Banos de Cerrato Attractions

From Palencia N 611 runs south towards Valladolid and in 10km/6mi is joined by N 620, coming from Burgos. Near the junction is Venta de Baños (alt. 731m/2398ft), a small industrial town and railroad junction, and 2.5km/1.5mi east of this is the little spa of Baños de Cerrato, where the Visigothic king Recceswinth was cured of a stone. In gratitude for his cure he built the little church of San Juan Bautista in 661 (rebuilt in the ninth century), one of the oldest churches in the Iberian peninsula. The three aisles are separated by plain columns with leaf capitals supporting horseshoe arches. The date of foundation is inscribed on the large arch in front of the apse, which contains an alabaster figure of St John the Baptist.