Submitted by Markie Masucci on the 2018 summer session program in Salamanca, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
Salamanca is an ancient Spanish city that is very important to the world of education and literature. Many established Spanish authors took their classes at the University of Salamanca, one of the oldest European universities. During the bus ride from Madrid to Salamanca, the surroundings were mostly rustic and, quite frankly, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere most of the time, with the exception of passing the town of Ávila. As we started to see more signs of civilization, I knew we were getting closer to Salamanca. As we neared the city, I spotted a giant, majestic cathedral complemented by several buildings with terracotta roofing. Compared to Madrid, Salamanca was much smaller in size, but still managed to maintain a city vibe. In the center of Salamanca lie the old stone buildings, the cathedral and the Plaza Mayor; all giving the city a very classic feel. When moving farther away from the center, there are more modern buildings of apartments, shops and eateries. While walking through the streets of Salamanca, there were constant memorials and reminders that it is a major classic Spanish city.
The literature works we studied dealt with the city of Salamanca itself, and we were able to experience first hand some of the sites mentioned in the text. However, the moment that stuck with me the most happened on the first day of classes. One of the works we studied called La Celestina is a story about a nobleman who falls in love with an upperclass woman and consults an old witch to unite them. For our first literature class, Prof. Guardiola brought us to a charming, beautiful garden right by the cathedral. She explained to us the importance of La Celestina and set the mood for the novel we were about to read. She, then, slowly revealed to us that the first scene in the book is believed to have taken place in the exact garden in which we were sitting. Not all students who read La Celestina get to visit the exact sites where the novel took place, an experience that I am very lucky to have.
