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DISCOVER SEGOVIA

Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Segovia in Castile-Leon. It is situated about an hour north of Madrid.

Plaza Mayor, Segovia, Spain. Photo from WikiCommons Pelayo2

Under Roman and Moorish rule, the city was called Segovia and Siqubiyyah (Arabic) respectively. This Celtic name probably means fortress.

HISTORY OF SEGOVIA

Originally a town of the Arevaci, it was incorporated in the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis, on the road from Emerita (modern Merida) to Caesaraugusta (modern Zaragoza). It minted coins in antiquity.

The hermit St. Fructus (Frutos) and his siblings, martyrs Valentine and Engratia (ca. 715 CE) are the patron saints of Segovia. In St. Michael Church, nearby the Cathedral, Isabella of Castile was crowned in 1474.

SIGHTS OF SEGOVIA

The old city is spectacularly situated atop a long, narrow promontory. It contains a wealth of monuments, including the cathedral, a famous ancient Roman aqueduct, the Alcazar, and various churches built in the Romanesque style including San Esteban, San Martin, and San Millan. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is surrounded by walls built in the 8th century AD, probably on a Roman base, and rebuilt extensively during the 15th century.

Images of Segovia, Spain. Photo by Nicolas Perez

Images of Segovia, Spain. Photo by Nicolas Perez

The aqueduct, typically the most recognized and famous symbol of Segovia, terminates at the entrance of the historic section. It was built at the end of 1st to early 2nd century BC by the Romans during their occupation of the Iberian Peninsula to bring water from the Rio Frio (Cold River)(about 18 km away) to the city, requiring an elevated section in its last 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) from the Sierra de Guadarrama to the walls of the old town.

This elevated section, largely dominating the nearby scene, is supported by an engineering marvel of 166 arches and 120 pillars in two levels. It is made of 20,400 large, rough-hewn granite blocks, joined without mortar or clamps. Its maximum height of 28.1 m (100.53 ft) is found at the plaza of Azoguejo. A raised section of stonework in the center once had an inscription. Today only the holes for the bronze letters survive.

The Alcazar, or castle-palace, began around the 11th century, is perched at the tip of the promontory and towering over the countryside below. The history of the Alcazar begins at the end of the 11th century, in the time when king Alfonso VI reconquered lands to the south of the river Duero down to Toledo and beyond. The city of Segovia was repopulated, and it is thought that the construction of the castle began at those times.

During the Middle Ages, the Alcazar of Segovia was the favourite residence of kings of Castile, and almost each king added new parts to the building, transforming the original fortress into a courtier residence and prolonging the construction of the castle till 16th century, when King Philip II added the conical spires and the slate roofs. A fire in 1862 destroyed part of the roofs, but they were restored, in the very same style they were built more than 300 years ago.

The Cathedral of Segovia stands in the city's central plaza. Constructed by architect Juan Gil de Hontanon in the late Gothic style between 1522 and 1577, it is widely considered Europe's last great Gothic cathedral. The kind of Gothic is called Isabelino

The church of Vera Cruz, beyond the Alcazar and the city walls was founded by the Knights Templar. It is built in the circular style, a common design of the Templars, in recognition of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It is currently owned and maintained by the Knights of Malta.

Owing to these famous monuments, Segovia is a very popular tourist destination, especially as a day-trip from Madrid.

From Wikipedia.org, the Free Encyclopedia

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