www: Alcalá de henares council page
www: Alcalá Henares university
Alcalá
de Henares' historical importance is derived
primarily from the university founded there
in the late 13th century by Cardinal Cisneros,
under the reign of queen Isabel the Catholic.
Named the Complutense after the
Roman name for the town Complutum,
in its day it was one of the most important
universities in the world, producing the
famous polyglot bible, an example of which
can be seen in the casa consistorial
(town hall). The university moved to Madrid
(see Universidad
Complutense de Madrid) in 1836 where
its student population is now one of the
largest in the world. A new university opened
in Alcalá de Henares 1977.
Another of Alcalá de Henares' claims-to-fame
stems from its being the birth place of
Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quijote,
the most celebrated novel in the Spanish
language. Some rare editions of Don Quijote
can be seen in the casa consistorial
(town hall).
The main sites to visit in Alcalá
de Henares are the old university with its
famous renaissance façade and the
buildings of the old Colegios Mayores
(students' residences). A simple afternoon
or evening walk along the calle Mayor
is one of the most enjoyable way to
pass time here.
Alcalá de Henares can be reached
by the Cercanías
trains on lines C2 and C7, with several
departures every hour from Atocha
railway station. Buses leave from Continental
Auto. To get there by car one should
take the N-II (direction Barcelona).
