Sightseeing in Segovia

The Roman Aqueduct that is Segovia’s calling card was built in the first century AD to supply water to the town when it served as a Roman military outpost. A set of steps to the right of the tourist office leads up to a mirador that allows a level view with the top of the aqueduct’s water trough (from the busy plaza below it reaches its highest point of 29 m/95 feet) as it trails off in the direction of the Guadarrama Mountains – forming a nice backdrop. To accommodate the steep grade, the aqueduct required two sets of arches, one on top of the next. All told, it stretches for 15 km (nine miles), bringing water from the Río Frío for much of its course via underground channels. That it has survived relatively intact with only a few minor reparations in the 15th and 19th centuries is a testament to the architects. They used no mortar in its construction but relied on the keystones of each arch to exert the pressure that would hold the entire aqueduct together.

Sights En Route to the Catedral

Calle Cervantes leads up a grade to the left of the tourist office in Plaza de Azoguejo. In the evenings this street is crowded with locals window shopping, buying baguettes and taking their leisurely stroll. On your right, as you turn the corner onto the continuation Calle Juan Bravo, is the interesting Casa de los Picos. The granite façade of this 15th-century mansion is, as the name would imply, covered with hundreds of pointed pyramids. They serve no other purpose than to beg the question, why? It is now home to Segovia’s school of applied arts. Check as you’re passing by to see if there are any interesting exhibits underway.

A short way up you’ll pass a set of steps on the left leading down to the Alhónidga (Corn Exchange), a late Gothic mercantile building dating to the 15th century that was formerly the town’s granary. Continuing on Calle Juan Bravo, you’ll reach the small Plaza Medina del Campo. Facing the statue of Juan Bravo, a leading figure in the Comuneros Revolt against Carlos V, you’ll notice the Romanesque Iglesia de San Martín with its impressive Mudéjar tower. Next to it is the Torreón de los Lozoya, a large defensive tower built in the 13th century that now houses various exhibitions. The steps between the two monuments lead to the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. This 15th-century house has been converted to host revolving exhibitions of contemporary art. The permanent exhibit features the work of Segovia’s Esteban Vicente.

One block up, Calle Juan Bravo forks right from the narrow alley Judería Vieja. On the left is the Convento del Corpus Christi, converted from a synagogue in the early 14th century. A painting inside depicts the event. As you enter the Plaza Mayor, but before your attention is completely diverted by the hulking, pointed mass of the Cathedral, take note of the small church on your right. The Iglesia de San Miguel originally occupied the center of the square but, after its partial collapse in the 16th century, was resurrected and moved to its current location. Isabel la Católica, the future instigator of the Inquisition and conqueror of the Moors, was crowned queen in the church.

The Catedral of Segovia

The Catedral was begun in 1525 under the direction of Juan Gil de Hontañón but not consecrated until 1768. It is a marvelous exhibition of Gothic overkill and the last of its style to be constructed in Spain. Among the numerous pinnacles is a Renaissance dome, the apse supported by buttresses and the church bell tower. This cathedral was erected after the previous one had been destroyed by fire during the Revolt of the Comuneros in 1520. Parts of the façade, a Gothic cloister by Juan Guas and some choir stalls were salvaged from the original. Chapel after chapel surrounds the impressive Baroque high altar piece, the work of Sabatini in the 16th century. Still, the view from the outside is what impresses. The Museo de la Catedral houses sculptures and metallic trinkets with religious significance, as well as a collection of 16th-century Spanish and Flemish paintings.

In the Direction of the Alcázar

Facing the Cathedral from the Plaza Mayor, follow Calle Marqués del Arco to the right. Passing all the junk tourist shops, make the next right on the wide Calle Desamparados to reach the Casa Museo de Antonio Machado. The famed Spanish poet and playwright and member of Spain’s Generation of ’98 stayed in this former boarding house off and on during the years 1919-1932. A staunch supporter of the Spanish Republic, he fled the country in 1939 once Franco had come into power and he died soon thereafter. The small museum displays his personal effects and furniture from the period.

Continuing down Calle Marqués del Arco, the stores become more interesting with handmade furniture, luminous decorations and leather handicrafts, until you reach the gardens of the Plaza de la Merced. The Mudéjar tower rising at the far end of the plaza with its slate spire belongs to the Iglesia de San Andrés. One of Segovia’s oldest surviving Romanesque churches, it dates to the 12th century. In approaching the Alcázar, the street becomes Calle de Daoiz as it passes through the Canonjías quarter. This attractive stretch is so-named for the many church canons that once inhabited the area, then cordoned from the rest of the city by an expansive wall.

Alcázar of Segovia

Then comes the Alcázar. This is the most fanciful fortress to be found in Spain, though far from the most authentic. The original fortress was likely constructed in the 11th century and later restored by Felipe II. In the 15th century the Trastámara Dynasty made Segovia the seat of the royal court and the Alcázar its royal residence. Through the years it was the sight of Castilian parliamentary sessions, temporary home of Isabel la Católica, a wedding chapel for Felipe II and location of the Spanish Artillery Academy, initiated by King Carlos III in 1764. Then, in 1862, it burned to the ground. The fairytale castle before you, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the convergence of the rivers Erasma and Clamores, with its perfect turrets and slate roofs and towers was rebuilt in the late 19th century.

Cross the false drawbridge over a dry moat and look around for the fire-breathing dragon that never was, perhaps expecting to see Goldilocks. As with the exterior, the interior halls are of various styles, Romanesque, Gothic, Mudéjar and Renaissance. Each has a different theme, from the throne room to the military room with suits of armor to the strange room with the inverted ceiling spires. For a toll of €4 you can climb 80 m (260 feet) up to the top of the Torre de Juan II and look out over the city.