San Vicente Hill Museum: A walk through Salamanca's past and present.

The San Vicente Hill Museum is a new exhibition space that offers a glimpse into the history of Salamanca from the exact place where it all began. Located atop a promontory overlooking the Tormes Valley, it presents a contemporary, interactive, and informative experience. A ten-part tour offers an insight into the city's origins and evolution, connecting history with the present in an engaging and dynamic way.

The visit begins with an introductory audiovisual presentation that places visitors in the historical context of the hill, considered the founding point of Salamanca, inhabited since the early Iron Age. From there, the tour reflects on how a city is known and learned about, and then delves into a timeline, historical maps, urban plans, and unique pieces such as the legendary view of Salamanca painted by Anton van den Wyngaerde in 1570. This immersive experience narrates the urban transformation of the city from its origins to the present day.

The itinerary delves into the remains found at this site, including the early Iron Age settlement and the vanished monastery of San Vicente, linked to the convent network that for centuries shaped the religious, economic, and social pulse of Salamanca. The exhibition continues with a surprising collection of historical objects, such as the Duke of Wellington's briefcase, a model of the royal pavilion in the Plaza Mayor designed by García de Quiñones, remains and weapons from the Battle of Arapiles, and a contemporary work by artist Juan Figueroa, which engages with the past from a contemporary perspective. One of the most striking spaces proposes a meeting of scientific archaeology and art, where creativity and academic rigor come together to spark visitor interest.

Another chapter is dedicated to the Battle of Arapiles, one of the most decisive battles of the Peninsular War. Critical moments for the city are also reviewed, such as the San Policarpo flood, the Lisbon earthquake, the effects of the Confiscation of Church Property, and the impact of wars. In the final section, visitors delve into more recent history, marked by urban growth and the emergence of working-class neighborhoods such as San Vicente, also known as Las Maravillas, whose past and present conclude the experience with a look to the future.

The San Vicente Hill Museum joins Salamanca's already extensive and attractive cultural offerings. It is a perfect opportunity to discover the soul of the city from its origins and get to know the Invisible Salamanca. The enclave of San Vicente Hill also houses the archaeological remains of the city's ancient settlement. These correspond to a portion of the settlement established on San Vicente Hill during the Early Iron Age, between the 7th and 4th centuries BC. Four complete dwellings and up to nine auxiliary domestic structures (silos, pantries, granaries, etc.) are displayed, linked to the main buildings, distributed in two bands aligned around a transit space or "street," a fine example of the mud and adobe architecture that characterizes this culture. Furthermore, the botanical park on the slopes of the hill preserves the interesting auxiliary infrastructure of the San Vicente Monastery associated with the traditional use of this slope as agricultural land. Alongside these, there are magnificent viewpoints from which to enjoy views of the city.