Historical building, Bologna
The so-called Collegio di Spagna is placed on its namesake street in Bologna. Its full name is "Real Colegio Mayor de San Clemente de los Españoles" and it was built in 1364 on behalf of Cardinal Egidio Albornoz.
Cardinal Albornoz was well-known for his military actions rather than for his religious ones. He was in fact a main character in several battles that placed most of the Italian peninsula under the power of the Papal State.
One of this was the city of Bologna, reconquered when Giovanni Visconti, who controlled the city, fought against Bernabò Visconti, master of Milan. Realising he didn’t stand a chance against Bernabò, he decided to surrender the city to Cardinal Albornoz. The bargaining chip used for this transaction was the city of Fermo, and the surrender of Bologna itself caused a war between Milan and the Papal state, which was won by the latter.
Deceased on his way to Rome to be received by the Pope, following his last wishes the Cardinal was buried in the church of San Francesco d’Assisi. His rest there would only last 4 years, after which his remains were carried to the Cathedral of Toledo, in Spain.
During his stay in Bologna, Albornoz founded in 1364 the Collegio di Spagna, meant to host students from other cities, especially Spanish ones. Since the XIII century, this kind of institutions was spreading throughout Europe: in fact, there were at least 24 of them. Nowadays the one in Bologna is the only active institute and it holds within its walls the most ancient collection of old medieval codes in the whole world.
The building was finished in 1367 under Matteo Gattaponi’s project. Its façade is decorated with different Spanish coats of arms, among which of the coat of arms of Albornoz himself. Ironically, the building has always been called Domus hispanica even though it was built when Spain was yet not unified.
Currently students staying at the college, called “bolonios”, are chosen among PhD students of Spanish Universities. The European Union has recognised the fundamental cultural value of this institute as the first one to reach outside national borders long before the idea of a United Europe was even born.
Illustrious people of modern age have crossed the door to the Collegio, among others Ignazio di Loyola and Miguel de Cervantes, the latter considered to be the founder of the modern Spanish language as well as the famous author of Sir Quixote of La Mancha.
The institution is private and doesn’t receive any public funds. It is managed by a council composed by the archbishop of Toledo, a few Spanish government’s representatives and a student committee. Its current president is one of Albornoz heirs, following his last written wishes.
