MONUMENTA SALMANTICAE

The church of San Millán was one of the Romanesque parishes built in the second half of the 12th century within the walled enclosure of Salamanca, in the neighborhood of the mountain repopulators. In its immediate surroundings, the Jewish quarter was located, a space where Christian and Jewish communities coexisted for centuries, with parishes and even several synagogues sharing the same urban environment.

In 1519, the temple was annexed to the College of San Millán, taking on the function of a collegiate chapel. A prominent Gothic facade from this complex is preserved on Libreros Street. Currently, the old college, profoundly transformed, houses the Santa María de los Ángeles University Library, integrated into the University of Salamanca.

The current appearance of the church is the result of various reforms accumulated over time. The most significant one took place in 1765, when the architect Jerónimo García de Quiñones transformed it into a Baroque temple. Of its primitive Romanesque construction, only the semicircular apse remains, the sole element that refers to its medieval origin.

At the end of the 19th century, the temple was desacralized and ceased to function as a parish. Subsequently, and for a good part of the 20th century, it was used as a chapel by the Servants of Mary, who built their convent on the adjacent plot. After the congregation's relocation in 1996, the church remained closed for several years.

Finally, thanks to a project promoted by the Salamanca City Council and the Historical Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León, the building was rehabilitated to house the Urban and Architectural Heritage Interpretation Center of the city, Monumenta Salmanticae. With this center, created in December 2010, the aim is to offer visitors a historical and heritage vision of the city and highlight the reasons why it was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage City.

The tour through Monumenta Salmanticae is conceived as a progressive experience that invites visitors to discover the history and urban evolution of Salamanca through various spaces full of meaning:

1. Exterior Atrium
Access is via a small staircase or ramp leading to a welcoming landscaped area. This first, quiet and open contact allows visitors to place themselves in the historical context of the site thanks to an introductory panel about the Church of San Millán, anticipating the key aspects of the visit.

2. Church Nave
The heart of the tour unfolds inside the temple, where the city's history comes to life through virtual recreations, infographics, and audiovisual resources. Through these media, visitors can explore nearly 140 buildings and urban spaces, visually and dynamically understanding Salamanca's rich heritage.

3. Old Sacristy
This space delves into the international dimension of the city, explaining —through images and graphic resources— the value of being part of the World Heritage Cities group. A typhlological model stands out, allowing visitors to discover the main monuments through touch, offering an inclusive and sensory experience.

4. Virgin's Chamber
The tour culminates in this space located behind the altarpiece, where remnants of the primitive Romanesque structure are still preserved. This final area connects directly with the building's origins and adds an evocative dimension to the overall visit.

Overall, the itinerary combines history, technology, and emotion to offer a complete and suggestive vision of Salamanca's heritage.

The exhibition content of Monumenta Salmanticae is structured as an educational and immersive journey that allows visitors to discover the historical and heritage evolution of Salamanca through various audiovisual, interactive, and sensory resources.

Firstly, beneath the choir, there is a large model of the historic city. This central element offers a global view of the old town, accompanied by a light and sound system that guides the narration. Through a narration adapted to different audiences —a brief version for children and a more extensive one for adults— the city's history is reviewed in a clear and enjoyable way. As the story progresses, lighting highlights the mentioned spaces, facilitating the understanding of urban development from its origins in Cerro de San Vicente to contemporary milestones such as Salamanca's declaration as a World Heritage City in 1988 or its designation as European Capital of Culture in 2002.

Along the side walls are distributed interactive touch monitors, accessible to both children and adults. These devices allow autonomous exploration of the city's main monuments, learning about their history, and obtaining practical information for visiting them, thus becoming a dynamic and participatory learning tool.

At the main altar, a large audiovisual in videowall format presents the main monumental and heritage milestones of Salamanca, offering a striking visual synthesis that reinforces the overall exhibition narrative.

The old sacristy is dedicated to the city's relationship with UNESCO and explains the criteria that led to Salamanca's inclusion in the group of World Heritage Cities.

This space features a typhlological model of the historic center, made of oak wood, and a relief tourist map, both designed to facilitate the understanding of the urban space for people with visual disabilities. Its educational and inclusive value is especially relevant.

An adjoining room also exhibits a selection of photographs from the competition “The Architectural and Urban Heritage of the City of Salamanca,” which showcases different perspectives on the city's monumental legacy.

The tour culminates in the chamber of the Virgin of the Assumption, which is accessed by a staircase from the previous room. This space is located between the back of the altarpiece and the original Romanesque apse. In the latter, remnants of an impost line with checkerboard decoration are still preserved, one of the oldest testimonies of the building, which connects directly with its medieval origins.