Welcome to the University of Alcalá! “Admission to the University Included”
Hello again! I'm David Alba, your licensed tour guide and, most importantly today, a former student of this institution. Touring the University of Alcalá with someone who has studied in its classrooms, who has walked its corridors, and who knows its stories is a totally enriching experience. On this sightseeing tour, we're not just going to see old stones; we're going to travel to the Spanish Golden Age.
I invite you to cross the threshold of history to discover Cardinal Cisneros' dream. Together, we'll unravel the secrets of the Manzana Cisneriana, the place where geniuses such as Lope de Vega, Quevedo, and Calderón de la Barca studied.
From Rogue Student to Doctor Honoris Causa
Our route is designed to mirror the life of a 16th-century student. We'll start by admiring the grandeur from the outside and then sneak into the heart of knowledge. We'll gradually uncover layers of history: from the mischief of the students of yesteryear (and the origin of the word “gorrón” or “manta”) to the solemnity of royal events. Everything is designed to end at the holiest site of Hispanic literature.
️ What will we visit?
We'll fully immerse ourselves in the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso (tickets included):
· Convento de “Málaga” (Faculty of Philosophy and Letters): Our meeting point. We'll do the introduction to the sightseeing tour and also learn about its history, as well as that of Calle Santa Úrsula and Calle Escritorios.
· El Parador and the Hostería del Estudiante: We'll make a visual stop at the former Colegio Mayor de San Jerónimo. We'll see how it has become a benchmark for luxury and gastronomy.
· Calle San Pedro y San Pablo: The university street par excellence. There are no palaces here; there are “Colegios Menores” (student residences).
· Calle Libreros: The name says it all. This is where the printing presses that gave birth to the Golden Age were located.
· Façade of the University of Alcalá: After going around it, we'll stand in front of it. It's not just a beautiful wall; it's an open book carved in stone.
· The Chapel of San Ildefonso: A Cisneros-style treasure where the Cardinal's tomb rests (a masterpiece of Carrara marble).
· Patio de Santo Tomás de Villanueva: Pure elegance and the administrative heart of the university today.
· Patio de Filósofos and Patio Trilingüe: Here you can feel the atmosphere of the old “City of God” and the hustle and bustle of classic student life.
· The Paraninfo: The Grand Finale. We'll enter the most famous classroom in the world, under its impressive Mudéjar coffered ceiling.You'll feel history beneath your feet!
And a final secret!
As on my other sightseeing tour, here we don't just listen; we live the experience. I have prepared a small visual challenge on the façade and a game at the end of the sightseeing tour to see what happens to the winner
Ready to enrol in history? See you at the University!
