Antigua Universidad Pontificia de Comillas

Antigua Universidad Pontificia de Comillas | Wikicommons. Usuario: Tony Rotondas

History of the Old Pontifical University of Comillas

In the middle of the Camino del Norte, Cantabria is one of the places that invites us to make a stop on the way to delight us with its many enclaves and unique areas. The former Pontifical University of Comillas is undoubtedly one of them, and its location alone is simply breathtaking. 

Promoted by D. Antonio López y López, First Marquis of Comillas, the building is located on top of a hill and from which you can spectacularly overlook the entire town and its surroundings. Although the building was originally intended as a seminary run by Jesuits, it soon became the Pontifical University. 

The construction, begun in 1883, was the work of the architect Lluis Domenech i Martorell. The building is currently being restored by the Regional Government of Cantabria. 

One of the most striking aspects of the building is the emblem of the Seminary and the University per se. In it we find a total of six symbols: three referring to the papacy (the tiara, the ring and the keys of St. Peter) and three others to people and institutions.