The University of Valladolid, founded in the 13th century, is one of the oldest in Europe. Its main building's baroque facade — added in the 1710s by Narciso Tomé — is a riotous piece of churrigueresque, swarming with allegorical figures of science, theology, and the four faculties. Above the entrance, putti and stone draperies frame the royal arms in a way that feels theatrical rather than scholarly.
Inside, the university is mostly a working institution, but the patio and the historic library can be visited. The streets immediately surrounding it (Calle Cardenal Mendoza, Calle Librería) are full of students and good cheap bars — the practical reason this part of town has such an energetic atmosphere.