#379 Spain...Thanks Guillermo!

The 0.31€ stamps on the left and right are from 2008 Architectures issue showing The Agbar tower and The Auditorium of Tenerife.

The Agbar tower, inaugurated in 2005 Barcelona, is a 144m high skyscraper designed by French architect Jean Nouvel .It has a pinnacle shape and is made of concrete covered with a façade of glass. It has a total of 50.693 metres of above ground office space.

The Auditorium of Tenerife in Santa Cruz,Canary Islands is also the work of Calatrava and was built between 1997 and 2003, It has a surface area of 6.471 square metres distributed in two halls, the Symphonic and the Chamber Hall besides other secondary rooms. It is an avant-garde building crowned with a grand dome and a striking cover.

The 0.31€ stamp in the middle was in 2008 on occasion of the 400 Anniversary of the Foundation of the University of Oviedo.

On the 21st of September 1608, the University of Oviedo started teaching Law, Canons and Theology. It was founded by archbishop Fernando Valdés Salas who left it written in his will that this university be founded. Fernando Valdés had been chairman of the Council of Castille, archbishop of Seville and general inquisitor during the reigns of Charles I and Philip II. Moved by his cultural and humanistic interests, he had previously founded the Recoletas School for orphan girls and the San Gregorio school for teaching boys grammar and Latin.

The university began its educational activity aiming at reinforcing the old education but improving the organization with rules based on the “Old Rules” (“Estatutos Viejos”) which remained unchanged until 1707. During the French invasion, the building was occupied by Napoleon’s troops and all academic activity was cancelled until they were expelled.

Many famous characters such as Benito Feijóo, Pedro Rodriquez Campomanes, Leopoldo Alas “Clarin” and Aniceto Sela y Sampil have studied in this university.

The historic building was the work of Architect Rodrigo Gil de Hontañon. Sober and with a square floor, it has a central renaissance style courtyard where stands the statue of the university founder. Amongst the scarce ornamentation on its façade, stands out the coat of arms of the Valdés family.

The stamp depicts the main corner of the university building and the commemorative logo of the 400 Anniversary of the University of Oviedo (IV Centenario Universidad de Oviedo 1608-2008).