Valladolid and its province.
VALLADOLID
City of over 400,000 people and the place of the Parliament and the Government of the autonomous community of Castilla y Leon. Although there are signs of pre-Roman settlements, it is considered that the city was founded in 1072 when King Alfonso VI gave it to his favorite Pedro Ansúrez. Valladolid Carlos I made the capital of the kingdom until they moved permanently to Madrid. In Valladolid the Catholic monarchs gor married and several kings of Spain were born, including Felipe II and Felipe IV. It was the site of the death of Cristóbal Colón, and place of residence of Francisco de Quevedo and Miguel de Cervantes. It has a rich and varied old town, with many palaces, noble houses, churches and various museums, highlighting the National Sculpture Museum and the museum houses José Zorrilla and Cervantes. Culturally, one of its highlights is the Holy Week, declared of International Tourist Interest, and SEMINCI (International Film Week of Valladolid) that meets every year to the most important representatives of Spanish cinema and international author.
"Antigua" church, behind the cathedral.
Plaza Mayor.
Academia de CaballerÃa.
PEÑAFIEL
It's a town located 56 km at the east of Valladolid. It has a population of 5500 habitants. Its origins date back to prehistoric times, there remains vacceos settlements. Penafiel is reconquered to the Muslims in the year 1013 by Count Sancho Garcia, which gives its current name, proclaiming "from now on this will be the truest rock of Castilla". In this time when urban core is constituted at the foot of the hill overlooking the castle, acquiring a privileged position on the border. During medieval times, it housed many civil and religious buildings of great importance. Nowadays, buildings and monuments that make the architecture of the villa are preserved. The most important thing are Peñafiel Castle, the Museum of Wine, and in addition the Plaza del Coso Viejo, which serves as the post of municipal bulls and is credited with being one of the first places over Spain. Penafiel is considered the capital of the Ribera del Duero, and has an excellent cuisine highlighting the lamb in the oven.
Peñafiel
Castle of Peñafiel
Plaza del Coso
TORDESILLAS
Town located 28 km southwest of Valladolid, with a population of 9000 people. The origin of this town is still unknown, speculating on a Roman origin or Muslim, according to the authors, although the first clear reference dates back to 909. It was a lookout on the adjacent fields, along with Zamora, Toro and Simancas. It was in this city where it was signed the famous Treaty of Tordesillas on June 7, 1494, whereby the representatives of Portugal and Spain, King Juan II and the Catholic Monarchs respectively, distributed the areas of navigation and conquest of the Atlantic Ocean. Juana I of Castile, better known as Juana la Loca, was secluded in a convent of Tordesillas from 1509 until his death in 1555. From its architecture it's important the Bridge and the church of Santa MarÃa.
Tordesillas
Plaza Mayor
MEDINA DEL CAMPO
Town located 54 km on the south of Valladolid, its origin dates back to the vaccea time, becoming a Roman settlement later. During the Middle Ages, it was the largest market of wool of Castilla, wool which was exported to the rest of Europe. Its architecture highlights is the Castillo de la Mota, later served as state prison, where Hernando Pizarro was detained and people as Cesare Borgia, son of the Pope Alexander VI. Nowadays, it remains an important cultural center, with numerous festivals and events like the Renaissance Faire, held in August.
Plaza Mayor
"La Mota" Castle
SIMANCAS
Town located 14 km from Valladolid. The town's name comes from a legend in which it is said that a Muslim king demanded a tribute of seven maidens, and they cut their hands to prevent being delivered. The Muslim king, seeing them and proclaimed: "Si mancas me las das, mancas no las quiero", so the name was forged Simancas. In the year 939 the city wins the Muslims in the Battle of Simancas, who faced the king Ramiro II and the caliph Abd-al Rahman III. The city lies on the banks of the Pisuerga River, with a medieval bridge 17 arcos. The town center stands the castle, home of the General Archive of Simancas, where all documents relating to the discovery of America are saved.
General Archive
Maidens Monument
OTHERS PLACES
MEDINA DE RIOSECO: In Medina de Rioseco you can find another charming place, as is its main street (Calle Mayor) through which the wooden arcaded galleries happen, and where you can still see half-timbered houses built with a mix of mud, straw and sand. In Medina de Rioseco ends one of the branches of the little-known Canal de Castilla, an impressive feat of engineering that goes back to the eighteenth century. The result of such work was an extensive network of channels that includes the provinces of Valladolid, Palencia and Burgos, and which is now suitable for hiking, biking or canoeing or on a pleasure boat.
Canal de Castilla
Calle Mayor
OLMEDO: Another of the big surprises that you can take in a tour of Valladolid is the Museum of Roman Villas of Olmedo. This town has many visitors each year that focuses on cultural events and its curious Mudéjar theme park, its gardens where, while you are walking, you can be seen up to 21 replicas of monuments of Castilla y Leon. Now, in that Roman Villas Museum you will find not only the archaeological remains of a Roman villa, with stunning mosaics that have survived to the present, but also a very interesting area that shows things about the world of the Romans.
Romans Mosaics
URUEÑA:
It is a village that is located on a hill and surrounded by a great wall that you can go through and from which you can see the amazing and beautiful views of the vast Castilian plain of Tierra de Campos. That is why it is said that "wide is Castile." In Urueña you can discover why has the title Villa Book, and how culture can permeate a small town like this.
Walls
Urueña and its hermitage