Segovia
Segovia cityscape, with medieval church towers and snow-covered mountains. Photo © Sacred Destinations.
Segovia is a Spanish city of about 55,000 people in the Castile-Leon province of Spain, about an hour north of Madrid. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old city of Segovia is spectacularly situated atop a long, narrow promontory. It contains a wealth of monuments, including a cathedral, a magnificent ancient Roman aqueduct, and the beautiful fairy-tale spires of the Alcázar, or castle-palace, that towers over the countryside below. Scattered about the city are a half a dozen Romanesque churches of great interest, and a church that was once a synagogue.
Owing to these famous monuments, Segovia is a very popular tourist destination, especially as a day-trip from Madrid. It is a must-see city for anyone interested in architecture, history, or religion. And its monuments aside, Segovia is a scenic place, with mountains as a backdrop to its honey-hued, red-roofed churches and buildings.
Segovia Travel Resources
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See our Segovia Map for a closer view. |
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Religious Attractions in Segovia
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An attractive 13th-century Romanesque church outside the old walls near the aqueduct. Inside are Romanesque frescoes.
Built between 1111 and 1124, this fine Romanesque church just outside the walls is one of the oldest churches in the city. It features a mozarab tower, open porticoes, figurative carvings and interior frescoes.
Begun in the 16th century and not finished until 1768, Segovia Cathedral was the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. It is ultra-Gothic on the outside and comparatively bare inside.
Consecrated in 1208, Iglesia Vera Cruz was built by the Knights Templar to house a fragment of the True Cross. It has a unique 12-sided exterior, round nave, and Romanesque carvings.
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Other Attractions in Segovia The ancient aqueduct in Segovia is not a religious site, but it is such a magnificent monument that we can't bear to leave it out! Built in the 1st century AD, it is one of the best-preserved in the world. |
