Salamanca: Story of lucky frog on Univ. of Salamanca wall?

Hello to everybody!

I'm sorry if I have some mistakes in Sapnish, but I thought it to be written in this way... Well, I'm starting to be a Spanish maniac after I had some really really good connections with 5 different Spanirds from different places. And I'm planning to go to visit some of them this January, so I decided to visit Salamanca as well (I'll stay in Valladolid). So I have a bit strange question: anybody knows why the rana (frog) on the wall of University of Salamanca is considered to give luck to students? Anybody knows story of it?

Muchas gracias!!!

When I went to Salamanca this summer we had a local guide. The frog is hard to spot because the facade of the building is so intracate, the luck part comes in if you spot it without being told where it is. She did say that it actually used to be a warning for the students to obstain from sexual pleasures (frog standing for promiscuity and it sits on a skull - standing for death). Maybe more than you wanted to know, but there it is anyway and also a hint of where to look for it.

Scarlet1, did you miss the pornographic stairway to the Biblioteca at the University of Salamanca? I blushed!! And it was carved in the middle ages!!!

I was lucky to have spotted the frog right away; I looked up and there it was! I was told by member Calibasco, in a thread here at MM's on Salamanca, that it was lucky to spot it. Unfortunately, I forgot whatever other meanings he said it has! I hope it means a return journey to Salamanca, I love that city!

That facade is of plateresque (plateresco) style. It has another curious figure: an astronaut! It was included in a restoration years ago.

Fernando

Hey Fernando, the astronaut is not in the facade of the University. It is a recent addition to the New Cathedral! I read that it was a joke by the stonemasons who were restoring the jambs!

Booklady is right - I acutally have a picture of the Astronaut and right above (or maybe below) is a creature eating an ice cream cone. I have to admit though, I didn't see the frog without a little bit of help. We were also told that it means you will return to Salamanca if you see it unaided - I sure do hope that is true!!!

Hey I didn't know that!

¡Nunca te acostarás sin saber una cosa más!

Fernando