VIEWPOINT OF THE GARDEN OF CALIXTO AND MELIBEA
30 minutes
Located right in the heart of Salamanca's old town, behind the cathedrals and just a few steps from Patio Chico, the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea is a municipal garden of approximately 2,500 square meters. Its name commemorates the protagonists of La Celestina, the immortal work by Fernando de Rojas, as local tradition places the setting for the romantic encounter between Calixto and Melibea in this very spot. The Garden offers breathtaking views of Salamanca's cathedrals, which has earned it a prominent place on the city's Viewpoint Route. The lush vegetation that envelops it makes it an ideal place for a stroll, reading, or simply letting yourself be captivated by the magical atmosphere that the literary work evokes.
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Free visit price
- Individual - 0.00 €
Perched atop the ancient wall and behind Salamanca's cathedrals, lies the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea, a hidden gem where history, literature, and nature intertwine. This garden owes its name to the protagonists of La Celestina, Fernando de Rojas' celebrated work, who was a student at the University of Salamanca in the 15th century.
The city preserves two sites linked to this literary work: Peña Celestina (Celestina Rock), to the west of Teso de las Catedrales, where tradition holds the old procuress lived, and this garden, where it has been believed since time immemorial that the palace of Melibea's father stood, and whose garden was the setting for the young protagonists' romantic encounters.
Access to the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea is from Patio Chico, via the tranquil Calle del Arcediano. This street leads to an ancient stone wall, where a semicircular arched gateway opens, emblazoned with the coats of arms of Alonso de Paradinas, Archdeacon of Ledesma and Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo. Alonso de Paradinas was a student at the College of San Bartolomé; there he copied the exemplar of the Libro del Buen Amor (Book of Good Love) that is preserved in the University's Historical Library. Today, apart from the emblazoned gate, the well, and a cistern, hardly anything remains of the palace that once existed here, but it's not difficult to imagine a late-medieval palace with its lofty tower dominating the city.
In 1981, it was acquired by the city council, which, after a careful intervention, transformed it into a public garden. The renovation combined existing elements with new ones to convert it into a flower garden with romantic connotations. The garden was expanded in 1992 when the city council acquired the adjoining plot of land, known as the Jardín del Visir (Vizier's Garden) after the owner's nickname. The wide plot that stretches from the gate to the medieval wall, in the section between Casa de Lis and Puerta de San Polo, is now occupied by a lush garden whose viewpoint is the rampart walk of the medieval wall, offering incredible views of the Convent of San Esteban and the Cathedral.
The city preserves two sites linked to this literary work: Peña Celestina (Celestina Rock), to the west of Teso de las Catedrales, where tradition holds the old procuress lived, and this garden, where it has been believed since time immemorial that the palace of Melibea's father stood, and whose garden was the setting for the young protagonists' romantic encounters.
Access to the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea is from Patio Chico, via the tranquil Calle del Arcediano. This street leads to an ancient stone wall, where a semicircular arched gateway opens, emblazoned with the coats of arms of Alonso de Paradinas, Archdeacon of Ledesma and Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo. Alonso de Paradinas was a student at the College of San Bartolomé; there he copied the exemplar of the Libro del Buen Amor (Book of Good Love) that is preserved in the University's Historical Library. Today, apart from the emblazoned gate, the well, and a cistern, hardly anything remains of the palace that once existed here, but it's not difficult to imagine a late-medieval palace with its lofty tower dominating the city.
In 1981, it was acquired by the city council, which, after a careful intervention, transformed it into a public garden. The renovation combined existing elements with new ones to convert it into a flower garden with romantic connotations. The garden was expanded in 1992 when the city council acquired the adjoining plot of land, known as the Jardín del Visir (Vizier's Garden) after the owner's nickname. The wide plot that stretches from the gate to the medieval wall, in the section between Casa de Lis and Puerta de San Polo, is now occupied by a lush garden whose viewpoint is the rampart walk of the medieval wall, offering incredible views of the Convent of San Esteban and the Cathedral.
This space offers us the opportunity to view the city from multiple perspectives:
1.- FROM PLAZA DE LOS LEONES
Before entering the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea, we will position ourselves in Plaza de los Leones. We find ourselves in a privileged spot to contemplate the cathedral complex. From here, we see Patio Chico, with the Romanesque apse and the Rooster Tower of the Old Cathedral; behind it rises the majestic Bell Tower, the second tallest in Spain, surpassed only by the Giralda, and to our right, the New Cathedral with its imposing dome. Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical styles unfold before our eyes.
2.- FROM THE WALL VIEWPOINT
After crossing the Garden, we reach a viewpoint situated atop the ancient wall. From this height, a privileged view of the surroundings is revealed to us. We are standing over the Cerca Vieja (Old Enclosure), Salamanca's first medieval wall, built in the first half of the 12th century. Beneath our feet, another wall emerges, heading east: this is the beginning of the Cerca Nueva (New Enclosure), the second wall built in the Middle Ages. Here stood the Puerta de San Pablo (San Pablo Gate), one of the thirteen gates of the wall, of which no remains are left.
Across Calle de San Pablo are La Casa de los Niños del Coro (The House of the Choir Boys) and Hotel San Polo. This hotel boasts a surprising terrace, featuring the Romanesque-Mudéjar church ruins of San Polo that have been integrated into the hotel. The foundations of the triple semicircular apse and part of the walls' elevation from that church are still preserved. Behind the hotel, the modern tower of the Calced Carmelite Convent stands out. Adjacent to the tower is the church of Carmen de Abajo, the only remaining vestige of what was the Carmelite Convent of San Andrés, which came to be known as the Salamancan Escorial. Very close by, in front of the Santo Domingo Gardens, a bronze sculpture representing Saint John of the Cross, by sculptor Fernando Mayoral, can be seen.
Towards the northeast rises the Dominican Convent, with the monumental and impressive church of San Esteban prominently standing out. From this point, it is easy to appreciate the large expanse of land once occupied by the ancient convents. Today, the convent has diverse uses: one part is still a convent, another houses the Hotel Palacio de San Esteban, and the south zone contains the Exhibition Hall and the Santo Domingo Gardens, where a selection of bronze sculptures by Salamanca-born artist Venancio Blanco is exhibited, whose work dialogues with the surroundings, uniting tradition and modernity.
To the north, we have incredible views of the dome of the New Cathedral and the Bell Tower.
3.- FROM THE VIZIER'S GARDEN
Thanks to the less dense vegetation, this spot offers an unobstructed view of the dome of the New Cathedral and the Bell Tower. A selfie point has been installed right here, a perfect place to capture a self-portrait with this exceptional backdrop.
From the viewpoint of the Vizier's Garden, located on a wall tower, one can see the striking stained-glass windows of Casa Lis.
1.- FROM PLAZA DE LOS LEONES
Before entering the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea, we will position ourselves in Plaza de los Leones. We find ourselves in a privileged spot to contemplate the cathedral complex. From here, we see Patio Chico, with the Romanesque apse and the Rooster Tower of the Old Cathedral; behind it rises the majestic Bell Tower, the second tallest in Spain, surpassed only by the Giralda, and to our right, the New Cathedral with its imposing dome. Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical styles unfold before our eyes.
2.- FROM THE WALL VIEWPOINT
After crossing the Garden, we reach a viewpoint situated atop the ancient wall. From this height, a privileged view of the surroundings is revealed to us. We are standing over the Cerca Vieja (Old Enclosure), Salamanca's first medieval wall, built in the first half of the 12th century. Beneath our feet, another wall emerges, heading east: this is the beginning of the Cerca Nueva (New Enclosure), the second wall built in the Middle Ages. Here stood the Puerta de San Pablo (San Pablo Gate), one of the thirteen gates of the wall, of which no remains are left.
Across Calle de San Pablo are La Casa de los Niños del Coro (The House of the Choir Boys) and Hotel San Polo. This hotel boasts a surprising terrace, featuring the Romanesque-Mudéjar church ruins of San Polo that have been integrated into the hotel. The foundations of the triple semicircular apse and part of the walls' elevation from that church are still preserved. Behind the hotel, the modern tower of the Calced Carmelite Convent stands out. Adjacent to the tower is the church of Carmen de Abajo, the only remaining vestige of what was the Carmelite Convent of San Andrés, which came to be known as the Salamancan Escorial. Very close by, in front of the Santo Domingo Gardens, a bronze sculpture representing Saint John of the Cross, by sculptor Fernando Mayoral, can be seen.
Towards the northeast rises the Dominican Convent, with the monumental and impressive church of San Esteban prominently standing out. From this point, it is easy to appreciate the large expanse of land once occupied by the ancient convents. Today, the convent has diverse uses: one part is still a convent, another houses the Hotel Palacio de San Esteban, and the south zone contains the Exhibition Hall and the Santo Domingo Gardens, where a selection of bronze sculptures by Salamanca-born artist Venancio Blanco is exhibited, whose work dialogues with the surroundings, uniting tradition and modernity.
To the north, we have incredible views of the dome of the New Cathedral and the Bell Tower.
3.- FROM THE VIZIER'S GARDEN
Thanks to the less dense vegetation, this spot offers an unobstructed view of the dome of the New Cathedral and the Bell Tower. A selfie point has been installed right here, a perfect place to capture a self-portrait with this exceptional backdrop.
From the viewpoint of the Vizier's Garden, located on a wall tower, one can see the striking stained-glass windows of Casa Lis.