Cueva de Salamanca (Salamanca Cave), Salamanca

The Salamanca Cave is the atmospheric remains of the crypt from the long-vanished Church of Saint Cyprian. While the church itself has disappeared, the vaulted chamber survives and invites curious explorers to uncover its enigmatic past. Today, the Salamanca Cave is part of an archaeological site open to the public.

This crypt is most famous for its dark legend: according to tradition, the Devil-often disguised as a sacristan-taught classes in black magic here to seven students for seven years. At the end of their studies, one unlucky pupil was destined to stay behind with the Devil as payment. The most enduring tale features the legendary Marquis of Villena, who managed to escape-but supposedly lost his shadow in the process, marking him as forever linked to the supernatural.

The legend’s appeal endures in literature and folklore. The writer Miguel de Cervantes wove a playful version of the myth into his short interlude “The Cave of Salamanca” from 1615, and later writers such as Juan Ruiz de Alarcón reworked the tale from other perspectives, even questioning its malign origins. Moreover, the cave’s mystical reputation crossed the Atlantic: in parts of Latin America, “salamanca” refers to a cave or place where witchcraft gatherings occur.