Calixto and Melibea’s Garden is located where it is thought the writer Fernando de Rojas located the meeting place of the main characters and the place where the tragic ending of his well-known novel “La Celestina” took place. Its plot revolves around the dramatic love relationship between Calitxo and Melibea, and the remarkable intervention of Celestina. It is so remarkable, that despite her being a supportive character, the novel is named after her. Currently, her name is used to label a woman that tries to “give a boost” to a love or sexual relationship between two people.
Fernando de Rojas (1470-1541) studied in the University of Salamanca and wrote “La Celestina” in 1502. He must have been in this part of Salamanca when it was an orchard. However, today is a garden. It is a small garden area placed on the wall where you can get a beautiful sight of the two cathedrals of Salamanca and the shoreline of Tormes river. In its entrance, you can see a statute that represents the most famous procuress in Spanish literature.
Calixto and Melibea’s Garden it is located in the old town of the city, more precisely, at the end of Arcediano street, a few meters away from the Cathedral, in the side hill of the old wall of Salamanca and next to Tormes river. It is a welcoming and eye-catching garden designed following the style of ancient palace gardens, trying to give it a romantic and medieval appearance that can be easily identified once you get in there due to the characters’ love story. The most remarkable decorative elements are the wall, the arch or the well. Along with other types of plants and trees.
The most outstanding species seen there that are 800 meters above the sea level in the northern part of the high plain are: Phoenix canariensis, Washingtonia filifera and Cordyline terminalis, among others. Most of them were donated by a man born in Granada that lived in Salamanca who felt as if he were in an Andalusian romantic garden and wanted to contribute with species never seen before in Salamanca.
In 1981, the Visir Garden was opened and added later to Calixto and Melibea Garden. From that moment, the twinning of Salamanca and Coimbra took place, as it can be seen in the commemorative plaque placed in the walls of the garden.
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