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DISCOVER VALLADOLID

Valladolid is an industrial city and it is a municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero region. It is the capital of the province of Valladolid and of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon, earlier part of the historical region of Castile.

Valladolid was captured from the Moors in the 10th century, being a small village improved by count Pedro Ansurez in the 11th century; by the 15th century it was the residence of the kings of Castile and remained the capital of the Kingdom of Spain until 1561, when Philip II, born here, moved the capital to Madrid.

HISTORY OF VALLADOLID

Valladolid was captured from the Moors in the 10th century, being a small village improved by count Pedro Ansurez in the 11th century; by the 15th century it was the residence of the kings of Castile and remained the capital of the Kingdom of Spain until 1561, when Philip II, born here, moved the capital to Madrid.

Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid in 1506 in a house which is now a Museum dedicated to him. It was made the capital of the kingdom again between 1601 and 1606 by Philip III. It was in that period when Cervantes published his first edition of Don Quixote in 1604.

The city nonetheless boasts few architectural manifestations of its former glory. Some monuments include the unfinished cathedral, the church of Santa Maria la Antigua, the Plaza Mayor (the template for that of Madrid and of future main squares in the Castilian-speaking world), the National Sculpture Museum, next to the church of Saint Paul, which includes Spain's greatest collections of polychrome wood sculptures, and the Faculty of Law of the University of Valladolid, whose facade is one of the few surviving works by Narciso Tomei, the same artist who did the transparente in Toledo Cathedral. The Science Museum is next to Pisuerga river. The only surviving house of Miguel de Cervantes is also located in Valladolid. Although unfinished, Cathedral of Valladolid was designed by Juan de Herrera, architect of El Escorial.

Valladolid is an economic motor of the autonomous community, having an important automobile industry (IVECO, FASA-Renault, Michelin). There is an airport at nearby Villanubla, with connections to London-Stansted, Paris, Brussels-Charleroi, Milan, Lisbon, Barcelona and Vigo.

MAIN SITES OF VALLADOLID

The capital of Castile-Leon preserves in its old quarter, a heritage of aristocratic houses and religious buildings. Among them, the unfinished Cathedral was commissioned by King Philip II and designed by the architect Juan de Herrera in the 16th century. Their respective deaths left the church unfinished and its nave was not opened until 1668. Years later, in 1730, Master Churriguera finished the work on the main front. Inside the cathedral, the great chapel houses a magnificent reredos made by Juan de Juni in 1562. The complex is linked to the Diocesan Museum, which holds carvings attributed to Gregorio Fernandez and Juni himself, as well as a silver monstrance by Juan de Arfe.

The large Gothic church of Saint Benedict (San benito) was built between 1500 and 1515, with an unusual tower. The Saint Michael Church (San Miguel), built at the end of the 16th century by the Jesuits, hosts excellent reredos by Gregorio Fernandez. The facade of the San Pablo Church is famous by its Gothic statues and decoration. The Savour (El Salvador) Church has a facade built around 1550 and a picturesque brick tower dating from the 17th century. The church of Saint Jamea (Santiago) has reredos depicting the Adoration of the Magi (1537) created by Berruguete.

The Gothic church of Saint Mary the Ancient (Santa Maria de La Antigua) has an unusual pyramid-shaped Romanesque tower from the 12th century. The Huelgas Reales Monastery was originally built in 1600. The Monasterio de Santa Ana has various paintings by Francisco de Goya. San Juan de Letran Church has an outstanding Baroque facade built in 1737. Beside this last church is the Monasterio de los Padres Filipinos, designed by the famous architect Ventura Rodriguez in 1760.

The heart of the old city is the 16th-century Plaza Mayor, presided over by a statue of Count Ansurez. On one side of it stands the City Hall, a building from the beginning of the century crowned by the clock tower. In the nearby streets is the Palace of Los Pimentel, today the seat of the Provincial Council, is one of the most important, as King Philip II was born in it on 21 May 1527.

The Royal Palace, the 16th-century Palace of the Marquises of Valverde, and that of the banker Fabio Nelli - a building with a Classicist stamp built in 1576 - should also be pointed out. The Museum of Valladolid occupies this complex, exhibiting a collection of furniture, sculptures, paintings and ceramic pieces.

The University, whose Baroque facade is decorated with various academic symbols, and the Santa Cruz College, which as well as housing a valuable library forms one of the first examples of the Spanish Renaissance, say much about the cultural importance of Valladolid.

The city preserves houses where great historical characters once lived, like the Casa de Cervantes, where the author of Don Quixote lived with his family between 1603 and 1606. As a curiosity, it was in this house where the writer gave his masterpiece the finishing touches. A visit to the house-museum enables you to get to know the way of life of a noble family in the 17th century through possessions and furniture from the time. You can also visit the Christopher Columbus House-Museum, where the navigator spend the last years of his life. Nowadays the palace exhibits various pieces and documents related to the discovery of America.

From nineteenth century Valladolid, the house where one of the provincial capital's most illustrious characters - Jose Zorrilla - was born is preserved. The house, which is open to the public, brings together various personal possessions, furniture and documents that belonged to the Romantic writer.

As a city that has experienced notable urban growth in the last few decades, Valladolid offers a wide range of leisure and cultural opportunities: cinemas, theatres and museums, like the National Sculpture Museum, at its site in San Gregorio College. This splendid Flemish Gothic style building - one of the most outstanding buildings in the provincial capital - is important for its exhibition of polychrome carvings made by artists like Alonso Berruguete or Gregorio Fernandez. The Museum of Contemporary Spanish Art, located in the Herreriano Courtyard, one of the cloisters of the former Monastery of San Benito, preserves more than 800 paintings and sculptures from the 20th century. The Christopher Columbus Museum remembers Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator who died in Valladolid

ROUTES OF THE VALLADOLID PROVINCE

Valladolid's province is revealed through different tours like those along the Red Wine Route and the Knight's Route, which lead to the Alma de Castilla and the Tierra de Campos. The first of these routes leads to the wine-growing country of Quintanilla de Onésimo, Vega Sicilia, Pesquera de Duero and Peñafiel. Here you can visit the castle and Wine Museum as well as interesting cellars.

The Knight's Route unfolds to the south of the provincial capital and here you can get to know the cellars of Boecillo, the Mudejar architecture of Mojados and Olmedo and the medieval wealth of Iscar and Portillo. Historic towns like Simancas, where the General Archive of the Kingdom can be found; Tordesillas, of great historical and artistic importance; and Medina del Campo, famous for its markets, fairs and spa, lie in the so-called 'Soul of Castile'. Meanwhile, the Tierra de Campos brings you to medieval towns like Medina de Rioseco and beautiful examples of popular Vallodolid architecture like Villalón de los Campos or Castromonte, known for its medicinal waters.

LOCAL CUISINE

Despite being an inland province, fish is quite commonly consumed. Brought from the Cantabrian Sea, fish like red bream and hake are a major part of Valladolid's cuisine. As in the rest of Castile, cod is the main ingredient of many dishes. Another great speciality is frog's legs.

Valladolid also offers a great variety of wild mushrooms. Asparagus, endive and beans can also be found. Some pulses, like white beans and lentils are particularly good. Pine nuts are also produced in great quantities, and are used in a variety of stews.

Sheep cheese from VillalOn de los Campos, the famous pata de mulo (mule's leg) is usually unripened (fresh), but if it is cured the ripening process brings out such flavour that it can compete with the best sheep cheeses in Spain.

In the area of bread Valladolid has a bread to go with every dish, like the delicious cuadros from Medina del Campo, the muffins, the pork-scratching bread and the lechuguinos, with a pattern of concentric circles that resemble a head of lettuce.

The pastries and baked goods from the province of Valladolid are well-known, specially St. Mary's ring-shaped pastries, St. Claire's sponge cakes, pine nut balls and cream fritters.

Valladolid is also a producer of wines. The ones that fall under the Designation of Origin Cigales are very good. White wines from Rueda and red wines from Ribera del Duero are known for their quality.

EASTER WEEK IN VALLADOLID

Easter week is one of the most spectacular and emotional fiestas in Valladolid. The Good Friday processions are considered an exquisite, rich display of Castilian religious sculpture. On this day, in the morning, members of the brotherhoods on horseback make a poetic proclamation throughout the city. The "Sermon of the Seven Words” is spoken in Plaza Mayor Square. In the afternoon, thousands of people take part in the Passion Procession, comprising 31 pasos (religious statues), most of which date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The last statue in the procession is the Virgen de las Angustias, and her return to the church is one of the most emotional moments of the celebrations, with the Salve Popular sung in her honour.

Religious devotion, art, colour and music combine in acts to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ in the processions. Members of the different Easter brotherhoods, dressed in their characteristic robes, parade through the streets carrying religious statues (pasos) to the sound of drums and music – scenes of sober beauty.

From Wikipedia.org, the Free Encyclopedia

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