Edificio de la Antigua Universidad Literaria - Barcelona, Spain - Spanish Heritage on Waymarking.com

The Historic Building of the Universidad de Barcelona, llamado formerly called "Universidad Literaria" was built between 1863 and 1889. Teaching activity began in 1871.

The University was founded under the royal prerogative granted by Alfonso V of Aragon, in Naples, on 3 November 1450.

For a number of reasons, in particular the civil war that raged during the reign of Juan II and the subsequent conflicts involving the peasant farmers, the official Estudi General of Barcelona did not begin to develop until the reign of Fernando the Catholic; but it was under Charles I, in 1536, that the foundation stone was laid for the new university building at the top end of La Rambla. From that moment on the university began to carry out its work as normal despite financial difficulties and in-fighting between university teachers, though this was not to stop some illustrious professors from making their mark in their respective fields and creating their own schools of academic followers.

The University of Barcelona was closed by the Bourbon dynasty after the War of the Spanish Succession from 1714 until 1837. The university was restored to Barcelona during the liberal revolution during the reign of Isabel II. In 1837, the University of Cervera was transferred to Barcelona, the capital of the principality. From that moment forth it was recognized as the cultural home of the four Catalan provinces.

On its return the University was housed initially in the Convent of Carme, which had been disestablished a few years earlier. Here the Faculties of Canon Law, Law and Theology were provisionally installed. The Faculty of Medicine took up residence in the Royal Academy of Medicine, next door to the Hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Thus, all the Faculties were now located in just two streets - carrer Hospital and carrer del Carme.

The inadequate nature of these premises soon gave rise to the need to construct a larger home for the University, and in 1863 work began on Elies Rogent's splendid new building (This building), though it would not be fully completed until 1882. Its construction was to have major repercussions for the city, since it was one of the first buildings to be raised outside the ancient city walls.

Work on the building lasted for more than twenty years, although by 1871 the first lectures were being given there. The clock and the iron bell housed in the tower in the Pati de Lletres— the "Patio of the Arts"— were installed in 1881. Complementing the building work, sculptures and paintings were commissioned either directly from artists of repute or awarded in open competition.

The architectural work and the quality of the building's works of art meant that the historic building was declared a national monument of historic and artistic interest in 1970.

Source: Wikipedia

Bien:: Edificio de la Antigua Universidad Literaria de Barcelona Comunidad Autónoma:: C.A. Cataluña Provincia:: Barcelona Municipio:: Barcelona Categoría:: Monumento Website with information about the BIC:: [Web Link]

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