CITIES IN CASTILE & LEON

This large region, set on an enormous plateau known as the meseta, has exceptional characteristics and geology and includes the territory of the ancient kingdom of Leon and northern half of old kingdom of Castile. It has a grandiose flat countryside and a truly splendid historical and architectural heritage.

Segovia

Segovia has a magnificent Roman aqueduct, the finest example of its age and style still in existence. It also has other important treasures from different periods, including several precious Romanesque churches, a large Gothic cathedral and the splendid Alcazar, a Moorish fortress that has incorporated elements from diverse centuries.

Avila preserves the oldest, most complete walled enclosure of the Spanish Middle Ages. The construction of the curtain walls began in 1090, but most of the work was carried out in the course of the 12th C. The walls are reinforced by 82 large towers which have a semi-circular plan and are on average 12m high. The most powerful of the towers, called Cimorro, lies in the eastern section and is in fact the sturdy apse of the cathedral, known as the Basilica of St. Vincent. There are nine gates which were built in different periods and which give access to the walled enclosure.

Avila is the birthplace of St. Theresa of Jesus, and her presence is still deeply felt in the city.

Salamanca

This city was famous during the Renaissance due to its important university, one of the first in Europe. The city is exceptionally beautiful and has many architectural treasures, such as its two cathedrals (the old Cathedral, in Romanesque style and the New Cathedral, Gothic in style with Plateresque elements), the arcaded Plaza Mayor, or main square, and the Renaissance University building, with a splendid façade.

Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca)

Historic village of great importance throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It has preserved old lordly mansions of great beauty and, in general, its medieval sections, including a medieval castle. There are several churches from different ages and in different styles in which valuable works of art are housed.

Zamora

Zamora, south of Leon, is a city with a medieval flavour, artistically marked by the Romanesque Style, of which it has preserved nearly a dozen churches and a magnificent cathedral, topped by a strange Byzantine dome. A few kilometres from the city is the important 8th C. Visigothic church of San Pedro de la Nave.

Coca, Turegano and Cuellar ( Segovia)

These medieval towns are located in the province of Segovia, with excellent castles.

Segovia

1 .Gothic cathedral from early 16th century, designed by the finest architect of the age, Juan Gil de Hontañon.

2. Priceless Romanesque churches from 12th and 13th centuries: San Millan and San Martin

3. Romanesque church of San Juan de los Caballeros, from early 12th century, incorporating first lateral portico which would later be associated with the magnificent Segovian Romanesque Style.

Segovia province:
4. Coca Castle. An important Roman settlement and birthplace of Emperior Theodosius. The castle is made of brick and is a masterpiece of Mudejar military architecture. It was built in the 15th c by the Fonseca family, the sepulchres of whom in the parish church are ascribed to Fancelli and Bartolom Ordoñez.

5. Turegano Castle. It stands in the back of the village square and dates from the 12th c. It was refurbished by the bishops of Segovia, its owners, in the 15th c.

6. Cuellar Castle

7. The cathedral, the oldest existing in Spain, was built during the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. Construction was begun in the second half of the 12th C, and it was practically finished in the 14th C. It has the plan of a basilica, a nave and two aisles, separated from each other by unadorned supports with plain capitals. Inside, the Plateresque altars and sepulchres are especially noteworthy. The curious aspect of the cathedral is due to the fact that it is part of the walls and of the defensive system of the city

8. The Church of St. Vincent, begun in the 9th century and finished in the 13th. It has exceptionally important sculptures

9 .The "Catedral Vieja" (Old Cathedral) :The Old Cathedral, begun in the 12th century, still has it's Torre del Gallo pointing skywards - one of the rare Romanesque, Byzantine domes in Spain. From the smaller patio one has the best view of the peculiar double arched lantern under an ovoli dome, with an outer decoration of scales. The main altarpiece, by Nicolas Florentino, who is also the painter of the Final Judgement fresco, the Romanesque Virgen de la Vega, Patroness of Salamanca, and several chapels all enrich the interior. Through the cloister, with its beautiful Romanesque Capitals, one can enter the Diocesan Museum.

10. The University, a 16th century construction, has a splendid Plateresque façade that characterises the first stage of Spanish Renaissance architecture. In the 11th and 12th centuries it already had "Colleges", but it was in the 13th century that it was granted the category of General Studies, along with Bologna, Paris and Oxford, by Pope Alexander IV. In the 16th century it reached its maximum splendour, both for its illustrious teachers, Francisco de Vitoria, Antonio de Nebrija, Fray Luis de Leon, and its students, San Juan de la Cruz, Calderon de la Barca, Luis de Gongora, Francisco Suarez.

11. The Irish College is also from the 16th century. Its plateresque courtyard is very beautiful.

Salamanca Province:
12. The Cathedral in Ciudad Rodrigo was built in the 12th and 13th centuries, and next to it the Cerralbo Chapel, in the style characteristic of El Escorial.