Rehabilitation of the Archibishop Fonseca college

Dating of the building: 1519.

Applicant: Dragados y Construcciones S.A.

Reason for the award :

For the reform and refurbishment of this historic school.

One of the first Renaissance buildings in Salamanca, the College of Archbishop Fonseca, also called the Irish College, underwent a careful restoration process converting it into modern university residence.

Founded in 1519 by the Archbishop of Toledo, Alfonso de Fonseca, the college that bears his name is one of the first Renaissance buildings in Salamanca. Proof of this is the list of artists who worked on it: Diego de Siloé, Alonso Berruguete, and Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón. For this reason, the University of Salamanca decided to recondition the old school as a residence for teachers, conference room, and work meetings.

The problems faced by the restoration team were many and varied. The humidity coming from the basic structure of the walls had to be solved, damage to the exterior walls and the balustrade of the cloister had to be restored, the coffered ceilings were recovered and many ornamental elements that were hidden under false plaster ceilings were rescued. Not only did this rehabilitation work obtained the Europa Nostra diploma, but also provided all the modern facilities and spaces necessary for academic life, bedrooms, conference room, chapel, offices, and offices.

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