University of Alcalá (1499–1836)
Spain · Europe
About
The University of Alcalá, also known as Complutense University or Cisnerian University (Latin: Complutensis Universitas), was a university located in Alcalá de Henares, Spain (now part of the Community of Madrid), from its founding by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499 until its relocation to Madrid in 1836. During the 16th and 17th centuries, it became a major center of academic excellence. In 1777, it was physically and administratively separated from its Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso and renamed the Royal University of Alcalá, with its headquarters moved to the former building of the Faculty of Law. In 1836, the university was merged with the teachings of the Royal Studies of San Isidro and the Royal Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid to form the Central University of Madrid, which later became the modern Complutense University of Madrid. Its lecture halls hosted distinguished scholars and notable figures, including Antonio de Nebrija, Saint Thomas of Villanova, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Domingo de Soto, Ambrosio de Morales, Benito Arias Montano, Francisco Suárez, Juan de Mariana, Francisco Vallés, Antonio Pérez, Saint John of the Cross, Mateo Alemán, Lope de Vega, Francisco de Quevedo, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, Andrés Manuel del Río, Fray Diego Morcillo, and Blas Ortiz among others.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.