Corporate Body
Colegio de San Ambrosio de Valladolid (España)Other forms
from 1543 to 1767
The history of the college of San Ambrosio from Valladolid started in 1543 in one of the houses of the entailed state of María Ana de la Cuadra y Avellanada. It was founded from the division of the community that previously arrived in Valladolid and that had settled in the college of San Ignacio, which is nowadays called parish of San Miguel. The first years of the school were modest. In 1563, Father Martín Gutiérrez, the school's rector, spoke about the community's conditions: the house where we live is older than this villa. In addition to this, 22 people are living in here and we can only maintain 16 people with our incomes, so we are not doing very well... The College's situation improved in 1577 when the University of Valladolid was looking for Grammar and Rhetoric teachers and signed together with the accredited college of San Ambrosio an agreement to recognize its lessons as official classes of the University. Another important contribution arrived in 1585 when it received a generous patronage from Diego Romano, a bishop of Tlaxcala in New Spain. When the first contributions of this new patron arrived, the church's construction started in 1610. Two episcopal coat of arms of the founder were placed in the plain façade. The works ended in 1740, when the classrooms, the cloisters and façades were finished. Important priests of the Society went through the college of San Ambrosio, among which we have the figure of Bernardo de Hoyos, the first and main preacher in Spain dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who was beatified in 2010. In April 1767, due to Charles III's Decree, the Jesuits from the College of San Ambrosio were expelled. The college's church became a parish in San Esteban el Real, taking all the Society of Jesus's symbols away and placing Charles III's royal coat of arms in the façade. The college was opened again for the Grammar and Basic Education studies. In 1770, the Jesuits' residence, including the refectory, the chapel, the reliquary and other rooms, were given to the "Colegio de Escoceses" (Scots College). In the 20th century, in 1941, the church changed its name into "Santuario Nacional de la Gran Promesa". The building of the old college became a Spirituality Centre, taken up by the foundation Emilio Álvarez Gallego, and an establishment for books and religious objects since 1994.
PARES: Código Referencia:ES.28079.AHN/3.1.2.19.118//
VV. AA: Historia de la Educación en España y América. La educación en la España Moderna. Siglos XVI-XVIII. Vol. II. Madrid: Ediciones Morata-Ediciones SM, 1993.