Resources

Acceso directo a Segovia
http://www.viasegovia.com/
Portal oficial de Segovia
http://www.segovia.es/segovia/portal.portal.action
Historia de Segovia
http://www.cobosdesegovia.com/Historia_de_Segovia.htm
Clima de Segovia
http://www.filmcommission-castillayleon.es/ficha/meteo.asp?Id=SG003
Segovia Vitual
http://people.wku.edu/inma.pertusa/encutros.kiis/segoviavirtual/SegoviaVirtual.html
Impresiones de España
http://people.wku.edu/inma.pertusa/encuentros/podcastseries/impresiones/
Encuentros con España
http://people.wku.edu/inma.pertusa/encuentros/encuentros/
Pasaporte a España
http://people.wku.edu/inma.pertusa/encuentros/pasaporte/
España es cultura
http://www.españaescultura.es
Semana Santa en Segovia
http://www.semanasantasegovia.com/procesiones.asp#
Renfe (Train Reservations)
http://renfe.es
Iberia (Spanish airlines)
http://iberia.es
Rumbo (Similar to Travelocity but from Spain)
http://rumbo.es

General Information about Segovia (Back to top)
PROVINCE: Segovia REGION: Castilla-León
POPULATION: 55,000
ELEVATION: 3280 feet above sea level
LOCATION: 57 miles north and slightly west of Madrid; two hours by train; a little less by bus
SETTING: On the Castilian plateau with the Guadarrama Mountains to the southeast
FOUNDED: Originally an Iberian settlement; captured in 80 BC by the Romans who named it
Segovia.

About Segovia (Back to top)
Of all the cities of Castile, Segovia may be the one whose charms are most evident at first sight. In fact, the history, urban layout, historical sites and scenery of Segovia have been awarded a place on the UNESCO Heritage list, and the city is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Spain.

Built on a rock with the rivers Eresma and Clamores at its foot, Segovia was inhabited in the remote past by the Iberians. Rome turned it into a military base, of which the famous aqueduct has survived the passage of time as a unique example of the mastery of engineering in the Empire. It begins fourteen kilometers from the city—above the Puente Alta reservoir—and supplied the town with water until a few years ago. The roofless channel used to descend the slope of the Sierra as far as the first purification plant and the outskirts of the town; from there, a double row of granite arches which reaches its greatest height at the Plaza del Azoguejo took the water in a pipe to the Alcázar, the fortress. The aqueduct is the symbol of Segovia and the reference point of its urban layout.

In 1088, Alfonso VI resettled and refortified Segovia, which during the Middle Ages had shrunk to the size of a few hamlets. Even today the surrounding walls are completely preserved and so are three of the five gates of the ancient city. This was the beginning of a development which reached its greatest splendor in the 16th century. In the 12th and 13th centuries, numerous Romanesque churches with an arcaded gallery, or porch, on the outside were constructed. Especially noteworthy are San Millán, with Islamic elements, San Martín, with interesting sculptures in the apse and portal, San Juan de los Caballeros, today the Zuloaga Museum of Pottery, the lovely tower of San Esteban and the Vera Cruz which has a polygonal ground plan, was consecrated in 1208 and belonged to the order of the Knights Templar. Another remarkable church is San Justo because of the 12th century frescoes in its presbytery.

The prolonged presence of the Trastámara in Segovia turned the town into a flourishing center of culture and art in the 15th century. The Alcázar, the picture of which is world renowned, was a royal residence frequented by the Catholic kings and decorated with plaster and Mudéjar ceilings. Its picturesque silhouette dates from the 16th century when Felipe II ordered that it be roofed with slate. In 1764, it became the College of Artillery until a fateful fire in 1862. It was subsequently restored and turned into a museum.

Enrique IV’s generosity is responsible for the monasteries of Santa María del Parral and San Antonio el Real. The former lies on the banks of the Eresma and was designed by Juan Gallego; its construction was supervised by the famous architect Juan Guas. The spacious Gothic nave of the church—the first of the so-called convent churches—has a west end decorated with Plateresque sepulchers and reredoses. It was secularized and abandoned in 1835, but today the Spanish order of Saint Jerome has reestablished itself there. On Sundays, one can attend Mass sung in Gregorian chant by the monks.

San Antonio el Real, on the road to La Granja, is an excellent example of 15th century mudéjar art. It used to be a recreational estate of Enrique IV and then became a convent of the Poor Clares. In the enclosure, which is partially open to tourists, the cloister can be visited, as well as roofed areas covered with a framework of complicated, interlacing arches and some curious Flemish relief’s of the 15th century.

After the war of the communities (16th century), in which Segovia took part, the construction of the Cathedral, the last Gothic church in Spain, was begun. Enormous, it towers over the houses as it stands on the highest point of the city. It was designed in 1525 by Juan Gil de Hontañón who also designed the new Cathedral of Salamanca, and the work was continued by his son, Rodrigo Gil. Although it was not finished until the end of the 17th century, the clear original design is totally preserved, except in the dome and portal of San Frutos. The absence of sculptures further enhances the beauty of its architecture. Inside there are carvings by Juan de Juni, Gregorio Hernández and Manuel Pereira, as well as good examples of grillwork, altarpieces and baroque organs. In the cloister rooms, which were built by Juan Guas, there is a small museum.

In the 16th century, economic prosperity resulting from the wool business brought the construction of many palaces with arcaded inner courts and granite façades; outstanding examples include the one of the Marquis of Arco, the Episcopal Palace, the buildings on La Sirena square and the façade of the house of Los Picos. An important example of factory architecture is the mint (Fábrica de Monedas) near El Parral monastery.

With the end of the 16th century came a serious economic depression and corresponding slump that Segovia did not overcome until our days. But it still managed to build some convents: La Compañía (a seminary today), the first of the Spanish baroque convents; El Carmen Descalzo, where St. John of the Cross lies buried; and La Fuencisla, the shrine of the patron saint of the town.

The province of Segovia (Back to top)
From http://www.spaintour.com/segovia.htm
Segovia on the border of the two areas called Castile does not fit the traditional wasteland image painted by the famous 1898 group of Spanish poets because its lands are half mountain half plain. From the Guadarrama Sierra, where the tall Valsain pines grow and the ridges are barer towards its centre, rivers descend in search of the Duero, rivers which have carved out deep valleys on their way - Riaza, Duratón, Eresma - with steep walls where the first human settlements in the province were found. Among them - on the flat lands where the wide horizon is blue and pink - are the solid stone and adobe villages in the shadow of their bell towers, which seem to stand in a sea of wheat fields in the summer. Further west, pine tree forests hide red brick villages.

The history, urban layout, historic sites and scenery of Segovia have been awarded a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list and the city is no doubt one of the most beautiful in Spain. It lies on a rock with the rivers Eresma and Clamores at its foot. It was inhabited in the remote past and Rome turned it into a military base, of which the famous aqueduct has survived the passage of times as a unique example of the mastery of engineering in the Empire. It begins 14km from the city - above the Puente Alta reservoir - and supplied the town with water until a few years ago. The roofless channel used to descend the slope of the sierra as far as the first purification plant in the outskirts of the town. From there, a double row of granite arches which reaches its greatest height at the Azoguejo took the water in a pipe to the Alcázar, the fortress. The aqueduct is the symbol of Segovia and the reference point of its urban layout.
In 1088, Alfonso VI resettled and fortified Segovia, which during the Upper Middle Ages had shrunk to the size of a few hamlets. Even today the surrounding walls are still completely preserved and so are three of the five gates it used to have. This was the beginning of a development which reached its greatest splendor in the 16th c. In the 12th and 13th numerous Romanesque churches with an atrium - an arcaded gallery on the outside - are the outstanding feature. Especially noteworthy are San Mill n, with elements of Muslim origin, San Mart n, with good sculptures in the apse and portal, San Juan de los Caballeros, today the Zuloaga Museum of Pottery, the lovely tower of San Esteban and La Vera Cruz, which has a polygonal ground plan, was consecrated in 1208 and used to belong to the Order of the Knights Templers. A visit should also include San Justo Church because of its presbytery which is decorated with an all-round wall painting (ask the parish priest of the nearby El Salvador Church for the key) and Las Canonjas are near the Alcázar, with its dwellings in the same style.

El Acueducto de Segovia (Back to top)
From http://www.cyberspain.com/ciudades-patrimonio/fotos/segacui.htm
Without a doubt, this millennial prodigy of the roman ingenuity. Since its almost 2000 years, it still faithfully continues to perform its service. It maybe that because of its great importance of delivering potable water to Segovia, it maintains is magnificent conservation having resisted the passing storms, earthquakes and hurricanes. These feats elevates this construction as a masterpiece of engineering of which 20,400 stone blocks are not united by mortar nor concrete. Yes, you read that correctly, the Monumental Aqueduct of Segovia maintains itself because of the prefect equilibrium of forces which make quite vulnerable to man’s deliberate actions.

The legend of the Acueduct (Back to top)
From http://www.turismocastillayleon.com
This story took place nearly 20 centuries ago. There was a beautiful young girl who was tired of carrying jugs of water from the spring to her house at the top of the city, which was a long distance away. In exchange for a solution to her problem, she offered her soul to the devil. She was so tired that she expressed her desire out loud. Suddenly, the devil appeared and said to her, "In exchange for your soul, I shall build an aqueduct in one single night that will carry the water right up to your house". She was so exhausted that she accepted the deal and the devil started to build the aqueduct right away.

It was not long before the girl began to regret her actions. She was so frightened that she prayed to the Lord all night. Such was her devotion that God made the sun rise earlier the next morning and the devil was unable to finish his great work. Only one stone remained to be placed when the first of the sun's rays lit up the city. Thus, the young girl had saved her soul and since that day did not mind at all going to the spring to fetch water.

El Alcázar de Segovia (Back to top)
From http://www.cyberspain.com/ciudades-patrimonio/fotos/segalci.htm
Alcázar of Segovia.- The Alcázar of Segovia stands proudly at the junction of the Rivers Eresma and Clamores, surrounded by thick vegetation. A fusion of palace and military fortress, it sits over an elevated promontory that possibly housed other structures since the Prehistoric times of the Celtic culture. Its profile of strength and majesty are cut over the Sierra of Guadarrama. It has multiple underground levels and secret passages that even reach the rivers and connected with other palaces of the city, and that even today continue to yield new discoveries. Not long ago, thanks to a document found in the Vatican’s Library, they led to the discovery of the foundations of an ancient Roman strong hold of the city, made up with the same type of stone used in the Aqueduct.

Eventhough it may have been inhabited by Visigoths and Muslims, our first written reference is Christian. Its existence permeates with history: Since Alfons VI, the Brave (1030 - 1109), Segovia is repopulated; he is then followed by his sister Doña Urraca, Alfons VII, Sancho III, and Alfons VIII, who in the 13th century refurbishes it as a living residence. It would be here where his daughter would then be born, Doña Berenguela, who became one of most controversial queens. Also at the Alcazar, Alfons X, the Wise; Catherine of Lancaster; John II will leave their mark. Architects under John II and Henry IV will give it a gothic aspect in the 13th century by which it is known today. It would be here where Isabel of Castille, known as the Catholic Queen was crowned, who later would finance Columbus’ voyage. By 1570, Philip II marries here with his fourth wife, Anne of Austria.

The Gastronomy of Castilla y León (Back to top)
From http://www.turismocastillayleon.com
Gastronomy shows a people's culture as it is on the table. What is on the table is the reflection of a territory's food and agricultural potential, only to end up as restaurant cuisine, having remained the same as ever for centuries as part of the eating habits of its people.

The year 2002 for the cuisine of Castilla y León shows an even distribution between traditional recipes where original dishes and ingredients are preserved and nouvelle cuisine which is predominant in most European restaurants. The plentiful and extremely varied range of everyday recipes is due, in part, to geographical factors and significantly to the region's orographical and cultural diversity.

For two or three generations each region has kept its tradition of gastronomic singularities. It is worth noting that, in the villages of the region you can normally find cakes and pastries and festive dishes whose presentation and ingredients have remained the same for over 300 years. This is one feature of the invigorating cuisine of Castilla y León.

This phenomenon, however, has not stopped the arrival on the scene of new types of cuisine which cater for more modern eating habits, have a milder taste, offer smaller quantities and create a new form of cooking and presentation while sticking to the traditional ingredients as the base but creating new more modern flavors.

Cochinillo:
In Castilla y León, each year, almost a million portions of roast suckling pig are consumed, above all in Segovia. The suckling pig is prepared with lard, water and salt. First, the pig is opened up along the spine, from head to tail, and then salted. Then you simply put it into an earthenware pot, placing some branches of bay underneath the crackling. You add water and put the pig in an oven at 150 degrees, with the inner side facing upwards, for an hour. After this, you turn it over and put the skin part facing upwards for another hour. The meat should be pricked and smeared with butter

Judiones de la Granja
Judiones de La Granja is a traditional dish of large white beans from Segovia that, in olden times, used to be cooked in an earthenware pot in the embers of the fire. To prepare this dish you make a stew of beans, garlic, bay, onion, pig's tail and ear, chorizo, jamón, panceta (belly pork), oil, water and salt. You place all the ingredients in the pot with the beans and leave it cook for 3/4 of an hour. Once cooked, you add a sauté of onion, flour, oil, paprika and garlic and leave to boil together for another 1/2 hour. After this, the beans are ready to serve.

Ponche Segoviano
Ponche is traditional confectionery product of Segovia which can be found today in many towns of the province. This is a rectangular cake made of flour, eggs and sugar, covered with a wrapping of marzipan. It has a very attractive appearance and is generally covered with icing sugar. A red hot iron is used to create the typical toasted diamond shapes, which result from the sugar being caramelized. Ponche comes in various different sizes.

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