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Home > Travel Spain > Spain Destinations > Salamanca
Salamanca
Spain, also known as Kingdom of Spain, is one of the oldest inhabited regions on the planet. It is a country which is located in Southern Europe, and politically organized as a parliamentary monarchy. It is the largest sovereign nation of the three nations that make up the Iberian Peninsula. Administratively, Spain is divided into 50 provinces, grouped into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities with a high degree of autonomy. The name Spain comes from the Latin name Hispania whose capital is Madrid which is also the largest city of the Country.
The city was founded in the pre-Roman period by Vacceos, an indigenous tribe, as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the Duero river. In the third century, Hannibal laid siege to the city. With the fall of the Carthaginians to the Romans, the city began to take more importance as a commercial hub. At this time it was called Helmantica or Salmantica. Salamanca with a population of 160,000 is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca, which belongs to the historic region of Leon and to the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. The city lies on a plateau by the Tormes River, which is crossed by a bridge 500 foot long built on 26 arches, fifteen of which are of Roman origin, while the remainder date from the 16th century. A central place in the city, the Plaza Mayor, surrounded by shaded arcades, is known as the living room of the Salmantinos.
Salamanca has been the designated site of the archive of the Spanish Civil War. This archive was assembled by the Francoist regime, selectively obtained from the administrative departments of various institutions and organizations during the Spanish Civil War as a repressive instrument used against all sort of opposition groups and individuals namely republicans of all signs, unionists, communists, liberals, freemasons, Basque and Catalan nationalists. Unfortunately this unique source of knowledge has been recently split apart by the Socialist Government. Salamanca, justifiably so, enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers, and is one of the most visited place. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origin back to prehistoric times.
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