanca at:

http://www.allsalamanca.com/index.php/salamanca-places-attractions/new-cathedral-of-salamanca/

The New Cathedral in Spain is exactly located in the city of Salamanca. This ornamented contemporary edifice is in fact with the famous Old Cathedral as well. This contemporary cathedral is built which is in between the 16th and 18th centuries. It has two types of styles these are the late gothic and then the Baroque. It was in 1513 where the construction is started which was then sanctified in 1733. While in 1187, the cathedral was announced a national monument which is by royal decree; and it was task by the prominent Ferdinand II of Spain. The construction of the New Cathedral was all started when the gothic styles goes down from popularity as well as combined with the Renaissance style.



On the other hand, the façade of the cathedral nowadays still has the remarks of the gothic style because the authorities of the country wanted this contemporary cathedral to merge with the style of the old cathedral. It was in the figure of the two major architects who designed the cathedral who were J. Gil de Hontanon as well as his son Rodrigo, which they started in 1538. The New Cathedral features three arcs, and each of its arcs leads towards the three sections of the church. Additionally these three naves carved in a well mannered way making it unique and fascinating. In fact, one of it’s carves features the image of an astronaut which is floating in the space, this design was actually carved within the recent years.



Tourists can expect astounding sightseeing from both inside and outside the cathedral. This includes the Plateresque doorways, the triple west doorway as well as the north doorway which is also known as the Puerta de Ramos. This doorway as well has the respite of the image of the Christ entrance into Jerusalem. The New Cathedral was one of the biggest cathedrals nestling within the city of Salamanca. Since this cathedral emerged in the city, it is then already rushed by both the locals and tourists because of its incredible designs and carvings. All year round the place is abounding with people coming from the different countries.