ORIGIN OP THE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY. 15 



Regulations were prepared, and professors were appointed to 

 give instructions in the school, and befitting premises, 

 worthy of the school of sylviculture was found first in the 

 ancient palace-castle of Villaviciosa d'Odon, a chaste and 

 beautiful building erected in times anterior to the com- 

 mune of Castile, destroyed partially on that account in 

 1520, and restored internally in the year 1584, according 

 to plans by the celebrated Juan de Herrera, honoured of 

 Spain, and the creator of many of her architectural 

 treasures. 



By a Royal decree of 18th August, 184-7, the regulations 

 were confirmed, and the school was opened on the 2nd of 

 January, 184-8, under the director and four professors, 

 with a vice-director and assistant professor superadded. 

 All of these are spoken of in terms of high commendation. 



Villaviciosa was situated, as has been stated, some four 

 leagues and a-half from Madrid. S'enor Castel writes : 



' If we advert to what has been said elsewhere in regard 

 to the conditions of the place where the school was to be 

 located, it may be remembered that according to the 

 arrangements laid down in 1835 and 1843, it was required 

 that the school was to be created in the Capital. The 

 Royal decree of 18th November, 184G, is the first public 

 document from which it appears to have been determined 

 that the school of forestry should be established in some 

 locality near to this and in consequence though the 

 statement is but vague away from Madrid, the centre of 

 superior instruction in all Government civil careers, and in 

 many of the military ones. It may be asked what was 

 it which determined this resolution, which was maintained 

 in the Royal decree of 1847, and to which practical effect 

 was given in appropriating for the purpose the palace- 

 castle of Villaviciosa, in which the classes were opened on 

 the 2nd January, 1848? 



' Two principal arguments which suggest themselves at 

 once as fundamental ones which may have weighed with the 

 Government are these : The belief that a school of sylvi- 

 culture would find its natural and appropriate place in the 



