The Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, in English, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country. It is located in the 2,000-year-old artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir. The building itself dates back to the 15th century when the Catholic Monarchs recovered the area from the Moors, a history reflected in its architecture. It is located centrally in the city next to the prestigious Hotel Alfonso XIII which hosts Europe's royalty and international celebrities. The University of Seville is steeped in history and is one of the most important cultural centers in Spain, dating back to the 15th century when the Catholic Monarchs recovered the area from the Moors. It was originally the Colegio de Santa Mari­a de Jesus which had been created by Arcediano Maese Rodrigo Fernandez de Santaella and was confirmed as a practising university in 1555 by the papal bull of Pope Julius II.