The University of Palencia was the first university of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. It was founded by

Alfonso VIII Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (''El Noble'') or the one of Las Navas (''el de las Navas''), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at ...

at the request of Bishop

Tello Téllez de Meneses Tello Téllez de Meneses (1170 – 1246) was the bishop of Palencia from 1208 until his death. He was a member of a prominent family from Meneses in the Tierra de Campos. His father was Tello Pérez de Meneses; his mother, Gontrodo García, found ...

. It was the model upon which the University of Salamanca was patterned. Study began to flourish in Palencia and men notable for their virtue and science came from its schools, among them

Saint Julian of Cuenca Julián of Cuenca ( 1127 – 28 January 1208), also known as Saint Julián, was a Spanish Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Cuenca from 1196 until his death. He also served as a professor and preacher in addition to being a si ...

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scienti ...

, and Saint Peter González Telmo; hence the adage: "En Palencia armas y ciencia" (In Palencia arms and science). The university was founded about 1212, shortly after the aforesaid victory at "

Las Navas de Tolosa The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Islamic history as the Battle of Al-Uqab ( ar, معركة العقاب), took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the ''Reconquista'' and the medieval history of Spain. The Chris ...

" (others say in 1208), and the king summoned from France and Italy noted teachers of various arts and sciences, retaining them in Palencia on large salaries.

, the founder of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of ...

, regarded Palencia as his alma mater, having been mentored there by Don Diego d'Azevedo ( Diego de Acebo) idacus d'AzebesThe Catholic Encyclopedia The death of the founder in 1214, the minority of Henry I, and the growth of its fortunate rival, Salamanca, caused the decay of Palencia, many of whose professors and students went to Salamanca, whence the erroneous belief of a transfer of the university to the latter place. In 1243 Archbishop Rodrigo records that in spite of unpropitious events, study continued in Palencia and that the

cardinal legate 300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the pope's legate. A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title '' legatus'') is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholi ...

, Juan de Abbeville, in a Council of

Valladolid Valladolid () is a municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. It has a population around 300,000 peop ...

(1228) had endeavoured to revive it. Bishop Fernando obtained from Urban IV (14 May 1263) a Bull granting to the professors and students of Palencia all the privileges of the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. But lack of financial support and the proximity of the prosperous University of Salamanca made a revival of Palencia impossible, and it died out before the end of the 13th century, probably in 1264, at which time the university was definitely transferred to Valladolid. It was Bishop Telo who also established convents of the Dominicans and Franciscans; the former was famous for the striking conversion of St. Peter González Telmo.

References

*, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11417c.htm {{Authority control Palencia, University of Palencia

See also

References