Seems like an under utilized plaza, which is surprising, as the entrance to the magnificent cathedral is just a couple hundred feet off to the side. Definitely a place to sit down and let time go by.

The imperial staircase leading from ground to the upper level is most impressive with its decorative vaulted ceiling and lion statues on the first landing. The courtyard with the double gallery of columns is noteworthy. For me, the "cheers" recognising that a student had obtained a doctorate were fascinating. All contain the stylized word VICTOR, the students' name and date of graduation but it was the flourishes to the penmanship that made many unique. In 1401 Diego de Anaya y Maldonado founded a school for bright students with no economic means. The original building was damaged by the Lisbon Earthquake in 1755, and a 20-year reconstruction was undertaken in 1760. The resulting neoclassical palace currently houses the headquarters of the Faculty of Philology at the University of Salamanca.