Segovia car hire
If you are planning to visit Segovia, the best way to get around the region is to hire a car from Barajas Airport Madrid. Airport car hire can be pre-booked and you can save time and money by arranging your car hire before you travel.
Segovia things to do
Occupying a rocky perch high above two deep valleys, between the northern slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama and the high, flat table-land of Castilla y Leon, Segovia has a city center that reaches an altitude of 3,280 feet. Many compare its overall silhouette to that of a ship, with the Alcdzar rising high in the west like a prow above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores Rivers. Only 57 miles (91 km) northwest of Madrid, Segovia is a favorite retreat for both foreign travelers and Spaaiards, who often make day trips from the capital to savor its scenic charm, historic sights, and out standing food.
The Romans endowed the city with its greatest marvel: a 2,000-year old aqueduct that rises almost 100 feet above the Plaza del Azoguejo and is still in use today. City traffic once passed through the same slender arches that Roman chariots did; but the aqueduct is now closed to traffic as engineers study the extent of damage caused by the vibrations of cars, trucks, and buses rumbling underneath.
Two Roman roads also converged in Segovia, further attesting to its former stature as a strategic military town. With the incursion of the Visigoths in the 6th century, a gradual decline began, subsequently accelerated by 200 years of Muslim rule. Then, revitalized by the Reconquista, Segovia received another boost in prestige in 1474 when Isabella the Catholic was proclaimed Queen of Castile in the Plaza Mayor (she and her husband, King Ferdinand, later tarnished the city's reputation on March 31, 1492, when they signed the decree expelling the Jews from Spain at the Alcdzar).
Decline set in again after the Comuneros uprising of 1520-21, when the comunidades (autonomous cities) of Castile, led by Juan de Padilla of Toledo and Juan Bravo of Segovia, revolted unsuccessfully against the absolutism of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The city was left badly damaged, and regained its prominence only after Philip V chose nearby La Granja as the site for his castle in the early 18th century.
At the turn of the 20th century, two artists - one painter and one poet focused their creative attentions upon Segovia and Castile. The painter Ignacio Zuloaga was a master at capturing Segovia's special light and the earthy quality of its inhabitants. The poet Antonio Machado, an Andalusian who lived for more than a decade in a house on Calle de los Desamparados that is now a small museum, proclaimed his enchantment with the region in a book of poems entitled Campos de Castilla (Fields of Castile).
The Jewish Quarter of Segovia
Today Segovia rests largely on its historic laurels, and the population depends greatly on a steady stream of visitors from the capital for its continuing prosperity. In recent years the city has been striving to conserve and recover its Jewish heritage by sponsoring conferences and unveiling plans to create a center for Sephardic studies in Segovia's old juderia (Jewish quarter). There are also plans to restore the former Jewish cemetery, which sits on EI Pinarillo hill above the Rio (River) Eresma across from the Alcazar.
Many visitors return to Segovia again and are lured by its great beauty and by its many gastronomic attractions, the greatest of which is cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig). Most Sundays throughout the year, the Plaza Mayor bristles with exuberant throngs honing their appetites on aperitifs and tapas in anticipation of the succulent, sweet pork nestled beneath crisp brown skin.
Later, sated diners walk off their extravagance with a stroll through the narrow streets of the Casco Viejo, the old city centre, making their way from the Alcazar to the cathedral to the Roman aqueduct, past Romanesque churches, buildings covered with the multi-layer plaster esgrafiado designs characteristic of Segovia, ad numerous Spots from which to admire panoramic views. Before returmng home they usually partake of a merienda (afternoon snack) of sweet Segovian mazapan (marzipan) at one of the cafes on the Plaza Mayor or simply stock up on this delicacy for the week. It's a modest but fittingly rich treat for a handsome city that is small yet among Spain's richest in historical treasures.
The Parador at Segovia
Approximately 1'/. miles (2 km) north of Segovia along the N601 highway leading to Valladolid, the Paradorde Segovia offers a marvelous view of the entire city. On Saturday and Sunday nights, the aqueduct and cathedral are illuminated.
Segovia monuments
The major monuments of Segovia are within the confines of the old walled city, the Casco Viejo. Although the walls, which date fo the time of the Reconquest, are barely in evidence today, three of the original seven gates - San Cebrian, Santiago, and San Andres still stand. The walls gave the old part of Segovia its ship-like shape, with Alcazar the bow and the Roman aqueduct the stern. The cathedral and Plaza Mayor are roughly amid ships.
Segovia is known for its remarkable collection of Romanesque churches. They (along with numerous other monuments) are within the walls, but a number of remaining sights are beyond and w the walls on the starboard side (to the north) of the old section, on both sides of the Rio Eresma. As with most medieval cities in Spain, you are advised to drive your hire car to the outskirts and explore the city by foot.
Alcazar Segovia
This Disneyesque castle-palace at the western end of town perches above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers. In fact, Walt Disney used it as a model for the castle in Sleeping Beauty. Built during the 12th and 13th centuries on top of an older fortress, it was enriched and enlarged in the 15th and 18th centuries with numerous magnificent chambers. Princess Isabella first met Ferdinand in this castle, and in 1474 she set forth from the Alcazar to be crowned Queen of Castile in Segovia's Plaza Mayor; a painting commemorating that event today hangs in the castle's Sala de la Calera (Hospital Ward).
The Alcazar was also the site of Philip II's fourth marriage - this one to Anne of Austria.In the 16th century, the Torre del Homenaje (Tower of Homage, also known as the Torre de Juan II), covered with the typically Segovian esgrafiado decoration suggestive of Moorish times, was used as a state prison. King Carlos III installed the Colegio Real de Artilleria (Royal Artillery College) in the Alcazar in the 17th century.
In 1862 a fierce fire gutted the place, and it was rebuilt in a romantic vein, with a simple charm that is still magical and elegant. Of special interest are the authentic period furnishings and the Mudejar ceilings and tilework (Mudejar is the hybrid Gothic-Moorish style of the Moorish artisans-mudejares permitted to continue living under Christian rule). The 360 view of the Castilian countryside from the top of the Torre del Homenaje is worth the 152 steps up, but you can get a good view of sights outside the city walls from the garden in front of the Alcazar.
Segovia Cathedral
Built in the late Gothic style at a time when Renaissance structures were in vogue (1515 to 1558), this cathedral was, by order of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, constructed on a higher and more secure site than the cathedral it replaced, which had been destroyed in the revolt of the Comuneros. Though in Spain it is known as the lady of the cathedrals because of its elegance, slender lines, and restrained austerity, its treasures are not comparable to those of the cathedrals of Leon or Salamanca.
Noteworthy, however, are the Flamboyant-style choir stalls and Isabelline Gothic cloister, both brought from the old cathedral; the 16th-century carving of La Piedad (Pieta) by Juan de Juni in the Capilla del Santo Entierro (Chapel of the Holy Burial, the first chapel to the right as you enter the church); and the altarpiece in the Capilla de Santiago (St. James Chapel, next to the museum entrance).
Also note the chapels around the apse; painted in pale rococo colors, they are quite different in feeling from the rest. The Sala Capitular (chapter house), used for meetings of the cathedral's clergy, has Flemish tapestries, a 16thcentury Castilian School sculpture of Christ on the cross, and a fine artesolado (wood and gold inlaid ceiling) from the 17th century. The museum contains an 18thcentury gold carriage used in Corpus Christi processions each June. Open daily.
Plaza de San Martin Segovia
This square, at the heart of the walled city, is bordered by old mansions, including the Casa del Siglo XV (House of the 15th Century), often mistakenly identified as the house of Juan Bravo, a 16th-century Segovian who was one of the leaders of the Comuneros uprising and whose statue presides over the lower level of the square. The tower off to one end is the 14th-century Toreon de Lozoya, and the portico running along a side belongs to the 11th-century Iglesia de San Martin, the most centrally located of numerous Romanesque churches in Segovia.
The Segovia Aqueduct
This striking landmark is one of Europe's finest examples of Roman architecture, and the most complete Roman monument in Spain. A majestic row of double arches, made only of oiled granite blocks, the aqueduct was built some 2,000 years ago without the use of cranes, pumps, or even mortar, but with that sense of elegance that the Romans brought to even their most functional creations.
They cut the granite to a perfect, jigsaw fit, then stacked the blocks, creating a remarkable feat of engineering a means of siphoning water from the Acebeda River and transporting it to the city. Stretching from the dusty orange hills above the dry Castilian plain to the city, the aqueduct is 21,500 feet long and 96 feet high, with 166 arches in two tiers.
The most impressive frontal view is from Plaza del Azoguejo, where the aqueduct reaches its highest point.Climb the steps on the left side of the square for the best longitudinal view of the arches stretching into the distance and •the sea of red tiles created by the city rooftops. At the very top, go through the wall, under an arch, and around to the lookout point. Plaza del Azoguejo.
Things to see near Segovia
Iglesia de la Vera Cruz
Across the Rio Eresma just northwest of the city, this early l3th-century house of worship was constructed by the Knights Templars in the late Romanesque style. Modeled after the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, it has 12 sides, an unusual shape for a Spanish church. Inside is a two-story circular room (a sort of churchwithinachurch), a 13thcentury carved wooden Christ above the central apse, and the Capilla Lignum Crucis (Wood of the Cross Chapel) in the base of the tower. The church is said to have once housed a sliver of the actual cross of Christ's crucifixion, hence its name (this relic is now housed in the nearby village of Zamarramala). Closed Mondays. Admission charge. Carretera a Zamarramala.
Monastery of the Vineyard Segovia
Founded by Henry IV in the mid-15th century and given to the Spanish order of St. Hieronymus ( aka Jerome), this monastery is also located across the Rio Eresma a halfmile (1 km) north of the city. The church, a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, and Plateresque elements, was designed and begun by Juan Gallego at the end of the century, but Its faade was left unfinished.
The monastery was abandoned after the suppression of religious orders in 1835, but it has been restord and is once again occupied by jeronimos. Notable are the alabaster tombs of the Marquis of Villena and his wife, and the polychrome altarpiece, all carved by Juan Rodriguez.
The San Antonio Convent Segovia
Built by Enrique IV during the mid-15th century as a country house, it was later gIven to the Franciscans and the Poor Clares religious orders, who inhabit it to this day. The church has a wonderful original Mudejar ceiling over a huge, lavish altarpIece, plus three smaller altarpieces, including one with a remakable 15th-century Flemish rendering of the Calvario. A nun takes visitors around the cloister and adjoining rooms, where there are more original ceilings and, set in the walls, several small Flemish crucifixion scenes. Open daily. Admission charge to the cloister. To reach the convent, follow the Roman aqueduct from behind the Meso de Candido side of Plaza del Azoguejo; when it ends, with arches about waist high, the convent is only a short distance away.
The Riofrio Palace Segovia
Heading back to Segovia from La Granja on N601, look for the sign and turn-off marked Riofrio. Follow the road 4 miles (6 km) and pass through the intersection following the second sign marked Palacio y Bosque de Riofrio. Continue another 4 miles•(6 km) and turn left at the intersection for SG724. A guard signals the entrance to a protected parkland where an amazing multitude of friendly deer greets you along the last few miles of the road leading to the palace.
The rather plain exterior of the 18th-century peach-colored palace with limegreen shutters belies the elegance within. Built by Isabella Farnese, who feared that she might be ousted from La Granja after Felipe V's death by her stepson, the new king, originally it was conceived as a hunting palace for her own son and later served as a residence for Alfonso XII, grandfather of king Juan Carlos I. Notice the striking series of draped doorways; the chandeliers (mostly of Spanish construction); several tapestries by Goya and Bayeu; and the furnishings and decorations from the days of Alfonso XII.
The northern wing of the palace has been given over to a Museo de La Caza (Museum of the Hunt), which features reproductions of hunting paraphernalia from the prehistoric to the modern era.
Segovia things to do
Occupying a rocky perch high above two deep valleys, between the northern slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama and the high, flat table-land of Castilla y Leon, Segovia has a city center that reaches an altitude of 3,280 feet. Many compare its overall silhouette to that of a ship, with the Alcdzar rising high in the west like a prow above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores Rivers. Only 57 miles (91 km) northwest of Madrid, Segovia is a favorite retreat for both foreign travelers and Spaaiards, who often make day trips from the capital to savor its scenic charm, historic sights, and out standing food.
The Romans endowed the city with its greatest marvel: a 2,000-year old aqueduct that rises almost 100 feet above the Plaza del Azoguejo and is still in use today. City traffic once passed through the same slender arches that Roman chariots did; but the aqueduct is now closed to traffic as engineers study the extent of damage caused by the vibrations of cars, trucks, and buses rumbling underneath.
Two Roman roads also converged in Segovia, further attesting to its former stature as a strategic military town. With the incursion of the Visigoths in the 6th century, a gradual decline began, subsequently accelerated by 200 years of Muslim rule. Then, revitalized by the Reconquista, Segovia received another boost in prestige in 1474 when Isabella the Catholic was proclaimed Queen of Castile in the Plaza Mayor (she and her husband, King Ferdinand, later tarnished the city's reputation on March 31, 1492, when they signed the decree expelling the Jews from Spain at the Alcdzar).
Decline set in again after the Comuneros uprising of 1520-21, when the comunidades (autonomous cities) of Castile, led by Juan de Padilla of Toledo and Juan Bravo of Segovia, revolted unsuccessfully against the absolutism of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The city was left badly damaged, and regained its prominence only after Philip V chose nearby La Granja as the site for his castle in the early 18th century.
At the turn of the 20th century, two artists - one painter and one poet focused their creative attentions upon Segovia and Castile. The painter Ignacio Zuloaga was a master at capturing Segovia's special light and the earthy quality of its inhabitants. The poet Antonio Machado, an Andalusian who lived for more than a decade in a house on Calle de los Desamparados that is now a small museum, proclaimed his enchantment with the region in a book of poems entitled Campos de Castilla (Fields of Castile).
The Jewish Quarter of Segovia
Today Segovia rests largely on its historic laurels, and the population depends greatly on a steady stream of visitors from the capital for its continuing prosperity. In recent years the city has been striving to conserve and recover its Jewish heritage by sponsoring conferences and unveiling plans to create a center for Sephardic studies in Segovia's old juderia (Jewish quarter). There are also plans to restore the former Jewish cemetery, which sits on EI Pinarillo hill above the Rio (River) Eresma across from the Alcazar.
Many visitors return to Segovia again and are lured by its great beauty and by its many gastronomic attractions, the greatest of which is cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig). Most Sundays throughout the year, the Plaza Mayor bristles with exuberant throngs honing their appetites on aperitifs and tapas in anticipation of the succulent, sweet pork nestled beneath crisp brown skin.
Later, sated diners walk off their extravagance with a stroll through the narrow streets of the Casco Viejo, the old city centre, making their way from the Alcazar to the cathedral to the Roman aqueduct, past Romanesque churches, buildings covered with the multi-layer plaster esgrafiado designs characteristic of Segovia, ad numerous Spots from which to admire panoramic views. Before returmng home they usually partake of a merienda (afternoon snack) of sweet Segovian mazapan (marzipan) at one of the cafes on the Plaza Mayor or simply stock up on this delicacy for the week. It's a modest but fittingly rich treat for a handsome city that is small yet among Spain's richest in historical treasures.
The Parador at Segovia
Approximately 1'/. miles (2 km) north of Segovia along the N601 highway leading to Valladolid, the Paradorde Segovia offers a marvelous view of the entire city. On Saturday and Sunday nights, the aqueduct and cathedral are illuminated.
Segovia monuments
The major monuments of Segovia are within the confines of the old walled city, the Casco Viejo. Although the walls, which date fo the time of the Reconquest, are barely in evidence today, three of the original seven gates - San Cebrian, Santiago, and San Andres still stand. The walls gave the old part of Segovia its ship-like shape, with Alcazar the bow and the Roman aqueduct the stern. The cathedral and Plaza Mayor are roughly amid ships.
Segovia is known for its remarkable collection of Romanesque churches. They (along with numerous other monuments) are within the walls, but a number of remaining sights are beyond and w the walls on the starboard side (to the north) of the old section, on both sides of the Rio Eresma. As with most medieval cities in Spain, you are advised to drive your hire car to the outskirts and explore the city by foot.
Alcazar Segovia
This Disneyesque castle-palace at the western end of town perches above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers. In fact, Walt Disney used it as a model for the castle in Sleeping Beauty. Built during the 12th and 13th centuries on top of an older fortress, it was enriched and enlarged in the 15th and 18th centuries with numerous magnificent chambers. Princess Isabella first met Ferdinand in this castle, and in 1474 she set forth from the Alcazar to be crowned Queen of Castile in Segovia's Plaza Mayor; a painting commemorating that event today hangs in the castle's Sala de la Calera (Hospital Ward).
The Alcazar was also the site of Philip II's fourth marriage - this one to Anne of Austria.In the 16th century, the Torre del Homenaje (Tower of Homage, also known as the Torre de Juan II), covered with the typically Segovian esgrafiado decoration suggestive of Moorish times, was used as a state prison. King Carlos III installed the Colegio Real de Artilleria (Royal Artillery College) in the Alcazar in the 17th century.
In 1862 a fierce fire gutted the place, and it was rebuilt in a romantic vein, with a simple charm that is still magical and elegant. Of special interest are the authentic period furnishings and the Mudejar ceilings and tilework (Mudejar is the hybrid Gothic-Moorish style of the Moorish artisans-mudejares permitted to continue living under Christian rule). The 360 view of the Castilian countryside from the top of the Torre del Homenaje is worth the 152 steps up, but you can get a good view of sights outside the city walls from the garden in front of the Alcazar.
Segovia Cathedral
Built in the late Gothic style at a time when Renaissance structures were in vogue (1515 to 1558), this cathedral was, by order of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, constructed on a higher and more secure site than the cathedral it replaced, which had been destroyed in the revolt of the Comuneros. Though in Spain it is known as the lady of the cathedrals because of its elegance, slender lines, and restrained austerity, its treasures are not comparable to those of the cathedrals of Leon or Salamanca.
Noteworthy, however, are the Flamboyant-style choir stalls and Isabelline Gothic cloister, both brought from the old cathedral; the 16th-century carving of La Piedad (Pieta) by Juan de Juni in the Capilla del Santo Entierro (Chapel of the Holy Burial, the first chapel to the right as you enter the church); and the altarpiece in the Capilla de Santiago (St. James Chapel, next to the museum entrance).
Also note the chapels around the apse; painted in pale rococo colors, they are quite different in feeling from the rest. The Sala Capitular (chapter house), used for meetings of the cathedral's clergy, has Flemish tapestries, a 16thcentury Castilian School sculpture of Christ on the cross, and a fine artesolado (wood and gold inlaid ceiling) from the 17th century. The museum contains an 18thcentury gold carriage used in Corpus Christi processions each June. Open daily.
Plaza de San Martin Segovia
This square, at the heart of the walled city, is bordered by old mansions, including the Casa del Siglo XV (House of the 15th Century), often mistakenly identified as the house of Juan Bravo, a 16th-century Segovian who was one of the leaders of the Comuneros uprising and whose statue presides over the lower level of the square. The tower off to one end is the 14th-century Toreon de Lozoya, and the portico running along a side belongs to the 11th-century Iglesia de San Martin, the most centrally located of numerous Romanesque churches in Segovia.
The Segovia Aqueduct
This striking landmark is one of Europe's finest examples of Roman architecture, and the most complete Roman monument in Spain. A majestic row of double arches, made only of oiled granite blocks, the aqueduct was built some 2,000 years ago without the use of cranes, pumps, or even mortar, but with that sense of elegance that the Romans brought to even their most functional creations.
They cut the granite to a perfect, jigsaw fit, then stacked the blocks, creating a remarkable feat of engineering a means of siphoning water from the Acebeda River and transporting it to the city. Stretching from the dusty orange hills above the dry Castilian plain to the city, the aqueduct is 21,500 feet long and 96 feet high, with 166 arches in two tiers.
The most impressive frontal view is from Plaza del Azoguejo, where the aqueduct reaches its highest point.Climb the steps on the left side of the square for the best longitudinal view of the arches stretching into the distance and •the sea of red tiles created by the city rooftops. At the very top, go through the wall, under an arch, and around to the lookout point. Plaza del Azoguejo.
Things to see near Segovia
Iglesia de la Vera Cruz
Across the Rio Eresma just northwest of the city, this early l3th-century house of worship was constructed by the Knights Templars in the late Romanesque style. Modeled after the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, it has 12 sides, an unusual shape for a Spanish church. Inside is a two-story circular room (a sort of churchwithinachurch), a 13thcentury carved wooden Christ above the central apse, and the Capilla Lignum Crucis (Wood of the Cross Chapel) in the base of the tower. The church is said to have once housed a sliver of the actual cross of Christ's crucifixion, hence its name (this relic is now housed in the nearby village of Zamarramala). Closed Mondays. Admission charge. Carretera a Zamarramala.
Monastery of the Vineyard Segovia
Founded by Henry IV in the mid-15th century and given to the Spanish order of St. Hieronymus ( aka Jerome), this monastery is also located across the Rio Eresma a halfmile (1 km) north of the city. The church, a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, and Plateresque elements, was designed and begun by Juan Gallego at the end of the century, but Its faade was left unfinished.
The monastery was abandoned after the suppression of religious orders in 1835, but it has been restord and is once again occupied by jeronimos. Notable are the alabaster tombs of the Marquis of Villena and his wife, and the polychrome altarpiece, all carved by Juan Rodriguez.
The San Antonio Convent Segovia
Built by Enrique IV during the mid-15th century as a country house, it was later gIven to the Franciscans and the Poor Clares religious orders, who inhabit it to this day. The church has a wonderful original Mudejar ceiling over a huge, lavish altarpIece, plus three smaller altarpieces, including one with a remakable 15th-century Flemish rendering of the Calvario. A nun takes visitors around the cloister and adjoining rooms, where there are more original ceilings and, set in the walls, several small Flemish crucifixion scenes. Open daily. Admission charge to the cloister. To reach the convent, follow the Roman aqueduct from behind the Meso de Candido side of Plaza del Azoguejo; when it ends, with arches about waist high, the convent is only a short distance away.
The Riofrio Palace Segovia
Heading back to Segovia from La Granja on N601, look for the sign and turn-off marked Riofrio. Follow the road 4 miles (6 km) and pass through the intersection following the second sign marked Palacio y Bosque de Riofrio. Continue another 4 miles•(6 km) and turn left at the intersection for SG724. A guard signals the entrance to a protected parkland where an amazing multitude of friendly deer greets you along the last few miles of the road leading to the palace.
The rather plain exterior of the 18th-century peach-colored palace with limegreen shutters belies the elegance within. Built by Isabella Farnese, who feared that she might be ousted from La Granja after Felipe V's death by her stepson, the new king, originally it was conceived as a hunting palace for her own son and later served as a residence for Alfonso XII, grandfather of king Juan Carlos I. Notice the striking series of draped doorways; the chandeliers (mostly of Spanish construction); several tapestries by Goya and Bayeu; and the furnishings and decorations from the days of Alfonso XII.
The northern wing of the palace has been given over to a Museo de La Caza (Museum of the Hunt), which features reproductions of hunting paraphernalia from the prehistoric to the modern era.
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