The Former University

Thanks to the bull “In Supereminenti Apostolicae Sedis” given by the pope Paulo III on 10 October 1548, the creation of  a general study was authorizated in Osuna under the patronage of Pura y Limpia Concepción de la Virgen María due to the special devotion of the founder towards the virgin.

In a rectory document of 1820 this building received the name “Colegio Mayor y Universidad Literaria de la Inmaculada Concepción de Nuestra Señora”.

Mr. Juan Téllez Girón, IV count of Ureña and father of the first duke of Osuna authorized the creation of a university following the models of Alcalá de Henares in order to provide students with the same validity as the degrees of Bolonia, Salamanca, Alcalá de Henares and other general studies.

The university had the pontifical recognition. At the entry of the building you can see on the left wall a huge registration that proclaims it.

The 8^th of December of 1548 the chapel of the building was blessed by Mr. Sancho Trujillo, Bishop of Morocco and canon of the cathedral of Seville, who was the first college.

The building was financed by the mentioned count, whose family was among the richest ones of Spain. It was the headquarter of fifteen greater and eight minors chairs surrounding the faculties of Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts.

The faculty of Theology was “the most attended” since its foundation and the most popular. We don´t must forget that its aim, as the objective of Alcalá de Cisneros, is to form “a more dignified church of Christ”.

As the founder had very good relations with some specific religious orders – Dominicans, Augustine, Franciscans and Carmelites friars-, he  sought to share all of the chairs among them.

The faculty of Medicine always provides for the instruction of theoretical classes. During that period it was very popular and many important doctors such as Gudiel or Solano de Luque.

The faculty of Arts usually was  working as its main purpose with the only innovation of the chair of Mathematics created by Felipe II.

Francisco Maldonado was its first rector (1549-1553), its current name cames from that reason: “University School Francisco Maldonado” and “Diego Ramírez” who was the last one (1821).

The University of Osuna resisted until the reform of the Caballero minister in 1807, in which its function was abolished as other ten more Minors Universities such as Baeza University.

Although the formal suppression the university kept on working until the irruption of the French troops in 1810, in which the building was occupied and turned into a Gallic barracks. After the war it continued operating until 1824 in which it was definitely clausured.

After some years without properly exercising its function, the University School of Osuna has been in operation again since 1993.

The main University headquarter is located in a majestic building belonging to the 16^th century and it is comprised of an equipment completely adapted to the rules of the more modern universities centres.

The University School is provided with an annex building placed some metres closed to the main headquarter.

Among the services and advantages that the university offers we can highlight:

• Scholarship system.
• Transportation services subsidized up to 50%.
• Traineeship in a large number of companies.
• Reduced group of students.

The University School of Osuna is affiliated with the University of Seville and it offers the degrees in Finance and Accounting, double Degree in Accounting and Finance+Labour Relations and Human Resources, Primary, Early Childhood Education, Physiotherapy, Nursing, University Master and Master in Teaching of ESO, Bachiller, FP and Language Education.

For more information about the University School of Osuna, please click on the link below: www.euosuna.org