Colegio de Calatrava (Calatrava College), Salamanca

The Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepción de Calatrava, commonly called Colegio de Calatrava (Calatrava College), is the only college founded in Salamanca by the military orders whose building still stands; belonged to the Order of Calatrava.

Established as an imperial college in 1552 by Carlos V and incorporated into the University of Salamanca in 15541; The construction of this building did not begin until 1717, by Joaquín de Churriguera who directed the works until his death in 1724. In 1750 the works resumed directed by Jerónimo García de Quiñones. He was forced to eliminate the baroque ornaments of the original project due to the prevailing neoclassical ideas at that time, especially those wanted to be imposed by Francisco Ibáñez de Corbera, rector of the school when it was consecrated in 1790. In the War of Independence the canvases disappeared of Goya that was in the altarpieces.

The façade has two bodies and is articulated by giant order pilasters and topped with a balustrade. The decorative elements that adorn it are mostly Renaissance-inspired. In the decoration, we notice truly baroque mixtilinear elements around the main doorway, in the doors of the side towers and in the moldings that surround all the windows of the façade.

Today it is the headquarters of the Casa de la Iglesia, an institution that houses the dependencies of the Diocese of Salamanca.