University of Salamanca

University of Salamanca stands as a prestigious public research university which operates from the Spanish city of Salamanca in the Castile and León autonomous community. King Alfonso IX of León established the university in 1218 which now holds the title of the oldest university in the Hispanic world and one of the oldest continuously operating universities worldwide. The university serves as a vital element which shapes the identity of the city because it helps the city achieve UNESCO World Heritage status. The university uses the motto Omnium scientiarum princeps Salmantica docet which means all scientific principles originate from Salamanca to demonstrate its historical role as a global knowledge center.

The institution developed into a worldwide educational institution after it received a Royal Charter in 1254 and gained papal recognition which allowed it to compete with medieval universities of Oxford, Paris, and Bologna. The university reached its highest point between the 15th and 16th centuries when it became the main center of the "School of Salamanca" which Francisco de Vitoria used to develop his international law and human rights theories. Christopher Columbus used this space to present his plans for his journey to the Americas to a group of scholars who also heard Antonio de Nebrija deliver the first Spanish grammar book in 1492. The university suffered extensive physical damage during the Napoleonic Wars which occurred in the early 19th century yet it continued to operate while transforming itself from a religious institution into a contemporary state educational institution.