World Heritage Cities in Spain

CITIES

CITIES ALCALÁ DE HENARES

Photo: World Heritage Cities

Just a short distance from Madrid, a vis- it to the birthplace of Cervantes is like a journey through the History of Europe. A dazzling university town with numer- ous palaces, surprising traditional tav- erns and quiet streets, ideal for taking a stroll on a sunny day. A good place to start is at the Archaeological Museum of the Madrid Region , located in the old Convent of La Madre de Dios . Take a journey in time from prehistory to the present and discover what life was like for the first settlers, during the Roman occupation and in the Middle Ages. Your tour could finish with a visit to the archaeological remains of the Roman city of Complutum which eventually became Alcalá. There you'll find the re- mains of the forum, the baths, the mar- ket and the House of Griffins . There are a number of guided tours available, which is the best way of discovering the details of the city's historic past. Alcalá enjoyed its period of greatest splendour after the creation of the prestigious Universitas Complutensis. In the University it is worth visiting the San Ildefonso Residential College , a 15th century building with beautiful cloisters and patios in the interior. The Auditorium is a place of great political and cultural significance and where the Cervantes Award is presented each year, one of the most important literary awards in the Spanish language.

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` ` CHAPEL OF SAN ILDEFONSO