Salamanca has played a big role in Spain’s history. Visitors can actually look at Pre-Roman remains which are located at Teso de San Vicente, next to the river Tormes. There they will find the famous Iberican statue, the Verraco, which is said to symbolize the bull. It is found at the middle of a bridge built during Roman times. Salamanca was once part of Lusitania. The original city walls still stand, and visitors can find ancient inscriptions. Another historical place worth visiting is the Calzada de la Plata which connected the two areas of Astorga and Merida.

Later on Salamanca was taken over by Hannibal, which started the Visigothic area. There was also an ongoing battle between Arabs and Christians for control over the area. It was finally seized by Alfonso the Sixth. Salamanca then became part of the territory of his son in law, Count Raimundo de Borgoña.

In the year 1200 Alfonso the Ninth established the foundation of the University of Salamanca.This was part of a golden era in the area’s history, where it was recognized world wide for its prosperity and trade. This was due to the fine leadership of Alfonso.

The University of Salamanca soon became recognized as one of the most important educational institutions in Europe. In fact, Pope Alexander the Ninth called it one of the world’s four leading lights. It was strongly supported byFernando el Santo and Alfonso X el Sabio. They were considered part of the university board and had a say in the number and type of chairs the University was to be composed of.

However in the fifteenth century Spain and Salamanca was thrown into great political upheaval. Battles between the infantes of Aragon, and the followers of D. Alvaro de Luna ensued. The problem escalated in 1465, when—in the middle of a ball game–members of the Manzano family killed members of the Enrique family. The mother of the Enrique boys, María Rodríguez de Monroy saw her sons’ mangled bodies and vowed revenge. She went after the murderers, finding them in the bodies of her sons. Somehow she managed to kill them, and take their heads. She threw these on her sons tombstones at the church of Santo Tomé. This is just one of the many dramatic and emotional moments in Salamanca history and folklore.