Charles V and Salamanca. Heritage and university identity in a changing relationship

Abstract

The University of Salamanca underwent a process of increasing royal intervention, beginning with the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and intensifying under the rule of Emperor Charles V, even signifying the preeminence of civil over religious authority. The main objective of this article is to analyze the development and evolution of the relationship between the emperor and the most important university on the Iberian Peninsula. To illustrate the theoretical reconstruction of this historical account, we will rely on the university’s historical, artistic, and documentary heritage, which reflects this changing relationship.