The first town to visit would be Wamba which owes its name to the Visigothic knight who was appointed king in that place. It has a very old church whose origin possibly dates from the Visigothic period. Later it would pass to Mozarabic which the structure has. With the reconquest it would already be enlarged in a Romanesque style. It contains an ossuary made up of thousands of skulls and was the burial place of Queen Urraca of Portugal around the year 1170. Inside is the Gothic tomb of Andrés de Arroyo and his wife.

From Wamba I would go to Torrelobatón, an old town with an imposing castle, with a very high keep. It is worth visiting the church of Santa María, in the Gothic style inside, with valuable Baroque-style altarpieces.




Heading west, joining the A6 motorway, is Mota del Marques. A town that is in the process of consolidating itself as a tourist destination. With the church of San Martín of great value recently restored, its other church in ruins that is in the process of restoration and what in its day was a fortress is also being propped up. It also has a palace, that of Ulloa, with a lot of history such as that of the Marquises of Ulloa, with a very large patio and long balconies.





After seeing these small towns we would go to Urueña where we would stop on the road to see the hermitage of Our Lady of the Assumption. This temple is Romanesque and one of the few in Spain with an ancient Romanesque style from Lombardy, Italy.

Once in the city, its well-cared for wall is surprising, almost all of which can be visited. This town is also called the Villa del Libro, due to the number of libraries and events related to reading. Its church has nothing exceptional but it is a very visited town due to its medieval air and how well-kept its streets are, as well as its ethnological museum that contains tools and instruments of the time.





Then I would go to the town of La Espina, to enter the monastery of Santa Espina. This monastery today is one of the most important agricultural schools in Castilla y León. The monastery was inherited by some nobles after its confiscation and would be created as a school for the people of the area, in addition to providing them with food. Once the first students grew up, the heiress would leave the land to the students, as well as homes. The guide who explained it to me was a former student and knew the history of the Cistercian monastery in detail. What is most striking is that both the cloister and the church were damaged by French troops in the war of independence. Only the altarpiece saved the Virgin from a series of alabaster figures of great value. That figure was taken to a nearby church that he would visit later. Inside the monastery you can see the chapel of the nobles which, due to its location and the details that are preserved, is very similar to another in the area such as the one in Tordesillas.







After seeing the monastery, I would go to the next town, San Cebrián del Mazote.
In this town there is one of the churches with the most history, that of San Cipriano in the Mozarabic style, recently restored, in which the Mudejar roof has been changed to give it a more original appearance and the nave has been enhanced.




Lastly, I would go to Tiedra, a town known for its lavender fields and its beautiful castle. It also has a couple of quite important churches such as the church of San Miguel and the church of El Salvador. They are currently restoring the remains of the church of San Pedro to give them value. But without a doubt, the most important thing is the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Tiedra with a baroque dome and many details.

Day 4, get to know the towns of the province of Valladolid, second part (CLICK to continue)

April 11, 2022