San Carlos University

Founded in 1676, the University of San Carlos Borromeo in Antigua Guatemala was one of the oldest universities in the Americas. Housed in a Baroque colonial building, it trained clergy, lawyers, and doctors in theology, law, and medicine. Notable alumni include poet Rafael Landívar and physician José Felipe Flores. The university moved to Guatemala City after the 1773 earthquakes. Today, its original site is a museum that preserves the legacy of academic and religious life in colonial Guatemala.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The University of San Carlos Boromeo in Antiqua, Guatemala, was
founded in sixteen seventy six by royal decree from King
Charles the Second of Spain. It is the third royal
university in the Americas, after those in Mexico and Lima,
and one of the oldest on the continent. The original
university building in Antigua, Guatemala is an architectural and cultural

(00:22):
emblem of the colonial era, with a history closely tied
to the Spanish crown's efforts to consolidate its power in
the region through education. Architecturally, the university was housed in
a Baroque colonial style building with a simple yet elegant facade.
Visitors walking through its hallways were captivated by the central
courtyard surrounded by galleries with columns and arches that created

(00:45):
a space for reflection and study. These cloisters, designed to
foster concentration, were typical of educational and religious institutions of
the time. The symmetry and harmony of the design reflected
the values of order and reason fundamental scholastic teaching. The
Tridentine College, closely linked to the university, was established to

(01:06):
train priests under the Principles of the Council of Trent.
For those unfamiliar, the Council of Trent was a series
of Catholic Church meetings in the sixteenth century aimed at
reforming the clergy and strengthening faith in response to the
Protestant Reformation. It was from this council that the creation
of seminaries emerged, where future priests received rigorous training in theology, philosophy,

(01:28):
and other essential disciplines for the clergy. The University of
San Carlos offered a curriculum that included disciplines such as theology,
canon law, philosophy, Latin medicine, and civil jurisprudence. These studies
were intended not only for future clergymen, but also for
lawyers and doctors who would serve in the colonial administration.

(01:48):
The curriculum reflected the university's mission to form the intellectual
and religious elite of colonial society. Students had to complete
several years of study in these disciplines to earn their degrees,
combining academic rigor with religious devotion. One of the most
notable figures to have studied at the University of San
Carlos is Raphael Landivar. A Guatemalan Jesuit priest who became

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one of the most important poets of colonial America. His
work Rusticafio Mexicana, written in Latin, celebrates rural life and
the nature of the New World, and exemplifies how the
education provided by the university was deeply classical and connected
to European traditions. Another significant figure was doctor Jose Filippe Flores,

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a graduate who excelled in the field of medicine. Flores
was a pioneer in the study of tropical diseases and
is remembered for his work on the smallpox epidemic that
affected Guatemala in the late eighteenth century. His scientific contributions
greatly advanced the understanding and treatment of diseases in the region.
Like many buildings in Antigua, Guatemala, the university also has

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its own legend. It is said that on full moon nights,
some students claim to see the figure of a friar
walking through the university's corridors. The story goes that he
was the spirit of a professor who died before finishing
an important lecture, and his soul could not rest until
the lesson was completed. Although there is no historical evidence
to support this tale. It reflects the reverence for academic

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life in colonial Antigua, where knowledge and religion were closely intertwined.
The university remained active in Antigua, Guatemala until the seventeen
seventy three earthquakes, which destroyed much of the city. The
university was then moved to Nueva Guatemala de La Asuncion,
where it continued to function as one of the country's
leading educational institutions. Today, the former site of the University

(03:42):
of San Carlos Boromeo is a museum that allows visitors
to imagine academic life during the colonial era. The restored
hallways and cloisters, along with exhibits of colonial art, invite
reflection on the intellectual and spiritual legacy left by this
institution in Guatemala As history. The building remains a symbol
of the fusion of church and state power in shaping

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colonial society.