Issue date: 05 Nov, 2018
WORLD HERITAGE SITE. UNIVERSITY AND HISTORIC PRECINCT OF ALCALÁ DE HENARES
2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of the University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares as a World Heritage Site. Correos is joining in the celebrations by issuing a stamp illustrating several of the best-known buildings which give Alcalá de Henares its character and led to UNESCO declaring its university and historic precinct a World Heritage Site in 1998.
The yellow building shown in the centre is the famous façade built in 1537-1561 in the university by the architect Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón. Its Plateresque sculptures and reliefs represented the knowledge and humanist doctrine taught in the alma mater, under the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Germany and I of Spain.
To the left, a stork, the symbol of the city, flies over the façade of the convent of Las Madres Clarisas, famous for its candied almonds, which for many years have been a distinguishing feature of the city’s bakeries, both in convents and private businesses, which are recognised for this unique product made with care and dedication.
Its western side ends with a crenellated tower in the boundary wall, and also features the episcopal palace of the Lords of Alcalá, the Archbishopric of Toledo, whose magnificent building burned down a month after the end of the Civil War, accidentally destroying one of Spain’s most beautiful monumental sites, with a courtyard and staircase by the great Renaissance architect Covarrubias. Below the city walls, we see the two façades which still stand today, hinting at the lost splendour of this renowned complex, the property of Spain’s most powerful bishops.
On the opposite side, in grey, are two more significant buildings of Alcalá. Below the university, the main façade of the Iglesia Magistral, the church rebuilt by Cardinal Cisneros, with a slender tower and spire reaching into the blue sky. And at the far end, representing the western side, the Roman-style façade of the Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús, with its triangular pediment and Classical orders conveying its elegance. Elongated pyramids, a Christian symbol of eternity, mark its outer corners.
The whole design evokes the essence of this city in the province of Madrid, the home of saints, doctors and famous writers, including the greatest exponent of Spanish literature, Miguel de Cervantes.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.