Spain is a country full of ancient legends, and many of them involve mysterious caves said to hold hidden knowledge or dark secrets.
One of the most famous is found in Salamanca, in the Castile-León region, a beautiful city often called “the golden city” because of the warm colour of its stone buildings at sunset.
Salamanca is best known for its university, one of the oldest in Europe, which has earned it a reputation as a city of learning and wisdom. But not all of its teachings were said to be above ground…..
The legend of the Cave of Salamanca
According to legend, the Devil himself gave lessons in a secret underground classroom called the Cave of Salamanca. He taught necromancy, the dark art of communicating with the dead, to seven students over seven years. When the final class ended, one student was always chosen to stay behind with the Devil as payment.
The story goes that one of the Devil’s most famous pupils was the Marquis of Villena. He managed to escape the cave, but with a price: he lost his shadow forever, a sign that something dark had followed him out.
The supposed entrance to the cave was said to be hidden in the crypt of the old Church of San Cebrián, but despite many searches, it was never found. Today, there is a site known as the Cueva de Salamanca, which you can visit. It is often used for cultural events and performances, especially during summer.
Who knows, if you stand quietly and listen closely while you’re there, maybe you’ll feel a chill or hear a whisper from a class long past…
Discover more myths and legends surrounding Spain.
