Pedraza is a town and municipality in the province of Segovia (Spain), located 37 km northeast of the capital Segovia and with a resident population of 467 people. It is a walled medieval town, whose careful restoration led to its declaration as a Historic Site in 1951. The municipality is made up of Pedraza and the villages of Rades de Abajo and La Velilla. It is beautiful and worth visiting. You can go by car or on foot along forest roads from La Casona de Castilnovo. Monuments of interest: Plaza porticada, Castle, Puerta de la Villa, prison, church of San Juan.
Gastronomy: The gastronomy of the town corresponds to the traditional one of the province of Segovia, highlighting the roast lamb, the farm’s beans, the roast suckling pig or the Segovian punch.
Events
The night of the candles. The town is decorated with thousands of candles at the beginning of July (first and second Saturdays in July). Public lights are turned off and many windows are closed if you want to turn on any light in order to highlight the lighting of the streets, windows, squares, gardens and patios. The simple setting of the lit candles takes several hours at dusk.
- Celebrations in honor of the Virgen of Carrascal. In September the festivities are held in honor of the Virgen of Carrascal. The procession with the image of the Virgin, which is celebrated on September 8, and the bull running that takes place on the 9th are especially relevant during these festivities.
Sepúlveda, municipality and town in the province of Segovia, autonomous community of Castilla y León, (Spain).
In its term there is part of the Natural Park of the Hoces del Río Duratón and in the town there is the Interpretation Center of the Hoces del Duratón (located in the Church of Santiago) where you can see everything related to the Natural Park and with Sepúlveda.
Sepúlveda belongs to the region of Villa y Tierra de Sepúlveda, of which it is the head town and to the judicial party of the same name of which it is head, located in the northeast of the province of Segovia. It is 55 km from Segovia capital, 137 km from Burgos, 119 from Madrid (on the A-1) and 115 from Valladolid.
Gastonomía
- Sepúlveda stands out for being the world capital of roast lamb. In its restaurants you can enjoy suckling lamb roasted in a wood oven. But before this delicacy a Castilian soup feels very good, especially in winter. Then the suckling lamb or a cod to the sepulveda and for dessert Segovian punch or some buns of the earth that can also be bought to take to the family.
- In Sepúlveda there are restaurants and there are figons. A figón is a restaurant that only serves salad, lamb and dessert, that is, it is a place where you will eat lamb. In non-figon restaurants it is normally known as a restaurant with entrees, spoon dishes, seconds in which there is also fish and dessert.
Events
- Fiesta of Los Fueros. On the third Sunday of July, the “Fiesta de Los Fueros” is celebrated, which includes the decoration of the streets and squares with banners, medieval market, lighting of the Villa with torches, music performances and street theaters. Commemorates the Fuero granted to the Villa by Count Fernán González (confirmed by Alfonso VI of Castilla in 1076).
- The Imp. On August 23 (the eve of Saint Bartholomew) “El Diablillo” is celebrated, differentiated from that of Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz) in that that of Badajoz is daytime and that of Sepúlveda is night. At 22:00 at night the lights of the town go out and waiters dressed as Diablillos with red lights go out giving “brooms” to the crowd to remember that according to tradition it is the only night of the year in which Saint Bartholomew lets his people run at ease. Imp. In 2008, attempts have been made to recover the activities that existed many years ago to request the declaration of Regional Tourist Interest. It lasts 20 minutes. Afterwards, lemonade is distributed among the attendees.
Los Santos Toros. On the last weekend of August (from Thursday to Monday) the festivities known as “Los Santos Toros” are celebrated – a priest from the town said so – in which the rocks that have their premises in natural caves stand out ( with bulls and bulls bull running, with harmless children’s bull running, with brass bands, bullfights and orchestras).
- San Miguel. On September 29 (the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel) the festivities are held in honor of the Patron Saint of the Villa Y Tierra de Sepúlveda Community “the Virgin of Peña” (whose church is located above one of the most spectacular Sickles in the Duraton).
- Minerva. A tradition of great beauty and dating back to medieval times is the so-called Misa de Minerva, which the Corpus Christi Brotherhood celebrates on the third Sunday of each month and which consists of a mass in the Church of El Salvador, one of the first in the Segovian Romanesque, and after which a procession is held through the portico of said church with the Blessed Sacrament under the canopy.
Segovia is a Spanish city in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castilla y León, capital of the province of the same name. It is located at the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers, at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
The old city of Segovia and its aqueduct were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1985.
The Segovia Aqueduct, 818 meters long, is considered the most important Roman civil engineering work in Spain, and is one of the most significant and best preserved monuments of those left by the Romans in the Iberian Peninsula.
Location
- It is located in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula, close to Valladolid, and Madrid, the capital of Spain, which makes it easy to get there. The province of Segovia is one of the nine that make up the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León.
It limits to the north with Burgos and Valladolid, to the west with Ávila, to the south with Madrid and Guadalajara and to the east with Soria. The province’s altitude varies from 750 m in the extreme northwest to a maximum of 2430 m from the Peñalara peak. This town is part of the main route of the Camino de Santiago de Madrid.
Monuments
The Segovia Aqueduct, located in the emblematic Plaza del Azoguejo, is the distinctive symbol of the city; the date of its construction, which could have been carried out at the end of the 1st century or the beginning of the 2nd century, is unknown and it is the most important Roman civil engineering work in Spain. It was made with about 25,000 granite ashlars joined without any mortar, it has a length of 818 meters in its most visible part; Although it should not be forgotten that its total route is about 15km from the catchment dam near the Puente Alta Reservoir. It consists of more than 170 arches and its highest part measures 29 meters, as it reaches Azoguejo, its most visited area.
The Alcázar de Segovia, a royal palace located on top of a rock between the Eresma and Clamores rivers, is first documented in 1122, although it is possible that it existed in an earlier era. It was one of the favorite residences of the Kings of Castile, built in the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and in which the Mudejar decoration of its large rooms stands out. The building is articulated through two courtyards and has two towers, that of the Homage and that of Juan II. It was the favorite residence of Alfonso X el Sabio and Enrique IV, and from it Isabel la Católica left to be crowned Queen of Castile in the main square. Devastated by a fire in 1862, it was subsequently rebuilt. It currently houses the General Military Archive of Segovia and the museum of the Royal Artillery College, managed by the Alcázar Board of Trustees.
The Monastery of San Antonio el Real (Segovia) was the old hunting lodge of Enrique IV and later became a convent. Its Mudejar-style coffered ceilings, all dating from 1455, are unique, they are all from the period (unlike the ceilings of the Alcázar de Segovia that were destroyed during the fire in 1862 and rebuilt in the early 20th century). The church has a Mudejar ceiling and the cloister (now converted into a museum) presents other examples of Nasrid Mudejar ceilings. Ten nuns still live in the convent.
The Cathedral of Santa María is the last Gothic cathedral that was built in Spain. It is considered the masterpiece of Basque-Castilian Gothic and is known as “The Lady of the Cathedrals”. It is the third cathedral in the city, and preserves the cloister of the second, located in front of the quarterdeck and destroyed during the War of the Communities in 1520. Juan and Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, and other masters of Spanish architecture worked on their works . It was consecrated in 1768 and has dimensions of 105 meters long, 50 wide and 33 high in the central nave; It consists of 18 chapels and has three access doors: the Perdón door, the San Frutos door and the San Geroteo door, the first bishop of the diocese.
The Walls of Segovia already existed when Alfonso VI of Castilla took the city from the Arabs, who ordered it to be expanded, reaching a perimeter of 3 kilometers, eighty towers, five gates and several shutters. Its construction was carried out mainly with granite ashlars, although tombstones from the Roman necropolis were also reused. The wall runs through the old town, and currently has three doors: San Cebrián, of great austerity; Santiago, with a Mudejar aspect; and San Andrés, gateway to the Jewish quarter; and the shutters of Consuelo, San Juan, the Sun and the Moon.
Gastronomy
In the kitchens of Segovia, those of the inns and those of the houses, indigenous foods, natural from the fertile surrounding lands, have been elaborated for centuries, until they became exquisite recipes. The generous lands of the province provide good products, starting with the most popular food, bread, made with the wheat from our “bread take” fields, or milk, the base of the cheeses of the Segovia province.
- The tender roast suckling pig or suckling pig are part of the meat offer of restaurants in the capital, completed by the thousand and one products obtained from the ritual slaughter of pork, which is still celebrated in the towns of the province during the longest months cold.
The mountain rivers of the nearby summits provide the exquisite trout, and the generous orchards a varied and rich seasonal offer.
- If desired, the menu is completed with delicately devised desserts by cloistered nuns, experienced confectioners and pastry chefs: donuts, puffs, rosettes, flakes, cakes and, above all, the delicate Segovian punch, with a creamy interior and toasted appearance. .
A meal in Segovia cannot fail to be accompanied by some of the renowned wines produced in the province such as the Blancos de Nieva or the Reds of Valtiendas.
Events
Fiesta de San Lorenzo (around August 10), is the festival of one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city.
- Fairs and Festivals of San Juan and San Pedro (between June 24 and 29), are the most important festivals in the city and have been held since the 15th century.
- Feast of San Frutos (October 25), patron saint of Segovia. At mid-morning the Christmas carol of San Frutos is sung in the cathedral, after which there are usually different activities in the Plaza Mayor, such as a proclamation, a concert by the Segovian Musical Union Band, mycology exhibitions, etc. In recent years, pastry chefs in Segovia have invented a dessert for the saint. On the night before San Frutos, the Segovians gathered before the image of the saint at the door of the cathedral to see him turn the page of the book he is holding.
- Feast of the Virgin of Fuencisla (September 25), patron saint of Segovia. The day of the greatest celebration is the last Sunday of the month. Two Thursdays before the Virgin climbs from her sanctuary in the Fuencisla avenue to the cathedral to start the novena. For the next nine days the novena is celebrated in the cathedral, where the Fuencisla hymn is sung, and on the last Sunday of the month the Virgin returns to her sanctuary. Since the Virgin has been Captain General of Artillery (which is indicated by the baton and sash at her feet) since September 24, 1916, on her trips between the sanctuary and the cathedral she is accompanied by cadets from the Artillery Academy and by the brass band. The day she returns to the sanctuary, she is accompanied by the cadets to the Plaza del Azoguejo, where a salve is sung. Until a few years ago there were exhibitions of Castilian jacks in the Fuencisla mall when the Virgin arrived; lately the jacks are danced in the Azoguejo itself.
The Hoces del Río Duratón Natural Park is a protected area that includes the environment of the sickles that this river has in its middle section. These are the canyon that the Duratón, a tributary of the Douro River, has excavated in a limestone rock area between the towns of Sepúlveda and Burgomillodo (annex of Carrascal del Río), northeast of the province of Segovia.
This place, made up of the middle course of the Duratón, was declared a Natural Park on June 27, 1989 by the Cortes de Castilla y León, integrating with the protected areas of that community, a statement made in attention to the importance of its natural ecosystems and landscape values. The colony of griffon vultures established in the protected area is considered the largest in Europe, both for its number, 575 pairs registered in 2003, and for its reproductive level. This colony has become one of the main attractions of the park.
The declaration of Natural Park was made to contribute to the conservation of its gea, fauna, flora, waters and, in short, its natural ecosystems and landscape values in harmony with the traditional agricultural uses and uses and with the development of educational activities, scientific, cultural, recreational, tourist or socioeconomic compatible with the necessary protection of space.
The sickles of the Duratón river were classified as a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA), being integrated into the Natura 2000 Network in April 1991 and declared as a Site of Community Importance (LIC) in January 1998. Since 2004 the Park management is carried out through the LIFE Project, a specific action program of the European Union, within which different maintenance and recovery actions are carried out as well as the search for a sustainable development of its resources. One of the purposes of the LIFE project is to contribute to the development of a management model for the future Natura 2000 Network.
The park occupies an area of 5,037 hectares that extends on land in the municipalities of Sepúlveda, Sebúlcor and Carrascal del Río, all in the province of Segovia. Along with its natural wealth, there is an important cultural heritage that makes it an important tourist and leisure destination. Stresses the hermitage of San Frutos and the monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Hoz.
Maderuelo is a monumental municipality and town located in the north of the province of Segovia, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León (Spain).
Its municipal area of 94.19 km², borders the province of Soria and the province of Burgos. Has a population of 136 inhabitants. The river that runs through it is the Riaza River.
It is a town with a medieval church that contains a mummy of a girl found in the surroundings. Right next to the church, there is a catapult that is not used except in medieval festivals held in the summer.
The town is on top of a hill and is surrounded by a reservoir, also called the Linares reservoir, which houses an old bridge that was covered by water when the reservoir was built.
The town serves as the setting for the television series Tierra de lobos.
Events
- Festivities. They are held on the last Sunday of September, in honor of Our Lady of Castroboda, its patron saint. From Friday to Tuesday the party transcends the walls with a mixture of devotion, dance and friendship.
- Santa Águeda.The weekend of February 5, women celebrate ancient traditions. Snack, dance and songs.
Medieval party. Since 2000 the “Medieval Festival” has been held on the last weekend of August.
Intramural Heritage
Villa of Maderuelo. Well of Cultural Interest with the category of Historical Complex.
- The main entrance door to the villa: part of the remains of the wall that have been kept since medieval times.
- The church of San Miguel: in the heart of the town, it has a simple apse with an arrow window, without decoration and simple canecillos, of Romanesque origin.
The church of Santa María: a mixture of ashlar, masonry and brick construction, has remains of its Romanesque origin, such as its south doorway, with sawtooth moldings.1 On the north doorway there is a walled entrance and some brick arches Mudejar style.
- The door of the neighborhood.
- The castle ruins. Well of Cultural Interest with the category of Castle.
- The walls.
- The medieval tower.
Extramural heritage
- View of the hermitage of Vera Cruz.
- The old medieval bridge.
- The hermitage of Vera Cruz, Well of Cultural Interest with the category of Monument. It had outstanding Romanesque paintings at its head that were transferred in 1947 to the Prado Museum in Madrid. It is built in stonework with some part in ashlar masonry. Among the scenes shown were the creation of man, original sin, Christ in majesty surrounded by evangelists, angels, the Virgin and a bishop.
Natural heritage
- In its municipal area is the Linares reservoir and the sickles of the Riaza river founded by Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente together with the term of Montejo de la Vega de la Serrezuela.
- Some of the animals that reside in the surroundings are: the vulture, the rabbit, the fox, the rare Egyptian vulture, etc.