The Municipal Council of Valencia did not undertake the
construction of a new building for the Estudi General
but simply adapted and improved some buildings it had
purchased. A house with kitchen gardens had been bought
from Isabel Saranyó on April 1 1493, which gave on to
the streets currently named la Nave, de la Universidad
and de Salvá and had a small square at the main
entrance. Pere Compte was commissioned to adapt this
building with the help of the “town builder master Martí”.
A new stage of construction began on August 16 1498 when
Pere Compte and Pere Bernia signed a contract with the
City General Council, who two days before had formalised
their intention to renovate the “house of study” and to
provide the Estudi General with “Constitutions”
or statutes. The renovation was to be carried out
according to a highly detailed reform and extension plan
included in the document. In May 1499 the archbishop
blessed and formally opened the Estudi General
building, and in the following years the Council
purchased more houses to extend the site while the
building works continued.
In the last two decades of the fifteenth century until
his death in 1505, the architect Pere Compte took part
in the most outstanding constructions in the city of
Valencia – Lonja, Cathedral, Generalitat, Cathedral
extension, etc. Pere Bernia, “town builder”, was awarded
the title of “mestre de la ciutat” for his work
as director of many municipal works, including the
gateways of the new city walls, the corn exchange and
other water-piping works.
A corridor with a parapet led to the main halls of the
Estudi General building, which were grouped
around a central courtyard with a porticoed upper floor.
Another small courtyard at the back of the building was
used as a service area.
Some parts were made of masonry, including the arch over
the entrance, similar to those found in fine houses of
the period, and five arches on the ground floor. The
main staircase may have been attached to one side of the
patio and also made of stonework. However, the seat of
the University of Valencia has been through so many
vicissitudes in its history that it is not possible to
identify the remains of the early construction with
certainty, except perhaps for what can be seen from the
excavations in the ground floor of the library. |