What do the manager of the Spain football squad, a muse of eroticism and the author of “Caperucita en Manhattan” (“Little Red Riding Hood in Manhattan”) all have in common? At first sight, not much, but in fact they all share the same birthplace: Salamanca.
Spain manager Del Bosque, actress Charo López and novelist Carmen Martín Gaite were all born in Salamanca, as were many other well-known personalities from the worlds of sport, culture and entertainment.
Vicente del Bosque was born in the busy Garrido district and when he left there to play football at the age of 18 he could hardly have imagined that one day he would be named a person of honour there for having taken the Spanish national football team right to the top.
Also a member of the national football team and a native of Salamanca –although he only lived here until he was four– is right-back, Álvaro Arbeloa. Another former footballer who is now a vocalist with the group Pignoise, is Salamanca’s Álvaro Benito. A cyclist, who took the name of Salamanca to the front pages, is four-time winner of the “La Vuelta” cycle race, Roberto Heras who hails from Béjar.
Moving onto a different field – that of stage and screen, Salamanca has produced some memorable actors and actresses. These include Charo López, who took her first steps on stage at the University of Salamanca theatre before rising to fame in the TV series “Los Gozos y las Sombras” (“The Joys and the Shadows”) and, from the latest crop of thespians, Silvia Alonso, the young protagonist of the series “Tierra de Lobos” (“Land of Wolves “).
The city of Salamanca is intimately linked with culture and the arts, for centuries it has been the cradle of linguists and writers such as Beatriz Galindo (Latin teacher to Queen Isabella I), Juan del Encina and Carmen Martín Gaite, author of “Entre visillos” and “Caperucita en Manhattan” amongst other works.
Other famous “Charros” as those from the province of Salamanca are known, include news reader Carme Chaparro, humourist Quequé and film critic Carlos Boyero.