No sooner had we unpacked in Madrid than we were back on a bus to Segovia - an hour's drive but a world apart from the metropolis that is the capital city.
Segovia is yet another UNESCO world heritage site in Spain - Wikipedia states there being 38 in the Iberian peninsula - we've visited 9 on this trip - it would've been 12 but for site closures and changed travel plans). Alas - another time!
A few factoids ...
Legend has it that Segovia was founded by Hercules or the son of Noah. Its two main claims to fame are the towering Roman aqueduct set within a modern city and its Disney-like Alcázar - on which Walt Disney styled his Sleeping Beauty castle. And all of this set within the rolling hills of the Castilla region and its Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range = stunning! A bit of royal history is that Isabel (who with Ferdinand are commonly referred to as the Catholic Kings) was proclaimed Queen here in 1474.
Back to the 21stC and a short walk from the city centre the Cathedral becomes clear. Don't worry - I'm not going to take you on a tour of yet another Cathedral(!) - but it does cut quite a figure.
 |
| The stunning Cathedral, Segovia |
 |
| Fortified walls with snowcapped Sierra Guadarrama in distance |
And then the Alcázar comes into full focus - and what a beauty! It was built and extended in the 13th and 14th centuries and was razed to the ground by fire in 1862. This newer Alcázar is considered to be an over-reconstruction when compared to the original. We didn't go inside - as tempting as the write up was - as we had bought our return tickets and always prefer to be outside wherever possible!
 |
|
Segovia's Alcázar - certainly no sleeping beauty!
|
A short walk down the hill from here is the delightful - and interesting - Iglesia de Vera Cruz (the Church of the True Cross), so named as it once housed a piece of the Crucifix (now in a nearby town and only viewed during Semana Santa (Holy Week, Easter). Built by the Knights Templar in the 13thC it is considered to be one of the best preserved 12-sided churches in Europe. Inside is a 2-storey chamber where the knights took their rites in secrecy and where they guarded the sacred relic.
 |
| A wannabe Knights Templar! |
We then went for a walk along the River Eresma which runs alongside the tranquil Monasterio del Parral whose monks chant a Gregorian mass at noon on Sundays - sadly we missed that beautiful sound.
 |
| The calming waters leaving the monastery |
And after all that walking - you know what's coming! - it was time for lunch at Casa Duque - top choice in the Lonely Planet. Segovianos love their pig products - especially roasted pork. Mick opted for butter beans with diced pork and chorizo while I chose a selection of tapas - white prawns in garlic sauce; a tasty mixed salad in a glass; and crab croquettes - all delicious!
A short waddle from here was the awesome aqueduct - an 894m engineering masterpiece first constructed in 1AD. No mortar was used at all to hold the 20,000 granite blocks together. And not just one level - but two! Boasting 163 arches it reaches 28m at its highest point. It was part of a network of underground canal and aqueduct that channelled water from the mountains more than 15km away. It is breathtaking in its design, beauty and scale.
 |
| Perfect engineering! |
 |
| Aqueduct & Sierra Guadarrama in distance |
And that wraps up our time here in Segovia. We really loved it here and would recommend a visit if you're in Madrid - it is no distance at all and really is an uplifting sight. So, over & out until our next post from another UNESCO site, Cuenca.
No comments:
Post a Comment