ALCALA DE HENARES, an ancient Spanish city on the river Henares, 17 miles E.N.E. of Madrid. It has been identified with the Roman Complutum, which was destroyed about the year 1000, and was rebuilt by the Moors in 1083. In later times it was renowned for its richly-endowed university, founded by Cardinal Ximenes in 1510, which, at the height of its prosperity, numbered more than 10,000 students, and was second only to that of Salamanca. Here the famous edition of the Holy Bible known as the Complutensian Polyglot was prepared. The college of St Ildefonso contains a magnificent chapel, in which Ximenes is buried, and is distinguished by its splendid architecture, partly Moorish and partly Gothic. Alcala is further celebrated as the birthplace of the German emperor Ferdinand I., the poet Figueroa, the naturalist Bustamente de la Camera, the historian Solis, and last and greatest of all, Cervantes, who was born here in 1547. Since the removal of the university to Madrid in 1836 the town has rapidly declined. It contains a military academy and various public institutions, but is of little commercial importance. Population, 8745.