Spotlight: Segovia, Spain

 Spotlight: Located along the Eresma River near the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range, Segovia is located 91.6 km northwest of Madid. Segovia is a fortified city in Castilla-Leon - with a fortified castle and city walls extending from the castle around the city center. Queen Isabella was crowned Queen of Castilla-Leon in 1474 in the church of San Miguel de Segovia near Segovia's Plaza Mayor. Queen Isabella and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragon, united northern Spain and conquered the Muslim kingdoms in Andalucía (southern Spain) to create the modern nation of Spain. 

    Segovia is probably my favorite city in Spain. The city center of Segovia, and its famous aqueduct, were both declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The city center contains many historical buildings of civil and religious importance - including a number of historical Jewish sites within the Old Jewish Quarter. The most famous monument is the Aqueduct of Segovia in the Plaza de Azoguejo. The aqueduct dates back to the early second century A.D. and is the best preserved roman aqueduct in all of Spain. It is an awesome example of the Roman's engineering prowess, with about 25,000 granite blocks held together by gravity (without the use of mortar!), spanning 818 meters with 167 arches, the tallest measuring 29 meters. The aqueduct remained in use until 1973, and received its designation as a World Heritage Site in 1985. If you follow the aqueduct to where it intersects with the city walls, you can climb the stairs to get more amazing views of the aqueduct from a different angle.

The Aqueduct of Segovia

View of the aqueduct from the city walls

- Location:: Pl. Azoguejo, Segovia

- Hours: always open

- Cost: free

- Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Activities: 

"La Dama" - La Catedral de Segovia: Segovia's cathedral is considered the last Gothic-style cathedral built in Spain. Construction was started in 1525, but the cathedral wasn't dedicated until 1768. The cathedral was built on a hill near the city center and the tower, measuring 108 meters, became the tallest tower in Spain upon its completion.

- Location:  C/ Marques del Arco, 1, 40001 Segovia

- Hours: 9:00 am - 9:30 pm (Mon. - Sat.); 1:30 pm - 9:30 pm (Sun.)

- Cost: 4 euros

- Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

La Dama - Segovia's cathedral

The Alcazar of Segovia: The Alcazar is a medieval castle built on a stone peninsula overlooking the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers, offering a fantastic view that provided both aesthetic and military value. Segovia's city walls flanked the castle walls until they reach the back wall, creating the illusion of a giant ship with the castle located at its bow and the aqueduct jutting out like a rudder. The castle was built around the 12th century A.D. and was the home to 22 kings as well as many other historical figures. The castle served as the Royal Artillery College until an accidental fire gutted many of its rooms. When the castle was restored to its 15th century glory (when Isabella sat on the throne), it was turned into a museum and National Archive. The Homage Tower once housed the famous treasure of the Crown of Castile, which was used to fund the voyages of Christopher Columbus. In modern times, the castle served as one of the models for Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle at Disneyland.

- Location: Pl. Reina Victoria Eugenia, s/n, 40003 Segovia

- Hours: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm (summer); 10:00 am - 6:00 pm (winter); closed for major holidays

- Cost: 10 euros

- Rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Alcazar of Segovia
(as seen from the valley below)

castle garden - Alcazar

The Alcazar was one of the castles that
inspired Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle

The Room of Kings - Alcazar

The Iglesia de Vera Cruz: The Church of the True Cross is a Roman Catholic church built by the Knights Templar in 1208 in the Romanesque style - a 12-sided polygon with 3 semicircular chapels, reminiscent of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Inside the church is a two-story gallery. According to legend, the Knight Templar would stand guard in this shrine, protecting a fragment of wood that was said to come from the true cross of Jesus Christ. However, the fragment of wood is no longer housed here, but the shrine remains a popular tourist destination.

- Location: Tr.ª Zamarramala, s/n, 40003 Segovia (in the valley below the Alcazar of Segovia)

- Hours: 10:30 am - 1:30 pm; 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm (Wednesday - Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday)

- Cost: 1.20 euros (free on weekends and holidays)

- Rating: 3 of 5 stars

La Iglesia de la Vera Cruz

Inside the Church of the True Cross

La Real Casa de Moneda: The Coining House was previously the Royal Mint, and dates back to the 1500's. The mint was commissioned by Felipe II, and built on the shore of the Eresma River to take advantage of the new technique of minting coins using hydraulic-powered machinery. This was the first mechanized factory in Spain and remained in use until 1869. The Coining House is now a museum, which demonstrates the evolution of coin making from ancient times up to the 20th century.

- Location: C. la Moneda, s/n, 40003 Segovia (in the valley below the Alcazar of Segovia)

- Hours: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm; 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Wednesday - Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday)

- Cost: 4.50 euros

- Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Real Casa de Moneda water wheels

Old Spanish coins

Things you should know: Segovia wasn't built with cars in mind. Travel around the city is best done on foot since it is almost impossible to find parking spaces near where you want to go. In fact, when we did try to drive down one street, it was so narrow that the walls on both sides of the street were covered with scrapes from cars that got a little too close, and a gouge was carved out of the stone wall in order to allow the cars' mirrors to squeeze through.

A narrow street in Segovia

- Segovia is famous for its cochinillo (roast pig). One famous restaurant demonstrates the tenderness of the meat with a small ceremony in which the waiter cuts the pig with a plate, then smashes the plate on the floor. I'm not sure why they smash the plate, but it's part of the spectacle.

Nearby: Madrid - Spain's capital (91.5 km SE of Segovia); The Royal Palace of San Ildefonso (10 km to the east of Segovia); Castillo de Manzanares - a beautiful medieval castle (51.5 km SE of Segovia), Castillo de Coca - another beautiful medieval castle (62 km NW of Segovia) and Castillo de Mota - another interesting medieval castle (94.5 km NW of Segovia)