The Corral de Comedias of Alcalá de Henares is the oldest documented theatre in Spanish history, a courtyard playhouse dating to the sixteenth century that has been excavated, restored, and returned to use as a performance venue. Golden-age Spain was Europe's most vibrant theatrical culture — Lope de Vega, Calderón, and Tirso de Molina all wrote for corrales like this one — and seeing the physical space of those performances, with its open yard, tiered galleries, and stage at one end, makes the literary history tangible.
Guided tours are available, and theatrical performances are staged here during the summer months. The theatre shares its street with the Cervantes birthplace, placing two of Spain's most significant Golden Age cultural monuments side by side. The Corral is worth combining with the university visit to understand why Alcalá was the intellectual and artistic centre of early modern Spain.