University of Alcalá (historical)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Universidad de Alcalá
founding 1499
place Alcalá de Henares
country Kingdom of Castile
Colegio San Ildefonso of the historic University of Alcalá

The University of Alcalá de Henares (Spanish Universidad de Alcalá de Henares ) was one of the most important European universities in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was founded in Alcalá de Henares in 1499 and moved to Madrid in 1836 . Today the successor university , the Universidad Complutense de Madrid , is the largest on-site university in Spain .

The old town of Alcalá was placed under monument protection in 1968 as an art-historically significant ensemble (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) . In 1998, the buildings of the historic university and the historic area of ​​the city of Alcalá de Henares (University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares) were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

History of the historical university

Predecessor institutions

In 1293, King Sancho IV of Castile authorized the Archbishop of Toledo , Gonzalo García Gudiel, to build an educational institution for the Studium Generale in Alcalá . It was permanent but not of great importance. The Archbishop of Toledo, Alfonso Carrillo de Acuña , had the Franciscan monastery of Santa María de Jesús built in Alcalá de Henares in 1453 , which was later renamed San Diego. In 1459 Pope Pius II approved the establishment of three chairs at this monastery as part of the Studium Generale. Due to the political events in Castile, this expansion of the educational offer could not be realized until 1473.

Foundation of the university

In December 1498, the Archbishop of Toledo asked Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros in a letter to Pope Alexander VI. for approval for the establishment of the Colegio de San Ildefonso de Alcalá as the central institution of a university to be established. With the establishment of a full university in Alcalá de Henares in the Archdiocese of Toledo , the Archbishop sought a better scientifically based education in Castile. He orientated himself on the courses of the other universities in Europe. The preparatory lessons in the Artes Liberales should be followed by a specialist course in theology, law or medicine. The aim of the university was to train leaders for the church and administration. The establishment of the colegios, the provision of funds and the awarding of scholarships should also enable people with limited resources to study.

This goal also corresponded to the ideas of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand , who demanded a university degree from their bishop's candidates and who filled the positions in the state administration predominantly with Letrados (lawyers with a degree), mostly from the lower nobility.

While studying theology, the Archbishop of Toledo and later Cardinal and Inquisitor General of Castile intended to transform Alcalá into a humanistic-theological center in order to stimulate a renewed theology inspired by the original sources. Professors from Paris should also contribute to this. The three major theological currents of the time were represented at the University of Alcalá de Henares: Thomism , Scotism and nominalism . In order to better study the original texts, extended language training should be offered and the relevant sources should be available in the original language. Extensive purchases were made for the library. Even before the university opened in 1502, work began on developing a multilingual Bible edition, the Complutensic Polyglot .

The study of medicine was not planned at the beginning. In the constitution of 1510, which u. A. regulated the relationship between the various faculties, Cisneros justified the need for scientific training for medical professionals and the establishment of two chairs.

Establishment of the university

Patio de Santo Tomás de Villanueva in the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso

The document in which Pope Alexander VI. approved the foundation of the university, bears the date of April 13, 1499. On March 14, 1499 the foundation stone for the building of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso was laid. To the west of the city wall of the city of Alcalá de Henares, construction began on the first planned university city in the western world. While the other European university cities such as Bologna, Oxford, Paris and Salamanca have gradually grown and adapted to the urban environment, Alcalá de Henares has been redesigned with the university in mind. This concerned not only the construction of lecture halls for the lectures, the creation of living and working opportunities for the teaching staff and students in the colegios and monasteries, but also the creation of an infrastructure of churches, libraries, hospitals, a prison and printing works. Together with the “Colegio Mayor” (San Ildefonso) another twelve Colegios, the “Colegios Menores” were set up, which occupied the new area of ​​the city expansion in the 16th century and some land in the old town. In the course of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, further colleges were founded which specialized in particular aspects of the sciences. It was initially financed from Cardinal Cisneros' private box, from the revenues of the Archdiocese of Toledo and from patronage from kings and the nobility. The monastic orders established their own colegios and monasteries in Alcalá de Henares, which trained members of the order in close cooperation with the university. In total there were 42 Colegios in Alcalá de Henares including the institutions of the orders.

Work on the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso building was completed in 1508. The first students began their studies in the faculties of liberal arts, canon law and theology. Pedro de Lerma , professor of theology and the first Chancellor of the University, started the course on October 18, 1508 a lecture on the moral philosophy of Aristotle .

Constitution of the University of Alcalá ( Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros , 22-01-1510).

In 1510, Cardinal Cisneros issued the constitution of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso ("Constituciones del Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso"). In terms of form, it is only a constitution for the Colegio Mayor, but it also contains a large number of regulations that affect the entire university. This constitution was based on those of the Colegios Mayores of Bologna and Salamanca . In the 72 sections of the document, almost all matters of the university as well as the rights and obligations of the university members were regulated in detail. It contained rules of conduct for the students as well as information on the course of various ceremonies and a catalog of the penalties that were to be imposed if the students deviated from the regulations. There was evidence of the makeup of the university community of students, faculty, administrators, and auxiliaries. The requirements for the appointment of professors and their payment were established. The organization of the university administration was regulated by clear rules. There were study plans for the various faculties and clear rules for awarding the academic degrees Bachiller, Licenciado, Maestro and Doctor. All members of the university were obliged to know the Constituciones in order to be able to observe and observe them. Section 72 stipulates that a copy of the original manuscript should be kept in the library, accessible to all. It was also customary for it to be read aloud in the refectory at the start of classes for lunch and dinner. This university constitution was the model for a great many universities, especially in Latin America.

Relocation of the university to Madrid

The War of Independence and the disamortization in Spain caused the decline and closure of the University of Alcalá. In 1822, the training courses of the Reales Estudios de San Isidro and the Real Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid were combined in one institution. By the royal decree of the regent Maria Christina of October 29, 1836, the relocation of the education of the Universidad de Alcalá to Madrid was ordered. It was combined with the other institutions to form the Universidad Central de Madrid. In 1970 the university was divided. While the part that conveyed the training in technical sciences was named Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , the other part, which u. A. taught the social sciences and humanities, in memory of her origins from the University of Alcalá, Universidad Complutense de Madrid .

Foundation of a new university in the 20th century

In 1977 the Universidad de Alcalá (abbreviated UAH) was founded, which has been independent of the Universidad Complutense Madrid since 1978. In 2014, the new university used fifteen of the buildings that were built between 1499 and 1836 for the old university. The university has other facilities in Alcalá de Henares and Guadalajara . In the 2018/2019 semester, 29,063 students studied at the new university.

Well-known teachers and students at the university

Philologists and writers

Doctors, biologists, philosophers and natural scientists

Politicians and nobles

For more than 300 years, the majority of viceroys, governors, judges and civil servants were former students of Alcalá University.

Theologians and clergy

literature

  • José García Oro: Francisco (Gonzalo) Jiménez de Cisneros. Real Academia de la Historia, 2018, accessed May 20, 2019 (Spanish).
  • Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 (Spanish, English, [11] [PDF; accessed March 16, 2020]).
  • José Ignacio Ruiz Rodríguez, Fernando Bermejo Batanero: Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros: un hombre de Estado al servicio de la Monarquía Hispánica en el V centenario de su fallecimiento . In: Asamblea: revista parlamentaria de la Asamblea de Madrid . No. 36 , 2017, ISSN  1575-5312 , p. 13–37 (Spanish, [12] [accessed January 16, 2020]).
  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid: Reseña histórica / La Universidad en Alcalá. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, accessed March 24, 2020 (Spanish).

Web links

Commons : University of Alcalá  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ "Complutense" is the adjective to designate the Roman settlement "Complutum" from which the city of Alcalá de Henares emerged .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ University and City Council of Alcalá de Henares: University and historic precinct of Alcalá de Henares. United Nations for Education, Science and Culture Organization, 1997, accessed March 1, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Centro Internacional de Estudios Históricos Cisneros: Historia de una universidad. Universidad de Alcalá, 2007, accessed March 1, 2020 (Spanish).
  3. ↑ Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 , pp. 21 (Spanish, English, [1] [PDF; accessed on March 16, 2020]).
  4. ↑ Centro Internacional de Estudios Históricos Cisneros: Cisneros y el Siglo de Oro de la Universidad de Alcalá - Piezas de la exposición. Universidad de Alcalá, 2007, accessed March 1, 2020 (Spanish).
  5. ^ University and City Council of Alcalá de Henares: University and historic precinct of Alcalá de Henares. United Nations for Education, Science and Culture Organization, 1997, accessed March 1, 2020 . P. 17
  6. ^ Marion Reder Gadow: El cardenal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros en el IV centenario de su muerte . In: Anuario. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Telmo . No. 17 , 2017, ISSN  1887-0953 , p. 164 (Spanish, [2] [accessed February 16, 2020]).
  7. ↑ Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 , pp. 21 (Spanish, English, [3] [PDF; accessed on March 16, 2020]).
  8. ^ University and City Council of Alcalá de Henares: University and historic precinct of Alcalá de Henares. United Nations for Education, Science and Culture Organization, 1997, accessed March 1, 2020 . P. 16
  9. ↑ Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 , pp. 26 (Spanish, English, [4] [PDF; accessed on March 16, 2020]).
  10. ↑ Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 , pp. 22 (Spanish, English, [5] [PDF; accessed on March 16, 2020]).
  11. ↑ Ignacio Javier García Pinilla: Pedro de Lerma. Real Academia de la Historia, 2018, accessed March 24, 2020 (Spanish).
  12. ↑ Dolores Cabañas: Un acercamiento a las Constituciones de 1510. Universidad de Alcalá, 2017, accessed on March 1, 2020 (Spanish).
  13. ↑ Ramón González Navarro: Constituciones originales del Colegio de San Ildefonso y Universidad de Alcalá de Henares. Universidad de Alcalá, 2007, accessed March 1, 2020 (Spanish).
  14. ↑ Dolores Cabañas: Un acercamiento a las Constituciones de 1510. Universidad de Alcalá, 2017, accessed on March 1, 2020 (Spanish).
  15. ↑ Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 , pp. 76 (Spanish, English, [6] [PDF; accessed on March 16, 2020]).
  16. ↑ Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 , pp. 23 (Spanish, English, [7] [PDF; accessed on March 16, 2020]).
  17. ↑ The name of the university is Universidad de Alcalá. The term Universidad de Alcalá de Henares is considered incorrect and should not be used. Vicerrectorado de Coordinación y Comunicación: Universidad de Alcalá manual de identidad corporativa - 2013 . Universidad de Alcalá, Rectorado, Alcalá de Henares 2013, p. 6 (Spanish, [8] [PDF; accessed March 16, 2020]).
  18. ↑ Javier Rivera Blanco et al .: Universidad de Alcalá. Patrimonio de la Humanidad - World Heritage . Ed .: Universidad de Alcalá. 3. Edition. Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid 2014, ISBN 978-84-16599-76-9 , pp. 75 (Spanish, English, [9] [PDF; accessed March 16, 2020]).
  19. ^ Oficina Estadística: Datos y Cifras . Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 2019 (Spanish, [10] [PDF; accessed on January 16, 2020]).
  20. ^ Pedro Rodríguez-Ponga y Salamanca: María Isidra de Guzmán y de la Cerda. Real Academia de la Historia, 2018, accessed March 1, 2020 (Spanish).
  21. ^ José María López Piñero: Francisco Valles de Covarrubias. Real Academia de la Historia, 2018, accessed March 24, 2020 (Spanish).
  22. ^ University and City Council of Alcalá de Henares: University and historic precinct of Alcalá de Henares. United Nations for Education, Science and Culture Organization, 1997, accessed March 1, 2020 . P. 49

Coordinates: 40 ° 28 ′ 55.01 "  N , 3 ° 21 ′ 42.15"  W.