Valladolid, chief town of its province, the see of an archbishop and a university town, lies on the Río Pisuerga just above its confluence with the Duero, on the fertile plateau of Old Castile. In recent decades the town has enjoyed a considerable economic upswing through the rapid development of industry, particularly car production; but as a result it is now surrounded by rather dreary industrial suburbs and the central area as a whole is not particularly attractive either. It does, however, preserve some splendid buildings and works of art, the legacy of a great past when it was the residence of the Spanish kings and attracted great artists working in the Isabelline, Renaissance and Herreran styles.
There was a settlement here in the time of the Arabs, who called it Velad-Olid or Balad-Walid ("Town of the Governor"). In 1469 the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, were married in Valladolid, and in 1504-06 Columbus, an ailing and disappointed man, spent the last two years of his life in the town. For brief periods during the 16th and 17th centuries, during the reigns of Philip II and III, Valladolid was the seat of the Spanish court. It was Napoleon's headquarters in 1809.
To the east of the Plaza de Zorrilla, in the short Calle del Rosario, can be found the Casa de Cervantes, a little gem lost in a rather unattractive part of the city. Calle Miguel Iscar, going east from the square, runs past a high wrought-iron railing through which there is a glimpse of a small garden with a fountain in the center. On the far side of the garden is the house, overgrown with ivy and wild vines, in which Cervantes lived from 1603 to 1606 and probably wrote the first part of ''Don Quixote''. The Río Esgueva, spanned by a small bridge, once flowed past the house; but of this no trace is left in the modern town. On a conducted tour of the house (in Spanish only) visitors are shown the dining room, Cervantes's desk, the alcove, the kitchen and other rooms, giving them an idea of the way of life in a better-off 16th century Spanish household.
Address: Casa de Cervantes, Calle Rastro 7, E-47001 Valladolid, Spain
Hours:
9:30am-3pm; Sun:10am-3pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Epiphany (3 Kings' Day ) - Christian (January 6), Castile and Leon Day - Spain (April 23), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), National Day - Spain (October 12), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Constitution Day - Spain (December 6), Good Friday - Christian, Maundy (Holy) Thursday - Christian, Easter - Christian
The Colegio de San Gregorio in Valladolid, now known as the Museum of Sculpture, was built to completion in 1496. The Museum is a striking architectural showpiece.
The Colegio de San Gregorio is one of the main attractions in Valladolid. It displays a fabulous facade, a richly decorated second patio off the courtyard, and houses the impressive Museo Nacional de Escultura.
From the Plaza de Colón the Paseo de Filipinos runs east past the Augustinian Convento de los Filipinos, now occupied by the Oriental Museum, which displays objets d'art from China and the Philippines collected by Augustinian missionaries in the Far East. The Chinese collection includes bronze objects of 1600-200 B.C., Sung and Ming porcelain, jade and lacquer ware and watercolors; the Philippines are represented by weapons, musical instruments and Christian sculpture.
From the church of Santiago, Calle de Santiago continues south to the Plaza de Zorrilla, the town's busiest traffic intersection. Beyond it is the Campo Grande, a large park, along the west side of which is a broad promenade, the Paseo del Campo Grande. This leads to the Plaza de Colón, in which is a large monument to Columbus (1905).
From the Colegio de Santa Cruz, Calle del Cardenal Mendoza runs northeast into Calle de Colón. In this street is the Casa de Colón, the house in which Columbus (Cristóbal Colón) died on May 31, 1506. He is commemorated by a small museum in the adjoining house.
Southeast of the University the former Colegio de Santa Cruz (by Lorenzo Vázquez, 1492), one of the earliest Renaissance buildings in Spain, has a handsome three-story patio. On its richly sculptured facade can be seen a figure of Cardinal Pedro González de Mendoza, founder of the college, which is now occupied by a number of University institutes and a valuable library of 52,000 volumes.
Farther along the Calle de Colón we come to the Convento de las Huelgas, with a 16th century church which contains sculpture by Gregorio Fernández ("Adoration of the Shepherds") and Juan de Juni.
In the collegiate church adjoining the Cathedral is the Diocesan Museum. Among its principal treasures are a 2m/6-1/2ft high silver monstrance in the form of a temple, Juan de Arfe's masterpiece (1590), sculpture (including an ''Ecce Homo'' by Gregorio Fernández) and paintings (retablo of St Anne, 15th C.).
Close to the Santa María la Antigua is the church of Las Angustias (1597-1604). In a side chapel in this church is a masterpiece by Juan de Juni (1560), the much venerated Virgen de los Siete Cuchillos (Virgin of the Seven Knives).
West of the Plaza Mayor, in Calle de la Pasión, stands the church of the Pasión, now a picture gallery, with works by 16th and 17th century Spanish masters, notably Vicente Carducho (1578-1638) and Gregorio Martínez (1547-97), a native of Valladolid.
On the southeast side of the Plaza de San Pablo, on the corner of Calle de las Angustias, is the Palacio de los Pimentel, in which Philip II was born in 1527.
Farther north from the Town Hall, diagonally opposite the church of San Miguel (retablo by Adriánálvarez), we come to the Palacio de Fabio Nelli, which now houses the Provincial Archeological Museum (prehistoric and Roman antiquities, including mosaics and busts; Gothic frescoes, sculpture, arts and crafts).
Address: Museo Arqueológico Provincial, Plaza de Fabio Melli, E-47003 Valladolid, Spain
A short distance northwest of the Town Hall is the church of San Benito (1499-1504), with a massive open porch below the tower. The choir is enclosed by a beautiful wrought-iron screen of 1571.
Northwest of the Plaza de la Universidad is the church of Santa María la Antigua (12th-14th C.), the oldest church in the town, with a Romanesque tower. The interior has an air of quiet elegance.
From the Plaza Mayor, Calle de Santiago runs south, passing the church of Santiago (St James), which has a fine retablo by Alonso Berruguete and a figure of Christ by Francisco de la Mata in one of the side chapels.
To the east of the cathedral in Valladolid, in the Plaza de la Universidad, is the University (founded 1346), with a fine Baroque facade of 1715 by the brothers Diego and Narciso Tomé.
N 601 continues from Portillo into Segovia province and, 50km/31mi from Valladolid, reaches Cuéllar (alt. 775m/2,543ft). A settlement on this site was captured by the Romans in 96 B.C. and given the name of Colenda. The Catholic Monarchs frequently stayed in the town. There is a well-preserved 15th century castle with a Gothic chapel and a fine Renaissance courtyard. The little walled town itself has preserved many old palaces and a number of brick-built Romanesque churches which are among the oldest in Spain.
Address: Cuéllar Tourist Office, Plaza Mayor 2, E-40003 Cuéllar, Spain
N 601 continues from Villanubla through the Montes de Torozos to Medina de Rioseco (alt. 735m/2412ft), an old-world little town with six notable churches dating from the 15th-17th centuries. The church of Santa María de Mediavilla has two rejas of 1532 and 1554, an altar by Esteban Jordán (1590) and the Plateresque Capilla de los Benavente (1546); the church of Santiago has a sumptuous Churrigueresque altar. The main street of the town is lined with typical Castilian houses.
Address: Medina de Rioseco Tourist Office, Plaza Mayor, E-47800 Valladolid, Spain
Returning from Valbuena de Duero to N 122, or following the road along the north bank and passing through the typical little Castilian town of Pesquera de Duero, we continue to Peñafiel, with an imposing castle (211m/231yd long, with twelve round towers and a 24m/80ft high keep) founded by the Count of Castile in the 10th century. Other features of interest in the town are the 14th Century Mudéjar- style Convento de San Pablo and the large Plaza del Corso, in which bullfights used to be held.
Address: Peñafiel Tourist Office, Plaza del Coso, E-47300 Peñafiel, Spain
The part played by the Valladolid region in the history of Spain has left it with many castles, and on excursions in the surrounding area visitors will frequently come upon imposing medieval strongholds.
From Villanubla a secondary road branches off on the right to the village of Fuensaldaña, with the 15th century Castillo de Vivero, which has a massive square tower with six defensive turrets.
N 601 leads southeast from Valladolid, crosses the Canal de Castilla and comes to Arrabal del Portillo. Off the road to the left is Portillo, with a stoutly walled castle which was used as a state prison for political offenders.
11km/7mi southwest of Valladolid, above the little town of Simancas (alt. 725m/2,379ft) on the Río Pisuerga, is the formidable Castillo de Simancas, in which Charles V installed the Spanish national archives (more than 30million documents, housed in 52 rooms). 19km/12mi beyond Simancas on N 620 is Tordesillas.
Address: Simancas Tourist Office, Plaza Mayor, E-47130 Simancas, Spain
Beyond Wamba on the same minor road is Torrelobatón, which has a well-preserved 13th century castle with massive round towers and an imposing keep (Torre del Homenaje).
Address: Torremolinos Tourist Office, Plaza Cabertany 1, E-47134 Torrelobatón, Spain
From Valladolid, N 122 runs east along the south side of the Duero to Quintanilla de Onésimo, from which a detour can be made to Valbuena de Duero, on the north bank, to see the very interesting convent of Santa María, with a ruined 12th century Cistercian church and a fine Late Gothic cloister.
From Valladolid, N 601 runs northwest up the slopes of the wide Duero valley to Villanubla (alt. 843m/2,766ft), off the road to the left, with Valladolid's airport.
From Villanubla a minor road runs southwest to Wamba, with the church of Santa María, which incorporates part of a 12th century Mozarabic building. The Visigothic king Recceswinth died in Wamba in 672.
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Museum of Sculpture
