The Complutense University of Madrid is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293, it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's most prestigious institutions of higher learning. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, wit…The Complutense University of Madrid is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293, it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's most prestigious institutions of higher learning. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of Pozuelo de Alarcón. It is named after the ancient Roman settlement of Complutum, now an archeological site in Alcalá de Henares, just east of Madrid.