Patio de Escuelas, Historic university courtyard in Salamanca, Spain.

Patio de Escuelas is a quadrangular courtyard at the University of Salamanca, enclosed by stone buildings adorned with ornate plateresque carvings. The space features a central bronze statue of Fray Luis de León that dates to 1869 and serves as a focal point within the complex.

The square was laid out between 1609 and 1611 under a royal licence from Philip III, following a design by Juan Gallo de Andrada, to give a clearer view of the university monuments. Its four sides are formed by the Escuelas Mayores, the Escuelas Menores and the Hospital del Estudio, with the Casa de los Doctores de la Reina and the Casa de los Gatos completing the enclosure.

On the courtyard walls visitors can still see painted red Vítor marks, graffiti that celebrated students earning their doctorates. The square is framed by the historic university buildings, the Casa de los Doctores de la Reina, now home to the Museo de Salamanca, and the Casa de los Gatos.

The square is a public passage between the Escuelas Mayores and the Casa de los Gatos, so it can be crossed on foot at any hour without a ticket. Approach from the Calle de los Libreros side to see the plateresque facade head-on, and look down at the paving and up at the walls for the painted Vítor marks.

On the courtyard walls, red-painted Vítor graffiti still survive, marking the doctorates celebrated by students. These inscriptions, painted with the crimson Vítor, record academic ceremonies held in the Patio de Escuelas and are easy to miss among the stonework.