The University of Alcalá is the central monument of the city — a magnificent Renaissance complex founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499, making it one of the world's first planned university cities. The main building, the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso, faces the Plaza de San Diego with a spectacular Plateresque facade completed in 1553, a dense tapestry of medallions, coats of arms, and classical ornament that represents the high point of this distinctly Spanish architectural style.
Inside, guided tours visit the Paraninfo auditorium — a perfectly preserved Renaissance hall hung with portraits of distinguished alumni — where the Cervantes Prize, Spain's highest literary honour, is awarded each year by the King. Tours also cover the three courtyards, each corresponding to a different period of the university's history, and the Chapel of San Ildefonso. The whole complex, along with the rest of Alcalá's historic centre, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
story: "The University of Alcalá produced the Complutensian Polyglot Bible between 1502 and 1517 — the first printed edition of the complete Bible in its original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek alongside Latin). It was a landmark of Renaissance scholarship, and Cardinal Cisneros personally supervised the work. 'Complutensian' comes from Complutum, the Roman name for Alcalá."