Near the Cathedral of Santiago, is one of the buildings whose history is linked to that of the University of the city. It is the
Pazo de Fonseca
or Colexio de Fonseca, an old and charming place through which many illustrious students have passed.
Its history begins in the 16th century, when Archbishop Alonso de Fonseca III ordered its construction, adapting the house where he was born and which belonged to his family for educational purposes. At that time it was called Colegio de Santiago Alfeo.
The building was designed by Juan de Alava and supervised by Alonso de Covarrubias and its construction continued between 1522 and 1544, the year in which it was inaugurated as the headquarters of the recently founded University of Santiago de Compostela.
In 1553, the first statutes were promulgated, which established the creation of chairs of Arts, Theology, Canons and Grammar, as well as the designation of stewards to guarantee safety, hygiene and the fulfillment of teaching activities. Pedro Maldonado de la Carrera was named the first rector. Two years later, in 1555, it was recognized as a Royal University, equaling the great universities of Castile.
Although the Pazo de Fonseca gained importance over the years, its current facade, designed by Diego de Romay, was completed in 1688 and became one of the most prominent elements of the building. It is of Renaissance style and is made of granite masonry. It consists of two bodies adorned with Gothic statues in the intercolumniation and frieze niches. In the center, there is a shield with the five stars of the Fonseca family, surrounded by images of the Doctors of the Church.
Inside the building, there is a beautiful courtyard surrounded by an epigraphic legend, the work of Gil de Hontañón. To the right of the main door, there is a gothic chapel and to the left, a coffered hall, a former refectory of the school, where the first Parliament of Galicia was provisionally installed between 1982 and 1989.
Throughout its history, the Pazo de Fonseca has been used for various purposes, from a college to the Faculty of Medicine or Pharmacy, and has been the headquarters of the Seminario de Estudos Galegos and a refuge for Irish Catholics.
Today, the former Colegio de Santiago Alfeo is the headquarters of the Biblioteca Xeral de la USC and houses valuable treasures, such as the ‘Libro de Horas de Fernando I’, the oldest book in the city dating back to 1055, and the Biblioteca América.
