Travel in Central Spain
Central Spain is home to the most soul-stirring and archetypal Spanish landscape. The great, windswept plains of the Castilian meseta (plateau), the wine country of La Rioja, and atmospheric La Mancha-Don Quixote's stomping ground-are dotted with isolated castles and ancient windmills. Here, vast spaces open up with a scale and grandeur unrivalled in Europe.
Salamanca Spain
Dating from Iberian times, Salamanca is one of the greatest cities of Spain. During the Roman era the city walls were constructed and a bridge (still standing) was built across the Rio Tormes. Later, Mo
orish and Christian forces fought intermittently over the city, until, in 1178, Ferdinand II of Leon assembled his parliament here, ensuring Salamanca's future importance and prosperity.
At the heart of the town, the Plaza Mayor (Main Square) built in the 18th century, is considered to be the most perfect plaza in Spain. To the south, Salamanca's two cathedrals, which throw up a thicket of spires and turrets, are contiguous; you enter the old through the new. Construction of the Catedral Nueva began in 1513. Inside, the triple-naved cathedral has marvellous Baroque choir stalls and 18 side chapels, most notably the Capilla Dorada (Golden Chapel), with 110 sculptures.
After the grandeur of the New Cathedral, the Catedral Vieja seems as intimate as a private chapel. Highlights of this Romanesque building include the 15th-century main altar; a retable featuring a fine 12th-century statue known as the Virgen de la Vega; and the unusual Mudejar dome in the Capilla de Talavera. The Diocesan Museum in the old chapter house has a notable collection of paintings by Fernando Gallego, an underrated master of 15th-century Hispano-Flemish style.
The Universidad (University) of Salamanca, founded in 1218, was one of the greatest centres of learning in medieval Europe. The main building's 16th-century Plateresque facade is unbelievably intricate, and the lecture halls around the central patio illustrate centuries of architectural and decorative detail. Nearby, the Patio de las Escuelas is surrounded by Plateresque buildings. Make sure you don't miss the terrific 15th-century Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells), just south of Plaza Mayor; its exterior walls are studded with hundreds of scallop shell motifs.
Zamora Spain
A strategic walled stronghold above the right bank of the Rio Ouero, the often besieged city of Zamora changed hands many times in the centuries of the Reconquest. For the best view of this appealing, historic city, cross the Ouero by the 14th-century bridge. From the south bank, you can admire the
Byzantine cupola of the cathedral, built in the 12th century and roofed in curved stone tiles laid like fish scales. Its interior features a notable retable by Fernando Gallego, and there is a tapestry museum in the cloister.
East of Zamora, the medieval hilltop town of Toro is a national monument. Besides some splendid Romanesque churches, convents, and mansions, and a ruined tenth-century castle, Toro's greatest pride is the Iglesia Colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor (Collegiate Church of St. Mary the Great). A Romanesque classic, it houses a most unusual 16th-century painting entitled The Virgin and the Fly, which is widely considered to be the best-known likeness of Isabella of Castile.
Leon information Spain
Leon is a prosperous, modem city with a welcoming ancient heart. It does not receive too many tourists, but those who do make the effort to visit are amply rewarded.
The most magnificent monument in the town is the 13th-Century Catedral de Santa Maria de RegIa. Clearly inspired by the French Gothic cathedral at Chartres, it has the most glorious complement of stained glass in all Spain-125 huge windows and 57 smaller glassed areas dating from the 13t
h through 20th centuries. The west facade sports mismatched towers and elaborately carved portals. Tours of the cloister, an elegant mix of Gothic and Renaissance elements, lead to the Diocesan Museum, which exhibits archeological finds as well as fine and applied arts.
A few streets west of the cathedral, an equestrian statue of St. Isidore crowns the south side of the Colegiata de San Isidoro (Collegiate Church). In the Moorish invasions, the saint's relics were evacuated to Leon from Seville, where he had been archbishop, and still attract pilgrims to this day. Next door, the naIve frescoes in the Panteon Real (Royal Pantheon), burial place of several kings and princes, are so wonderful it has been dubbed ''the Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Art."
The former Monasterio de San Marco rejoices in a formidable Plateresque facade. Intended as a hospice for the medieval pilgrims, Ferdinand the Catholic spared no expense in turning it into a showpiece for the Knights of St. James; today it is one of Spain's finest paradores. Non-residents are welcome to explore. The cloister and sacristy of the monastery house the Museo Arqueologico Provincial. Its collections run the gamut from Roman mosaics to Romanesque sculpture.
Valladolid Spain
The biggest and most industrialized city of this region, Valladolid may lack the historical charm of Leon, yet there is much here for students of architecture and sculpture, and there are also glimpses of Cervantes and Columbus. Valladolid is one of the hotbeds of the Isabelline style-a form of overblown Plateresque expressed in extravagant, florid ornamentation. It is named after Isabella of Castile, whose fateful marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon took place
in Valladolid in 1469.
Visitors plunge right into the mainstream of Isabelline decoration at the Colegio de San Gregorio, proud possessor of an unusually elaborate facade. The college houses the Museo Nacional de Escultura (
National Museum of Sculpture), the "Prado" of religious statuary, with works ranging from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The star here is the woodcarving genius of the Spanish Renaissance, Alonso Berruguete, said to have studied under Michelangelo. His martyrs seem to shed real tears and blood.
Visitors to Valladolid can hire a car directly from the airport to make the most of this intriguing region.
Another talent on show is Juan de Juni, an Italian-trained Frenchman of the mid-16th century. Juni's altarpiece in the cathedral is the highlight of a rich display of art contained within walls designed by Juan de Herrera, Co-creator of Philip II's Escorial complex.
Some famous names are linked with the city, including Philip II and Philip IV, who were both born here. In 1506, Christopher Columbus died in the arcaded two-storey CasaMuseo de Colon (House-Museum of Columbus), now restored to display relics and documents relating to the Age of Discovery. The Casa de Cervantes commemorates author Miguel Cervantes, creator of Don Quixote, who lived for several years in this ivy-covered house.
What to do around Valladolid
Coca Castle lies 63 km (39 miles) south of Valladolid. In Castile it is only natural to expect to see castles, but few if any are finer than this masterpiece of Spanish Mudejar military architecture in the small town of Coca. Constructed in the late 15th century for the Archbishop of Seville, Alonso de Fonseca, it has t
hree layers of walls surrounding an impenetrable keep, and there are towers and clusters of battlements at all levels. Although it is now a forestry school, it is still open to the public.
From afar, Pefiafiel Castle (35 km/22 miles east of Valladolid) looks like an improbable shipwreck. It's over 200 metres (220 yards) long, but less than 25 metres (28 yards) across, and sits stranded high on a lonely hilltop. The formidable stronghold has a double set of ramparts and 30 towers and turrets-enough to make any enemy think again. According to legend, when King Sancho reclaimed it from the Moors in the 11 th century, he is said to have announced that "Henceforth this shall be the faithful rock (pefiajiel) of Castile." In the village below, the big, open, sandy plaza is used for bullfights in August.
Burgos Spain
The one-time capital of the kingdom of Castile, Burgos is a beauty. One of the most significant resting places on the Pilgrim Way, it is still an excellent spot to stop today. The best approach is from the south, crossing the lazy Rio Arlanzon to the most flamboyant of the old city gates, the Arco de Santa Maria. Along the river here, promenades and flower gardens follow the path of the original city wall, and it is a favourite spot for the evening paseo (stroll).
The great cathe
dral of Burgos, the third-biggest cathedral in Spain (after Seville and Toledo), was begun in 122. Bristling with lacy spires, its treasures are many and varied, from Gil de Siloe's altar of St. Anne to his son Diego's exquisite golden stairway inside the Coroneria portal. Don't miss the splendid Constable's chapel, burial place of Hernandez de Velasco, Constable of Castile during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. EI Cid, the local hero and legendary 11th-century warrior, is buried beside his wife beneath the cathedral's dome.
Burgos is a wonderful city to amble through. There are busy shopping streets, inviting squares and parks, and distinguished medieval houses. Outstanding amongst the latter is the Casa Cordon, Plaza de Calvo Sotelo, where Ferdinand and Isabella welcomed Columbus back from his second voyage to the New World. To the south, there's a stirring equestrian statue of EI Cid before the San Pablo Bridge, and, across the river, another noble Renaissance house, the Casa Miranda, serves as the municipal museum.
On the western outskirts of Burgos, the Convento de las Huelgas was founded in the 12th century. Behind fortress-like walls, the complex is something of an architectural hybrid, with Romanesque elements and a superb Mudejar-Gothic cloister. Kings were crowned and buried here, and a small museum displays some of the ecclesiastical treasures and artworks amassed by the convent's powerful abbesses.
A few miles east of Burgos, in a forest park, is the 15th-century Carthusian monastery of Cartuja de Miraflores founded by Juan II. It features the alabaster sepulchre of Juan and his second wife Isabella of Portugal, which is housed in the white granite church. The work of master sculptor Gil de Siloe, it is considered to be one of the finest tombs in all Spain.
About Logroiio Spain
The leafy main square of
this spacious modern city is big enough for a fiesta, and when it's fiesta time in Logroiio you can be sure of a certain amount of wine tasting, for this is the lively capital of Spain's premier wine region, La Rioja.
Among medieval pilgrim travellers, the province of La Rioja was renowned for its cheerful and attentive hospitality. Their first stop would have been Santa Maria de Palacio, dating from the 11th century and topped by a tall, graceful, pyramid-shaped tower. A few streets to the south of the church, the cathedral, which is considerably younger, features a generously sculpted main portal. Behind the cathedral lie the atmospheric narrow streets of the old town.
Salamanca Spain
Dating from Iberian times, Salamanca is one of the greatest cities of Spain. During the Roman era the city walls were constructed and a bridge (still standing) was built across the Rio Tormes. Later, Mo
orish and Christian forces fought intermittently over the city, until, in 1178, Ferdinand II of Leon assembled his parliament here, ensuring Salamanca's future importance and prosperity.At the heart of the town, the Plaza Mayor (Main Square) built in the 18th century, is considered to be the most perfect plaza in Spain. To the south, Salamanca's two cathedrals, which throw up a thicket of spires and turrets, are contiguous; you enter the old through the new. Construction of the Catedral Nueva began in 1513. Inside, the triple-naved cathedral has marvellous Baroque choir stalls and 18 side chapels, most notably the Capilla Dorada (Golden Chapel), with 110 sculptures.
After the grandeur of the New Cathedral, the Catedral Vieja seems as intimate as a private chapel. Highlights of this Romanesque building include the 15th-century main altar; a retable featuring a fine 12th-century statue known as the Virgen de la Vega; and the unusual Mudejar dome in the Capilla de Talavera. The Diocesan Museum in the old chapter house has a notable collection of paintings by Fernando Gallego, an underrated master of 15th-century Hispano-Flemish style.
The Universidad (University) of Salamanca, founded in 1218, was one of the greatest centres of learning in medieval Europe. The main building's 16th-century Plateresque facade is unbelievably intricate, and the lecture halls around the central patio illustrate centuries of architectural and decorative detail. Nearby, the Patio de las Escuelas is surrounded by Plateresque buildings. Make sure you don't miss the terrific 15th-century Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells), just south of Plaza Mayor; its exterior walls are studded with hundreds of scallop shell motifs.
Zamora Spain
A strategic walled stronghold above the right bank of the Rio Ouero, the often besieged city of Zamora changed hands many times in the centuries of the Reconquest. For the best view of this appealing, historic city, cross the Ouero by the 14th-century bridge. From the south bank, you can admire the
Byzantine cupola of the cathedral, built in the 12th century and roofed in curved stone tiles laid like fish scales. Its interior features a notable retable by Fernando Gallego, and there is a tapestry museum in the cloister.East of Zamora, the medieval hilltop town of Toro is a national monument. Besides some splendid Romanesque churches, convents, and mansions, and a ruined tenth-century castle, Toro's greatest pride is the Iglesia Colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor (Collegiate Church of St. Mary the Great). A Romanesque classic, it houses a most unusual 16th-century painting entitled The Virgin and the Fly, which is widely considered to be the best-known likeness of Isabella of Castile.
Leon information Spain
Leon is a prosperous, modem city with a welcoming ancient heart. It does not receive too many tourists, but those who do make the effort to visit are amply rewarded.
The most magnificent monument in the town is the 13th-Century Catedral de Santa Maria de RegIa. Clearly inspired by the French Gothic cathedral at Chartres, it has the most glorious complement of stained glass in all Spain-125 huge windows and 57 smaller glassed areas dating from the 13t
h through 20th centuries. The west facade sports mismatched towers and elaborately carved portals. Tours of the cloister, an elegant mix of Gothic and Renaissance elements, lead to the Diocesan Museum, which exhibits archeological finds as well as fine and applied arts.A few streets west of the cathedral, an equestrian statue of St. Isidore crowns the south side of the Colegiata de San Isidoro (Collegiate Church). In the Moorish invasions, the saint's relics were evacuated to Leon from Seville, where he had been archbishop, and still attract pilgrims to this day. Next door, the naIve frescoes in the Panteon Real (Royal Pantheon), burial place of several kings and princes, are so wonderful it has been dubbed ''the Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Art."
The former Monasterio de San Marco rejoices in a formidable Plateresque facade. Intended as a hospice for the medieval pilgrims, Ferdinand the Catholic spared no expense in turning it into a showpiece for the Knights of St. James; today it is one of Spain's finest paradores. Non-residents are welcome to explore. The cloister and sacristy of the monastery house the Museo Arqueologico Provincial. Its collections run the gamut from Roman mosaics to Romanesque sculpture.
Valladolid Spain
The biggest and most industrialized city of this region, Valladolid may lack the historical charm of Leon, yet there is much here for students of architecture and sculpture, and there are also glimpses of Cervantes and Columbus. Valladolid is one of the hotbeds of the Isabelline style-a form of overblown Plateresque expressed in extravagant, florid ornamentation. It is named after Isabella of Castile, whose fateful marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon took place
in Valladolid in 1469.
Visitors plunge right into the mainstream of Isabelline decoration at the Colegio de San Gregorio, proud possessor of an unusually elaborate facade. The college houses the Museo Nacional de Escultura (
National Museum of Sculpture), the "Prado" of religious statuary, with works ranging from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The star here is the woodcarving genius of the Spanish Renaissance, Alonso Berruguete, said to have studied under Michelangelo. His martyrs seem to shed real tears and blood.Visitors to Valladolid can hire a car directly from the airport to make the most of this intriguing region.
Another talent on show is Juan de Juni, an Italian-trained Frenchman of the mid-16th century. Juni's altarpiece in the cathedral is the highlight of a rich display of art contained within walls designed by Juan de Herrera, Co-creator of Philip II's Escorial complex.
Some famous names are linked with the city, including Philip II and Philip IV, who were both born here. In 1506, Christopher Columbus died in the arcaded two-storey CasaMuseo de Colon (House-Museum of Columbus), now restored to display relics and documents relating to the Age of Discovery. The Casa de Cervantes commemorates author Miguel Cervantes, creator of Don Quixote, who lived for several years in this ivy-covered house.
What to do around Valladolid
Coca Castle lies 63 km (39 miles) south of Valladolid. In Castile it is only natural to expect to see castles, but few if any are finer than this masterpiece of Spanish Mudejar military architecture in the small town of Coca. Constructed in the late 15th century for the Archbishop of Seville, Alonso de Fonseca, it has t
hree layers of walls surrounding an impenetrable keep, and there are towers and clusters of battlements at all levels. Although it is now a forestry school, it is still open to the public.From afar, Pefiafiel Castle (35 km/22 miles east of Valladolid) looks like an improbable shipwreck. It's over 200 metres (220 yards) long, but less than 25 metres (28 yards) across, and sits stranded high on a lonely hilltop. The formidable stronghold has a double set of ramparts and 30 towers and turrets-enough to make any enemy think again. According to legend, when King Sancho reclaimed it from the Moors in the 11 th century, he is said to have announced that "Henceforth this shall be the faithful rock (pefiajiel) of Castile." In the village below, the big, open, sandy plaza is used for bullfights in August.
Burgos Spain
The one-time capital of the kingdom of Castile, Burgos is a beauty. One of the most significant resting places on the Pilgrim Way, it is still an excellent spot to stop today. The best approach is from the south, crossing the lazy Rio Arlanzon to the most flamboyant of the old city gates, the Arco de Santa Maria. Along the river here, promenades and flower gardens follow the path of the original city wall, and it is a favourite spot for the evening paseo (stroll).
The great cathe
dral of Burgos, the third-biggest cathedral in Spain (after Seville and Toledo), was begun in 122. Bristling with lacy spires, its treasures are many and varied, from Gil de Siloe's altar of St. Anne to his son Diego's exquisite golden stairway inside the Coroneria portal. Don't miss the splendid Constable's chapel, burial place of Hernandez de Velasco, Constable of Castile during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. EI Cid, the local hero and legendary 11th-century warrior, is buried beside his wife beneath the cathedral's dome.Burgos is a wonderful city to amble through. There are busy shopping streets, inviting squares and parks, and distinguished medieval houses. Outstanding amongst the latter is the Casa Cordon, Plaza de Calvo Sotelo, where Ferdinand and Isabella welcomed Columbus back from his second voyage to the New World. To the south, there's a stirring equestrian statue of EI Cid before the San Pablo Bridge, and, across the river, another noble Renaissance house, the Casa Miranda, serves as the municipal museum.
On the western outskirts of Burgos, the Convento de las Huelgas was founded in the 12th century. Behind fortress-like walls, the complex is something of an architectural hybrid, with Romanesque elements and a superb Mudejar-Gothic cloister. Kings were crowned and buried here, and a small museum displays some of the ecclesiastical treasures and artworks amassed by the convent's powerful abbesses.
A few miles east of Burgos, in a forest park, is the 15th-century Carthusian monastery of Cartuja de Miraflores founded by Juan II. It features the alabaster sepulchre of Juan and his second wife Isabella of Portugal, which is housed in the white granite church. The work of master sculptor Gil de Siloe, it is considered to be one of the finest tombs in all Spain.
About Logroiio Spain
The leafy main square of
this spacious modern city is big enough for a fiesta, and when it's fiesta time in Logroiio you can be sure of a certain amount of wine tasting, for this is the lively capital of Spain's premier wine region, La Rioja.Among medieval pilgrim travellers, the province of La Rioja was renowned for its cheerful and attentive hospitality. Their first stop would have been Santa Maria de Palacio, dating from the 11th century and topped by a tall, graceful, pyramid-shaped tower. A few streets to the south of the church, the cathedral, which is considerably younger, features a generously sculpted main portal. Behind the cathedral lie the atmospheric narrow streets of the old town.
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