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Alcalá de Henares

Vía Complutense, 22, 28802 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

Alcalá de Henares, birthplace of Cervantes and town of knowledge

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, Alcalá de Henares, the birthplace of Cervantes, is a must-visit destination for history and culture lovers. Known as the "city of knowledge," great Spanish Golden Age writers such as Francisco de Quevedo, Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Tirso de Molina, and Saint John of the Cross were all linked to it, although Miguel de Cervantes, who was born here in 1547, undoubtedly stands out. Alcalá de Henares was the first town designed and built specifically to house a university, founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499, during the Renaissance. It served as a model for other educational centers in Europe and America. Numerous great works, such as the Complutensian Polyglot Bible, emerged from its classrooms. A bishopric during the Visigothic period, Alcalá was an important stronghold for defending the Tajo Valley during the Reconquista. Its historic center, with its cobbled streets and Renaissance buildings, retains the charm of a medieval university town.

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