Situated in the heart of the capital, near the Plaza Mayor, San Isidro High School holds the honor of IES SAN ISIDRO being the oldest educational center in – A History of Education inheriting a long and rich history from Estudios de la Villa (founded in 1346), the Imperial College (1603) and the Center of Royal Studies (1625), which have all called San Isidro home over the past 600 years.

Various academic institutions have passed through San Isidro’s hallways including: the Noble Seminary, Phillip II’s Academy of Mathematics, as well as schools of Architecture, Medicine, Philosophy and Arts.

In the past, many important laws and act of educational legislation were written and supported by people associated with San Isidro; and for centuries, this school has played an important part in educating and inspiring numerous students and teachers, who have gone on to become an important part of Spanish history: Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Francisco Quevedo, Nicolás Salmerón, los hermanos Machado, José Canalejas, , Juan de la Cierva, Eduardo Dato, Pío IES SAN ISIDRO Baroja, , Camilo José Cela and many others including our King, .

IES SAN ISIDRO Calle / Toledo nº 39 28005 T: 91 365 12 71 F: 91 365 68 33 W: http://www.educa.madrid.org/web/ies.sanisidro.madrid/principal.htm

IES SAN ISIDRO

Interesting Places to Visit:

The Historical Cloister, The San Isidro Museum, The Chapel, The Library and School Meeting Room.

THE MUSEUM OF EDUCAT I O N A N D

SCIENCE

Stepping through the main doors of the school, you The Royal Staircase: Built in the 17th century, this architectural will find yourself standing in a beautiful stone space houses the school’s permanent exhibition detailing our cloister. Even though it was built after the founding educational heritage. Books, maps, photographs, school of the Imperial College and after the other buildings records, illustrations and examples of student’s work are on that once housed it, the cloister is the oldest part of display – along with objects from our biological and physics the original building that remains today and dates laboratory: the Tree of Life, an array of animals stuffed by the back to 1679 - during the reign of King Carlos II - Benedicto Vives brothers, as well as anatomical models of designed and built by Melchor de Bueras. th The Royal Staircase with maps The Tree of Life and anatomical plants and animals from the 19 century by Dr. Arzoux. from the 19th century models The cloister is a large square courtyard made up of twenty large archways and topped by twenty large T H E C H A P E L balconies. The arches are composed of stone pillars that converge together with an ornate keystone at the The frescos by Juan Delgado, a disciple of Palomino, were apex of each arch. The keystones are carved with an painted from 1724-1730. The paintings are best known for image of a double-headed eagle holding a medallion their unusual iconography. with the letters “JHS” inscribed in the center – although today, the inscriptions can only be seen on a The portraits depicting the life of the Virgin Mary decorating few of the keystones. The moldings and trimmings the walls are from the 18th century, although the artist is Palas Atenea, fresco by Juan View of the Chapel of the cloisters were designed in the Spanish unknown. Delgado “Baroque” style – a typical architectural style in the 17th century. SCHOOL MEETING ROOM In general, one can say that the courtyard exudes a In the Meeting Room, you will find a few portraits of robust sense of strength, created using the large influential faculty who have taught at San Isidro. The pillars and a combination of straight and curved lines Maumejean brothers painted Don Manuel de Villafañe, who to form the numerous arches. The vaulted walkways was the first director of the Royal Academy during the surrounding the courtyard contain numerous wooden expulsion of the Jesuits under King Carlos III; José Ibañez doors, which open to different parts of the school. Martín, who was a history teacher and the Minister of One of the doors on the northern side of the cloister Education during the Franco Regime painted by Santamaría; Portait of D. Manuel Villafañe Vidriera by the Maumejean brothers, leads to a small crypt where a number of friars are and Friar Justo Pérez de Urbel, painted in 1943 by Chicharro. Portait of Fray Justo Pérez buried who were murdered back in 1834!