Palencia Attractions
The ancient town of Palencia, once the stronghold of an Iberian tribe, the Vaccaei, under the name of Pallantia, lies between Burgos and Valladolid on the Meseta of Old Castile, on the left bank of the Río Carrión. Around it is the Tierra de Campos, a corn-growing plain made fertile by irrigation with water from the Canal de Castilla. The town owes its industrial development to the textile and automobile industries. Palencia is now a lively modern town with few relics of its long history.
History
Palencia was destroyed three times in the course of its history - first by the Romans, then by the Visigoths and finally by the Moors. After this last visitation the town was not rebuilt until the 11th century. Its heyday was in the 12th century, when it was the residence of the kings of Castile and the meeting-place of the Castilian Cortes. In the 13th century Alfonso VIII of Castile founded Spain's first university in the town.
History
Palencia was destroyed three times in the course of its history - first by the Romans, then by the Visigoths and finally by the Moors. After this last visitation the town was not rebuilt until the 11th century. Its heyday was in the 12th century, when it was the residence of the kings of Castile and the meeting-place of the Castilian Cortes. In the 13th century Alfonso VIII of Castile founded Spain's first university in the town.
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Banos de Cerrato, Spain
(Near Palencia)
Baños de Cerrato is a spa town, long known for its curative properties. The church of San Juan Bautista is among the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula.
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Cathedral of San Antolín
The 14th to 16th C Cathedral of San Antolín was built around a 7th C Visigothic chapel. Some of the highlights include the choir, the finely decorated interior, and the museums.
Archaeological Museum
Southeast of Plaza San Antolín, in the Plaza del Cordón, is the Archeological Museum, with a valuable collection of Iberian and Roman antiquities.
Convento de Santa Clara
Northeast of San Bernardo, in Calle de Burgos, is the Convento de Santa Clara (late 14th C.), with a beautiful doorway and an impressive recumbent figure of Christ.
Nuestra Señora de la Calle
Near the Archeological Museum in Palencia, in the little Plaza Isabel la Católica, stands the modest 16th century church of Nuestra Señora de la Calle, with an image of the Virgen de la Calle, patroness of the town, and Baroque altars.
Plaza Mayor
The attractive Plaza Mayor, to the west of the cathedral, is the hub of the town's life, with bars and cafes. On the north side of the square is the Town Hall, on its east side the church of San Francisco, and in the center a modern monument to the 16th century sculptor Alonso Berruguete, who was born in the nearby village of Paredes de Nava. The town's principal shopping street, the Calle Mayor, flanks the west side of the square.
San Bernardo
At the south end of the Calle Mayor, in Calle San Bernardo, is the Capilla de San Bernardo, with an imposing façade (national monument).
San Miguel
South of the church of the Nuestra Señora de la Calle is the Gothic parish church of San Miguel (13th-14th C.), with a massive battlemented tower. In this church the Cid, Spain's national hero, was married to Doña Jimena.
San Pablo
In the north of the town, near the railroad station, the 15th century church of San Pablo has a 17th century facade. In the Capilla Mayor, which has a large Plateresque retablo, are tombs of the Rojas family (16th C.). There is a fine Late Gothic carved altar in the choir.
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