University of Seville

The University of Seville (Universidad de Sevilla) is a university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, at 2022 has a student body of 57.214, and is ranked 6th among Spanish universities. History Colegio de Santa María de Jesús The University of Seville originally dates to the 15th century. Created by Archdeacon Maese Rodrigo Fernández de Santaella, it was originally called Colegio de Santa María de Jesús. In the 16th century (1505), a Bull of Pope Julius II granted the College the faculty to teach degrees in Theology, Philosophy, Law, Medicine and Arts. In 1551, the City Council allowed it, by means of a Royal Provision, to officially become a University, enjoying all the privileges of the other Spanish Universities. Its antecedents date back to the middle of the 13th century, the Dominicans, in order to prepare missionaries for work among the Moors and Jews, organised schools for the teaching of Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek. To cooperate in this work and to enhance the prestige of Seville, Alfonso the Wise in 1254 established "general schools" (escuelas generales) of Arabic and Latin in Seville. Alexander IV recognized this foundation as a generale litterarum studium by the Papal Bull of 21 June 1260 and granted its members certain dispensations in the matter of residence. Later, the cathedral chapter established ecclesiastical studies in the College of San Miguel. Rodrigo Fernández de Santaella, archdeacon of the cathedral and commonly known as Maese Rodrigo, began the construction of a building for a university in 1472; in 1502 the Catholic Monarchs published the royal decree creating the university, and in 1505 Julius II granted the Bull of authorization. The construction of the chapel of Santa Maria de Jesus began in 1505 and was consecrated on May 17, 1506. The work on the chapel was completed in 1519 and the construction of the college was finished around 1520. In 1526 it was enlarged with the acquisition of an adjoining plot of land that belonged to the Alcazar. The Catholic Monarchs and the pope granted the power to confer degrees in logic, philosophy, theology, and canon and civil law.