Romulus, Remus, the Devil and Me : Exploring Segovia

Today we took a rest day in Segovia to catch up on things, plan our next stages, and explore this walled city, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Segovia became an important town around 80 BC because of its strategic location at the junction of two military roads.  In a nutshell, it was a bishopric under the Visigoths, and it was then occupied by the Jews and the Moors until the Reconquest in 1085.  Since then it has been a favourite residence of the Castilian Monarchs, the meeting place of the Cortes (Spanish Parliament), and the location where Isabel la Cátolica was crowned Queen of Castile.  Segovia enjoyed its greatest period of prosperity from the mid-15th to 17th centuries when it was a major producer of wool. 

Our day in this ancient and interesting place began with the sounds of hot air balloons rising into the sky above our open window, taking people on a sunrise tour of the region.  We soon got up and found an open panaderia along one of the winding streets of the old town in which to enjoy warm croissants and café con leches.  Little else was open yet, and the streets were mostly empty as we began exploring in the cool morning air under a clear blue sky. 

First, we visited the Roman aqueduct that cuts through and towers above part of the old city.  This very impressive monument dates from around the time of the Emperor Augustus, although restoration work was done by the Trajans and the Catholic Kings to repair damage done by the Moors in 1072.  

The aqueduct brought water to the city from the Sierra Guadarrama Mountains, and it was brilliantly engineered so that its 167 granite arches stand without the use of mortar, providing water to the city into modern times. 

Apparently, at some point during the Middle Ages people began to believe that the aqueduct had been built by the Devil, and they placed a statue of Our Lady on the structure to ward off evil.  Much more recently a local artist placed an irreverent sculpture of a naked Devil taking a selfie in front of the aqueduct.  Interesting how our ideas and loyalties have changed. 

 

Image from Tourism Segovia

After taking a few moments to appreciate the ancient monument we made our way to the imposing Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y de San Frutos. The 16th century cathedral was apparently the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain, and at the time of its construction it had the tallest bell tower in Spain.  

 

       

We arrived just after 9:30 am, but because this is Easter Sunday, the Cathedral wasn't yet open to visitors.  However, a very nice man let us in, stamped our Pilgrim credentials, and even opened the Chapel of Sacred Sacraments to let us have a few peaceful moments alone inside.  We would only fully appreciate how much of a gift this was when we returned later in the day for a full tour of the Cathedral amidst the crowds of other tourists and sightseers. 

 

 

From the Cathedral we made our way across the old town to the Alcazar, the last of Segovia's 'must-see' historic sites.  Originally this impressive sand-stone castle was a Roman stronghold, and later it was used by the Moors.  After the Reconquest it was used to defend the divide between Christian and Muslim Spain.  In the process, the original fort was transformed into a Romanesque-Gothic palace.  It almost entirely burnt down in 1862, but has since been restored, and today looks like something out of a fairy tale.  

We arrived just after the castle opened, but there was already a line of people waiting to pay the 6 Euro admission.  We joined the crowd, and slowly made our way through the Old Palace Room, the Fireplace Room, the Throne Room, the Gallery Room and many others.  The guide suggested there was a Pinecone Room featuring 392 pine cone carvings which I was curious to see, but somehow I missed it in the crowded shuffle. 

Many of the rooms had very ornately painted and carved ceilings, and walls completely covered with elaborate tapestries.  A display upstairs in the Cathedral which we would visit later explained how these tapestries were created, from ideas, to drawings, to cartoons which the weavers had to interpret, to the final product.  Apparently it could take the weavers several months to complete a few centimetres of a tapestry, and great skill was needed to accurately translate the drawings.  

The tour also allowed us to explore the Royal Chemistry Lab, where explosives and other compounds were discovered and created, and to walk through an armoury museum which contained everything from bows and arrows, to swords, to cannon balls.   We ended by walking around on the parapets, looking out at the city below us and the surrounding countryside.  From this vantage point we could see the castle's strategic position at the junction of the Clamores and Eresma Rivers. 

After visiting the Alcazar we made our way back up to the Cathedral.  As we approached the Plaza Mayor we were surprised to hear the steady beat of drums and to see a large crowd gathered.  It was the Easter procession, in which a statue of Jesus on the Crucifix was carried through the streets, met by a statue of Mary, and then carried into the main cathedral.  It was quite impressive to see the huge statue of Mary, which must have been supported by over half a dozen bearers, manoeuvre towards Jesus, bow, turn slowly, and then move away amidst a long procession of musicians and Church officials carrying ceremonial objects and colourful banners. What fortuitous timing! 

Feeling a little overwhelmed by the crowds in the main tourist areas we wandered towards the edge of town.  As we went we recognized three separate sets of brass markers on the pavement.  There were the familiar scallop shells directing pilgrims along the Camino Madrid.  There were also aqueduct symbols, presumably directing visitors towards the famous Roman structure.  Finally, there were intriguing symbols we couldn't at first identify, but which turned out to be markers for the Jewish Quarter of the city. 

Almost by accident we found ourselves at the Puerta de Santiago - the warm yellow sandstone gate that we will pass through on our way out of the walled city tomorrow.  It is possible for pilgrims to get their credentials stamped at the gate, and since they don't typically open until after 10 am, and tomorrow is Easter Monday on top of it, we decided to get our passports stamped while we had the chance.

 

 

Inside the tower above the gate we also discovered a very cool puppet, or marionette museum. Glass cases displayed colourful and creative puppets, as well as the incredibly complicated mechanisms that were used to operate them.  A video display showed a man manipulating some of them, demonstrating great skill in making them come to life.  I hope the art and craft of creating and operating puppets is not lost in our modern world! 

 

Outside the Puerta de Santiago was a small walled courtyard, with flowering trees, a quiet grassy area, and a stone wall for sitting on.  There was a lot of bird activity in the trees inside the Jardin de los Poetos, and we spent some time enjoying the solitude and watching the birds and lizards on the sun washed stone walls.  Looking over their tops we could see a monastery and a convent outside the city walls below us, an octagonal church out in the countryside, and a white path snaking away across the fields beyond it, which we will probably find ourselves travelling tomorrow.  We greatly enjoyed the peacefulness and solitude of this quiet sanctuary within the bustling city. 

Since it was nearly 2 pm we headed back across the town to take a tour of the Cathedral.  Inside the cool interior was an elegant space with many light coloured stone arches, stained glass windows high above our heads, and elaborate chapels around the edges.  Of course we were drawn to the Capella of Santiago, which had a retablo depicting scenes from the Saint's life and martyrdom, including The Life of Santiago, Santiago Matamoros, the Calling of the Apostle by Christ, the Martyrdom of Santiago, and the Translation of the body from Palestine to Galicia. 

 

We were also drawn to the cloister, with its graceful stone arches and carved columns that threw elegant shadows in the afternoon sunshine.  It was yet another quiet, cool sanctuary surrounding a small landscaped green space. 

Before leaving we also visited the museum below the cloister, which houses famous Flemish paintings and triptishes.  It was interesting to see the colourful depictions of Christian scenes, and to see how many birds, flowers, and other animals were present in the paintings. 

In the late afternoon we did a final bit exploring.  Looking in the shops and restaurants along the main tourist streets we gathered that this region is famous for its white beans, as well as a selection of local pastries, one of which we tried.  The region is also apparently famous for its roast suckling pig, which tradition demands can be cut by a ceramic plate if it is done correctly.  The plate is then smashed on the floor.  Although the local dishes sounded tempting, prices on the main run and during Easter weekend were beyond our pilgrim budget.  As a result, we contented ourselves with a simple and inexpensive meal on an outdoor patio slightly off the main thoroughfare.  

As it grew dark we took one last walk around the old city, taking a moment to look at the Cathedral and aqueduct lit up and shining like beacons in the dark.  We were intrigued to see small bats flying around looking for insects in the courtyards of several churches. We also wandered the quiet streets off the main drag, listening to lively conversations and soft music drifting out of open windows and restaurants tucked into back alleyways.  We enjoy strolling these quiet streets in the cool night air, listening to the sounds of a city a night.  

It has been a wonderful day of exploring this old town, and we would highly recommend spending some time here if you have it. There is an interesting mix of cultures and influences, including Celtic, Roman, Romanesque, Jewish, and Muslim which is wonderful to experience. However, we will be glad to regain the relative solitude of the countryside once again.