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Since its founding in 1218, the University of Salamanca has had illustrious jurists, scientists, doctors and writers among its professors and students. In the plaza's center is a statue of Fray Luis de León. In 1572, during the reign of Philip II, Fray Luis was brought before the Inquisition, which was then at the height of its power. His crime had been to translate King Solomons Song of Songs to Castilian, contrary to the Council of Trent's prohibition to translate biblical texts into the vernacular. He had also dared to declare that the Vulgate, St. Jerome's Latin translation of the Bible, contained several errors. Denounced before the Inquisition and his Jewish ancestry revealed, Fray Luis was removed from his Chair and imprisoned in Valladolid for almost five years, until he was freed in 1576 and returned to his Chair in Salamanca.
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Western Europe
