Salamanca - Catedral Vieja

Salamanca is a "real city" with a population of more than 140.000 inhabitants.

Under Roman and Visigothic rule called “Helmantica,” the city developed into an important trading center. In the 8th century, Salamanca was taken by the Moors, but in 939 it became Christian again as a result of the Battle of Simancas. Salamanca became a border town to the Islamic south of the Iberian Peninsula and was subsequently exposed to constant attacks, which resulted in depopulation and only after the conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI. León's rule ended in 1085. In 1102 the period of repopulation began. The Christian new settlers rose against Castile-León in 1162 and called on Portugal for help in 1163, which occupied Salamanca for two years.

Salamanca experienced its heyday in the 16th century. In 1524, the construction of the church and monastery of San Esteban began and at the same time, the new cathedral was built.
The old cathedral, together with the adjacent larger new cathedral, is the episcopal church. The construction of the Romanesque-early Gothic basilica began around 1150. The work continued well into the 13th century. The cathedral school was founded in 1174, from which the University of Salamanca emerged in 1218.

The church is a cruciform basilica. The nave is 52 m long and 16.70 m high. All three naves close with semicircular apses. The left transept arm was cut off during the construction of the new cathedral. Most of the Gothic murals have been preserved.

Over the tomb are the adorating Magi, a common icon not only along the "camino" to Santiago de Compostella.

After the destruction of Milan, Frederick Barbarossa in 1162 the relics were handed over to Rainald von Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne. Since then the Magis` relics have been in Cologne.