The origins of Salamanca, originally called Salmantica, date from pre-Roman times, and became part of the Roman province of Lusitania. Conquered from the Moors by King Alfonso VI in 1085, Salamanca became a city in the 12th century. In 1218 King Alfonso IX founded the Studium Generale, and in 1254 King Alfonso X el Sabio increased the importance by establishing the number and type of University chairs. The classes were held initially in churches and other buildings, until the University buildings were constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries.