Tour of the University of Alcalá

Hello! I’m David Alba, a certified tour guide and, most importantly, an alumnus of this institution. On this tour, we’ll travel back to Spain’s Golden Age.

I invite you to step through the threshold of history to discover Cardinal Cisneros’s dream. Together, we’ll unravel the secrets of the Cisnerian Block, the place where geniuses like Lope de Vega, Quevedo, and Calderón de la Barca studied.

We’ll start by admiring its grandeur from the outside and then slip into the very heart of learning. We’ll peel back layers of history: from the pranks of students of yesteryear to the solemnity of royal ceremonies.

What will we visit? (Admission to the University included)

· Colegios Menores
· Parador de Alcalá de Henares
· Calle Libreros: The University’s main publishing house.
· University façade
· Chapel of San Ildefonso: Where Cisneros’s cenotaph is located.
· Santo Tomás de Villanueva Courtyard
· Philosophers’ Courtyard
· Trilingual Courtyard
· The Paraninfo: The grand finale beneath the Mudejar coffered ceiling, where the Cervantes Prize is awarded.

We’ve prepared a visual challenge on the façade, and we’ll wrap up with a final game.

Ready to enroll in history? See you at the University!