Segovia
Encyclopedia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community
of Castile and León
. It is situated north of Madrid
, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.
origin, language of the celtic
Indo-European branch
. Comes from the term Sego, which means «victory» (prefix also present in other cities such as Segeda
and Segontia
) and the suffix -briga, which would mean «city» or «strength». So it might be translated as "City of the victory" or "Victorious city".
Under the Romans and Arabs, the city was called Segovia (Σεγουβία, Ptolomeo ii. 6. § 56) and Šiqūbiyyah (Arabic شقوبية) respectively.
, near Valladolid
and Madrid, which is the capital of Spain.
The province of Segovia is one of nine that make up the Autonomous Community of Castile and León
. It is neighbored by Burgos
and Valladolid to the north, Ávila to the west, Madrid and Guadalajara to the south and Soria
to the east. The altitude of the province varies from 750 meters in the extreme northwest to a maximum of 2,430 meters at Peñalara peak.
The town is part of the main route of the Camino de Santiago de Madrid
.
Segovia was first recorded as a Celtic possession, with control eventually transferring into the hands of the Romans. The city is a possible site of the battle in 75 BCE where Metellus
was victorius over the general of Sertorius
, Hirtuleius. Hirtuleius died in the fighting.
During the Roman period the settlement belonged to one of numerous contemporary Latin convents. It is believed that the city was abandoned after the Islamic invasion of Spain centuries later. After the conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI of León and Castile, the son of King Alfonso VI, Segovia began restocking with Christians from the north of the peninsula and beyond the Pyrenees, providing it with a significant sphere of influence whose boundaries crossed the Sierra de Guadarrama
and the Tagus
.
Segovia's position on nomadic trading routes made it an important center of trade in wool and textiles. The end of the Middle Ages saw something of a golden age for Segovia, with a growing Jewish population and the creation of a foundation for a powerful cloth industry. Several splendid works of Gothic architecture were also completed during this period. Notably, Isabella I
was proclaimed queen of Castile in the church of San Miguel de Segovia on December 13, 1474.
Like most Castilian textile centers, Segovia joined the Revolt of the Comuneros under the command of Juan Bravo. Despite the defeat of the Communities, the city's resultant economic boom continued into the sixteenth century, its population rising to 27,000 in 1594. Then, as well as almost all the cities of Castile, Segovia entered a period of decline. Only a century later in 1694, the population had been reduced to only 8,000 inhabitants. In the early eighteenth century, Segovia attempted to revitalize its textile industry, with little success. In the second half of the century, Charles III
made another attempt to revive the region's commerce; it took the form of the Royal Segovian Wool Manufacturing Company (1763). However, the lack of competitiveness of production caused the crown withdraw its sponsorship in 1779. In 1764, the Royal School of Artillery, the first military academy in Spain, was opened. This academy remains present in the city today. In 1808, Segovia was sacked by French troops during the War of Independence. During the First Carlist War
, troops under the command of Don Carlos unsuccessfully attacked the city. During the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century, Segovia experienced a demographic recovery that was the result of relative economic stability.
In 1985 the old city of Segovia and its Aqueduct were declared World Heritage by UNESCO
. Within the environment of the old city, stand diversity of historic buildings both civil and religious, not just catholics but also Jews, like the district that served this minority, which commemorates the different cultures in the city. One of the best examples of this cultural diversity is represented by the former synagogue
, now the church of Corpus, and the Jewish cemetery located in "El Pinarillo" with its interpretation center in the most important Jewish palace of the Spanish aljama
s, the chief accountant Meir Melamed, son-in-law and successor of Abraham Senior, chief rabbi of the Kingdom of Castile, Melamed after converting to Christianity under the name of Fernán Núñez Coronel, was alderman of the city and occupied important positions in the kingdom. Among its monuments are:
The Aqueduct of Segovia
, located in the emblematic Plaza del Azoguejo, is the staple of the city. The date of its construction, which could be carried out at the end of the 1st century or early 2nd century, and it is the roman
civil engineering
work most important in Spain. was applied to about 25,000 granite
blocks together without any mortar
, has a length of 818 meters, consists of more than 170 bows and hand highest is 29 meters, as it reaches the Azoguejo, the most visited area.
The Alcazar of Segovia
, the royal palace located on top of a rock between the rivers Eresma and Clamores, is documented for the first time in 1122, although it may exist in earlier time. It was one of the favorite residences of the kings of Castile, built in the transition from Romanesque
to Gothic
and Mudéjar decor highlighting its ample rooms. The building is structured around two courtyards and has two towers, the Keep
and John II
. It was a favorite residence of Alfonso X the Wise
and Henry IV
, and Isabella the Catholic
left him to be crowned Queen of Castile
in the main square. Devastated by fire in 1862, was later rebuilt. Now houses the General Militar de Segovia archive and museum of the Royal School of Artillery, managed by the Board of the Alcazar.
The Segovia Cathedral
is the last Gothic
cathedral built in Spain. It is considered the masterpiece of Basque-Castilian Gothic and is known as "The Lady of Cathedrals." This is the third largest cathedral in the city, and retains the cloister of the second, located opposite the castle and destroyed during the Revolt of the Comuneros in 1520. In his works he worked Juan
and Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
, and other teachers of Spanish architecture. It was consecrated in 1768 and has dimensions of 105 meters long, 50 meters wide and 33 high in the nave, has 18 chapels and has three doors: El Perdón, San Frutos and San Geroteo, first bishop of the diocese.
The Walls of Segovia existed when Alfonso VI of León and Castile took the city to the Arabs, who commanded a larger coming to have a perimeter of 3 kilometers, eighty towers, five doors and several doors. It was built mainly with granite blocks, but also reused gravestones of the Roman necropolis
. The wall runs along the old, and currently maintains three doors: San Cebrián, of great austerity, Santiago, of Mudéjar
looking, and San Andrés, gateway to the Jewish quarter
, and the breaches of Consuelo, San Juan, the Sun and Moon.
The Old main synagogue
is a remainder of Jewish Segovia.
is the city that sits in front of the aqueduct, a copy of the sculpture Capitoline wolf preserved in the Capitoline Museum, and was a gift that Rome gave to the city in 1974 during the events of the bimillennial
anniversary of the aqueduct.
In the Plaza de la Merced could be seen until a few decades ago a monument dedicated to the artist Daniel Zuloaga installed in 1924, now located in the Plaza de Colmenares. Currently located in the center of the Plaza de la Merced, looking towards the church of San Andrés is a bust
of the poet Rubén Darío
, sculptor Santiago de Santiago, which was donated by the Nicaragua government to the city in 1973. Letters related to the bust are also found in the Promenade Lounge, the famous poet José Rodas was first installed in 1927 in the plaza of the gardens, and moved to its present site in 1960 by the segovian sculptor Aniceto Marinas. It could not miss this literary group a tribute to Antonio Machado
, poet Segovia made his refuge from 1919 to 1932, the sculpture as it could be otherwise is located in the garden of his home museum, and was done by Emiliano Barral.
Religious figures such as Domingo de Soto
, Pius XII, Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Saint John of the Cross
have their place within the city urban sculpture, the first work of Ortega and the rest of José María García Moro, sculptor prosperous Segovia who must also be a Monument to the Youth located in the Plaza del Conde de Cheste. Other teachers who also paid tribute to his work a few peasants have been both recognized in any street or town square, as is the case for Aniceto Marinas, who dedicated a monument in 1943 his friend and partner Mariano Benlliure
.
In the field of arms found the monument to Daoíz
and Velarde
, Aniceto Marinas work. By the same author is the List of people associated with the comunero Juan Bravo
sculpture, made in 1921 and located in the heart of the city in the Square of the Sirens, the name given to two statues that top the stairs and representing these mythological beings
, made by Francisco Bellver in 1852. Other sculptures in the city are devoted to medical Andrés Laguna
made by the segovian Florentino Trapero and marina located in Plaza de los Huertos, the bust of Lope de la Calle Martín, president of the Provincial council that made Emiliano Barral and can be seen in the square of San Facundo or the monument "El Favorito", by Toribio García de Andrés in the early of 20th century.
In addition to this series of monuments and sculptures are hidden in the corners of the city some other religious images that are worth mentioning. The most significant of these is the Virgin of the Aqueduct, located in the central niche of the monument has since the Plaza
del Azoguejo and it was already in the 16th century, as remember Colmenares in his history of Segovia. The cast of virgins are also members of the Fuencisla in Velarde street, the los Remedios in front of San Juan Gate, the Socorro at the San Andrés Gate or del Carmen on the street of its own name, among others.
Regarding higher education, Segovia's premier institution is IE University
, devoted primarily to business school and boasting a successful MBA program. Also present is the Segovia campus of the University of Valladolid
, offering entrance into careers in computer engineering, law, journalism, advertising and teaching.
, Scotland, since 1985. Marysville, Ohio
, United States, since 2001. Tucson, Arizona
, United States. Tours
, France, since 1972 gangdong-gu
, Seoul
, South Korea
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
. It is situated north of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.
Etymology
The name of Segovia is of Celtiberian origin. The first inhabitants named the city Segobriga." This name comes from two terms of celtiberianCeltiberian language
Celtiberian is an extinct Indo-European language of the Celtic branch spoken by the Celtiberians in an area of the Iberian Peninsula lyingbetween the headwaters of the Duero, Tajo, Júcar and Turia rivers and the Ebro river...
origin, language of the celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
Indo-European branch
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
. Comes from the term Sego, which means «victory» (prefix also present in other cities such as Segeda
Segeda
Segeda is an ancient settlement, near today's Zaragoza in modern-day Spain. Originally it was a Celtiberian town, whose inhabitants, the Belli, gave it the name Sekeida. In 153 BC it was destroyed in a war with the Romans. Soon after, a new settlement was built on a nearby site...
and Segontia
Sigüenza
Sigüenza is a city in the province of Guadalajara in Spain.-History:The site of the ancient Segontia of the Celtiberian Arevaci, now called Villavieja , is half a league distant from the present Sigüenza...
) and the suffix -briga, which would mean «city» or «strength». So it might be translated as "City of the victory" or "Victorious city".
Under the Romans and Arabs, the city was called Segovia (Σεγουβία, Ptolomeo ii. 6. § 56) and Šiqūbiyyah (Arabic شقوبية) respectively.
Location
Segovia is located within the Iberian PeninsulaIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, near Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
and Madrid, which is the capital of Spain.
The province of Segovia is one of nine that make up the Autonomous Community of Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
. It is neighbored by Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
and Valladolid to the north, Ávila to the west, Madrid and Guadalajara to the south and Soria
Soria
Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. , the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province...
to the east. The altitude of the province varies from 750 meters in the extreme northwest to a maximum of 2,430 meters at Peñalara peak.
The town is part of the main route of the Camino de Santiago de Madrid
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
.
Climate
The climate is continental Mediterranean, cold and dry, resulting from the high altitude and the distance from the coast. The average annual temperature is 11.5 °C, with an absolute minimum in December of -14 °C and maximum in July of 37 °C. The annual precipitation is 520 millimeters per year, making the province a damp corner in the context of the region. The predominant forms of vegetation in the mountainous areas include pine, evergreen, oak, beech and juniper.History
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius was a pro-Sullan politician and general. He was named Pius because of his 99 BC petition to return his father from exile and was true to his cognomen for the constance and inflexibility with which he always fought for his father's rehabilitation and return to...
was victorius over the general of Sertorius
Quintus Sertorius
Quintus Sertorius was a Roman statesman and general, born in Nursia, in Sabine territory. His brilliance as a military commander was shown most clearly in his battles against Rome for control of Hispania...
, Hirtuleius. Hirtuleius died in the fighting.
During the Roman period the settlement belonged to one of numerous contemporary Latin convents. It is believed that the city was abandoned after the Islamic invasion of Spain centuries later. After the conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI of León and Castile, the son of King Alfonso VI, Segovia began restocking with Christians from the north of the peninsula and beyond the Pyrenees, providing it with a significant sphere of influence whose boundaries crossed the Sierra de Guadarrama
Sierra de Guadarrama
The Sierra de Guadarrama is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges at the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located between the Sierra de Gredos in the province of Ávila, and Sierra de Ayllón in the province of Guadalajara...
and the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
.
Segovia's position on nomadic trading routes made it an important center of trade in wool and textiles. The end of the Middle Ages saw something of a golden age for Segovia, with a growing Jewish population and the creation of a foundation for a powerful cloth industry. Several splendid works of Gothic architecture were also completed during this period. Notably, Isabella I
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
was proclaimed queen of Castile in the church of San Miguel de Segovia on December 13, 1474.
Like most Castilian textile centers, Segovia joined the Revolt of the Comuneros under the command of Juan Bravo. Despite the defeat of the Communities, the city's resultant economic boom continued into the sixteenth century, its population rising to 27,000 in 1594. Then, as well as almost all the cities of Castile, Segovia entered a period of decline. Only a century later in 1694, the population had been reduced to only 8,000 inhabitants. In the early eighteenth century, Segovia attempted to revitalize its textile industry, with little success. In the second half of the century, Charles III
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
made another attempt to revive the region's commerce; it took the form of the Royal Segovian Wool Manufacturing Company (1763). However, the lack of competitiveness of production caused the crown withdraw its sponsorship in 1779. In 1764, the Royal School of Artillery, the first military academy in Spain, was opened. This academy remains present in the city today. In 1808, Segovia was sacked by French troops during the War of Independence. During the First Carlist War
First Carlist War
The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833-1839.-Historical background:At the beginning of the 18th century, Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, promulgated the Salic Law, which declared illegal the inheritance of the Spanish crown by women...
, troops under the command of Don Carlos unsuccessfully attacked the city. During the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century, Segovia experienced a demographic recovery that was the result of relative economic stability.
Demographics
The population growth experienced during the nineteenth century accelerated steadily beginning around 1920: 16,013 inhabitants that year, 33,360 in 1960, 53,237 in 1981. Since the 1980s growth has slowed markedly: 55,586 in 2004 and 56,047 in 2007.World Heritage City
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Within the environment of the old city, stand diversity of historic buildings both civil and religious, not just catholics but also Jews, like the district that served this minority, which commemorates the different cultures in the city. One of the best examples of this cultural diversity is represented by the former synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, now the church of Corpus, and the Jewish cemetery located in "El Pinarillo" with its interpretation center in the most important Jewish palace of the Spanish aljama
Aljama
Aljama is a term of Arabic origin used in old official documents in Spain and Portugal to designate the self-governing communities of Moors and Jews living under Christian rule in the Iberian Peninsula...
s, the chief accountant Meir Melamed, son-in-law and successor of Abraham Senior, chief rabbi of the Kingdom of Castile, Melamed after converting to Christianity under the name of Fernán Núñez Coronel, was alderman of the city and occupied important positions in the kingdom. Among its monuments are:
The Aqueduct of Segovia
Aqueduct of Segovia
The Aqueduct of Segovia is a Roman aqueduct and one of the most significant and best-preserved ancient monuments left on the Iberian Peninsula...
, located in the emblematic Plaza del Azoguejo, is the staple of the city. The date of its construction, which could be carried out at the end of the 1st century or early 2nd century, and it is the roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
civil engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
work most important in Spain. was applied to about 25,000 granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
blocks together without any mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
, has a length of 818 meters, consists of more than 170 bows and hand highest is 29 meters, as it reaches the Azoguejo, the most visited area.
The Alcazar of Segovia
Alcázar of Segovia
The Alcázar of Segovia is a stone fortification, located in the old city of Segovia, Spain. Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape - like the...
, the royal palace located on top of a rock between the rivers Eresma and Clamores, is documented for the first time in 1122, although it may exist in earlier time. It was one of the favorite residences of the kings of Castile, built in the transition from Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
to Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and Mudéjar decor highlighting its ample rooms. The building is structured around two courtyards and has two towers, the Keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
and John II
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
. It was a favorite residence of Alfonso X the Wise
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
and Henry IV
Henry IV of Castile
Henry IV , King of the Crown of Castile, nicknamed the Impotent , was the last of the weak late medieval kings of Castile...
, and Isabella the Catholic
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
left him to be crowned Queen of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
in the main square. Devastated by fire in 1862, was later rebuilt. Now houses the General Militar de Segovia archive and museum of the Royal School of Artillery, managed by the Board of the Alcazar.
The Segovia Cathedral
Segovia Cathedral
Segovia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic religious building in Segovia, Spain. It is located in the main square of the city, the Plaza Mayor, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary....
is the last Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
cathedral built in Spain. It is considered the masterpiece of Basque-Castilian Gothic and is known as "The Lady of Cathedrals." This is the third largest cathedral in the city, and retains the cloister of the second, located opposite the castle and destroyed during the Revolt of the Comuneros in 1520. In his works he worked Juan
Juan Gil de Hontañón
Juan Gil de Hontañón was a master builder and Trasmeran mason of Spain during the 16th century. His first work was associated with Segovia, where he was associated with the school of Juan Guas...
and Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón was a Spanish architect of the Renaissance.He was born at Rascafría. His workings include the Palace of Monterrey in Salamanca, the Palace of Guzmanes in León, and the facade of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso at the University of Alcalá de Henares...
, and other teachers of Spanish architecture. It was consecrated in 1768 and has dimensions of 105 meters long, 50 meters wide and 33 high in the nave, has 18 chapels and has three doors: El Perdón, San Frutos and San Geroteo, first bishop of the diocese.
The Walls of Segovia existed when Alfonso VI of León and Castile took the city to the Arabs, who commanded a larger coming to have a perimeter of 3 kilometers, eighty towers, five doors and several doors. It was built mainly with granite blocks, but also reused gravestones of the Roman necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
. The wall runs along the old, and currently maintains three doors: San Cebrián, of great austerity, Santiago, of Mudéjar
Mudéjar
Mudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
looking, and San Andrés, gateway to the Jewish quarter
Jewish quarter (diaspora)
In the Jewish Diaspora, a Jewish quarter is the area of a city traditionally inhabited by Jews. Jewish quarters, like the Jewish ghettos in Europe, were often the outgrowths of segregated ghettos instituted by the surrounding Christian authorities. A Yiddish term for a Jewish quarter or...
, and the breaches of Consuelo, San Juan, the Sun and Moon.
Religious architecture
The city maintains an important collection of Romanesque churches of both stone and brick, which include San Esteban, San Millán, San Martín, la Santísima Trinidad, San Andrés, San Clemente, Santos Justo y Pastor, la Vera Cruz and San Salvador and others . It also retains many convents and monasteries such as San Antonio el Real, del Parral or San Vicente el Real.The Old main synagogue
Old main synagogue, Segovia
The old main synagogue is a religious edifice in Segovia, Spain. Dating to the 14th century, it was converted into a convent of the nuns of Order of Saint Clare. The building was almost completely destroyed in a fire in 1899 and has been reconstructed since.- History :The construction of the old...
is a remainder of Jewish Segovia.
Civil architecture
- The Ayala Berganza Castilian Palace dating from the late 15th century, declared a Historic-Artistic Monument, now converted into tourist accommodation, Carretas street, 5. Due to a multiple murder happened in the late 19th century is known by Segovia as "the house of the crime."
- The civil architecture, with many palaces, medieval facades, doorways, patios, columns, shields and turrets. It can highlight a number of covers on the Daoíz street, the Casa del Sello in the San Francisco street, the Casa-Museo del Torreón de Lozoya in the Plaza de San Martín, the Casa del Siglo XV (or of Juan Bravo), the House of the Count Alpuente (City council), the Casa de los Picos and others in the Calle Real.
- The traditional civil architecture in Segovia style tile roof and decorated in the traditional sgraffitiSgraffitoSgraffito is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an...
on the walls. - The oldest tavernTavernA tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
in the town dates from 1861 and is La Taberna Rubi, located a few steps from the Plaza Mayor. - The Casa de la Moneda, the oldest industrial building in Europe.
Urban sculpture
Urban Sculpture in Segovia stars works depicting illustrious figures linked to the city, which wanted to pay tribute in this way, but we can also find several pictures of a religious nature. One of the most iconic sculptures of the Loba CapitolinaCapitoline Wolf
The Capitoline Wolf is a bronze sculpture of a she-wolf suckling twin infants, inspired by the legend of the founding of Rome. According to the legend, when Numitor, grandfather of the twins Romulus and Remus, was overthrown by his brother Amulius, the usurper ordered the twins to be cast into...
is the city that sits in front of the aqueduct, a copy of the sculpture Capitoline wolf preserved in the Capitoline Museum, and was a gift that Rome gave to the city in 1974 during the events of the bimillennial
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
anniversary of the aqueduct.
In the Plaza de la Merced could be seen until a few decades ago a monument dedicated to the artist Daniel Zuloaga installed in 1924, now located in the Plaza de Colmenares. Currently located in the center of the Plaza de la Merced, looking towards the church of San Andrés is a bust
Bust
Bust may refer to:*Bust , a sculpture depicting a person's head and shoulders*Bust , a feminist pop culture magazine*Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in north-eastern France*Bust, a word for a woman's breasts...
of the poet Rubén Darío
Rubén Darío
Félix Rubén García Sarmiento , known as Rubén Darío, was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-American literary movement known as modernismo that flourished at the end of the 19th century...
, sculptor Santiago de Santiago, which was donated by the Nicaragua government to the city in 1973. Letters related to the bust are also found in the Promenade Lounge, the famous poet José Rodas was first installed in 1927 in the plaza of the gardens, and moved to its present site in 1960 by the segovian sculptor Aniceto Marinas. It could not miss this literary group a tribute to Antonio Machado
Antonio Machado
Antonio Cipriano José María y Francisco de Santa Ana Machado y Ruiz, known as Antonio Machado was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation of '98....
, poet Segovia made his refuge from 1919 to 1932, the sculpture as it could be otherwise is located in the garden of his home museum, and was done by Emiliano Barral.
Religious figures such as Domingo de Soto
Domingo de Soto
Domingo de Soto was a Dominican priest and Scholastic theologian born in Segovia, Spain, and died in Salamanca at the age of 66...
, Pius XII, Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Saint John of the Cross
John of the Cross
John of the Cross , born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, Old Castile....
have their place within the city urban sculpture, the first work of Ortega and the rest of José María García Moro, sculptor prosperous Segovia who must also be a Monument to the Youth located in the Plaza del Conde de Cheste. Other teachers who also paid tribute to his work a few peasants have been both recognized in any street or town square, as is the case for Aniceto Marinas, who dedicated a monument in 1943 his friend and partner Mariano Benlliure
Mariano Benlliure
Mariano Benlliure was a Spanish sculptor, who executed many public monuments and religious sculptures in Spain, working in a heroic realist style....
.
In the field of arms found the monument to Daoíz
Luis Daoiz de Torres
Luis Daoiz de Torres was a Spanish artillery officer and one of the leaders of the Dos de Mayo Uprising that signalled the start of the Spanish War of Independence. Daoiz's surname is derived from the town of Aoiz in Navarre and he was descended from a long line of Spanish gentry with soldiering...
and Velarde
Pedro Velarde y Santillán
Pedro Velarde y Santillán was a Spanish artillery captain famous for his heroic death in the Dos de Mayo uprisings against the French occupation of Madrid...
, Aniceto Marinas work. By the same author is the List of people associated with the comunero Juan Bravo
Juan Bravo
Juan Bravo was a leader of the rebel Comuneros in the Castilian War of the Communities....
sculpture, made in 1921 and located in the heart of the city in the Square of the Sirens, the name given to two statues that top the stairs and representing these mythological beings
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
, made by Francisco Bellver in 1852. Other sculptures in the city are devoted to medical Andrés Laguna
Andrés Laguna
Andrés Laguna de Segovia was a Spanish humanist physician, pharmacologist, and botanist.-Biography:Laguna was born in Segovia, according to Diego de Colmenares and other historians, to a converted Jewish doctor. He studied the arts for two years in Salamanca, then moved to Paris in 1530, where he...
made by the segovian Florentino Trapero and marina located in Plaza de los Huertos, the bust of Lope de la Calle Martín, president of the Provincial council that made Emiliano Barral and can be seen in the square of San Facundo or the monument "El Favorito", by Toribio García de Andrés in the early of 20th century.
In addition to this series of monuments and sculptures are hidden in the corners of the city some other religious images that are worth mentioning. The most significant of these is the Virgin of the Aqueduct, located in the central niche of the monument has since the Plaza
Plaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
del Azoguejo and it was already in the 16th century, as remember Colmenares in his history of Segovia. The cast of virgins are also members of the Fuencisla in Velarde street, the los Remedios in front of San Juan Gate, the Socorro at the San Andrés Gate or del Carmen on the street of its own name, among others.
Parks and gardens
- The Alcazar Gardens were built in the plaza where he was the Old Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace, and began to be created on the occasion of marriage in the palace of Philip IIPhilip II of SpainPhilip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
to Anne of AustriaAnne of AustriaAnne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
in 1750, removing the ruins that still existed, although was not fully realized until the visit of Ferdinand VIFerdinand VI of SpainFerdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
in the 19th century. Between 1816 and 1817 began the first trees planted, and closed with the fence that currently exists. Were destroyed by the fire suffered in the palace in 1862, and recovered again in 1882. - The Garden of la Merced was the first public garden carried out by the city within the city walls and currently is one of the best and most beautiful city. Named after the former Mercy convent that was located in the same place and began performing in the middle 19th century with the planting of trees and installation of a source, later replaced by the current, more broad and stately; playground available.
- Paseo del Salón is one of the oldest gardens in the city, since it was created in 1786 by the Economic Society of Friends of the Country of Segovia, and two years later they began planting trees. In 1846 he set up various sources and replanted again in different species.
- Jardinillos of San Roque, situated along the so-called "Paseo Nuevo" were open to the public in 1872, but ten years before a public fountain was placed in them. In 1943 they were the place where stood a pavilion dedicated to the Feria de Muestras, the building still stands and is one of the characteristic features of the gardens.
- The Garden of los Cañuelos a small garden which is situated opposite the School of the Missionaries, the former Convent of San Gabriel.
- The Gardens of los Huertos are named for the orchards occupy a premonstratensian friary. After the removal of the convent in 1836 with the first disentailment laws, the city claimed ownership of the land, a fact that occurred in 1897. In 1901 he began planting trees and structuring of the gardens, which has gradually been restored today.
- Alameda del Eresma
- Alameda de la Fuencisla
- Fromkes Garden
- Garden of la Plaza del Conde Alpuente
- Garden of la Plaza de Colmenares
- Garden of St. Augustine
- Parque de la Albuera
- Parque de la Dehesa
- Pinarillo de la Cuesta de los Hoyos
- Clamores Valley
Economy
The economy of Segovia revolves around metallurgy, agriculture, furniture, construction and, particularly, tourism. The town itself plays host to thousands of day-visitors from Madrid each year.Education
The city of Segovia is home to a large number of primary schools and secondary schools, the oldest of which (IES Mariano Quintanilla, founded in 1845) having been officially declared "of cultural interest." Primary and secondary education in Segovia is mostly religious in nature.Regarding higher education, Segovia's premier institution is IE University
IE University
IE University is a private university, owned by for-profit business firm Instituto de Empresa S.L., whose main campus is located in Segovia, Castile and León ....
, devoted primarily to business school and boasting a successful MBA program. Also present is the Segovia campus of the University of Valladolid
University of Valladolid
The University of Valladolid is a public university in the city of Valladolid, province of Valladolid, in the autonomous region of Castile-Leon, Spain...
, offering entrance into careers in computer engineering, law, journalism, advertising and teaching.
Museums
- Museum of Segovia.
- Museum of Contemporary Art 'Esteban Vicente'
- Museum of the Bishop's Palace
- Museum of the Artillery Academy
- Museum of the Cathedral
- Museum Zuloaga
- House-Museum of Antonio Machado
- Museum of the Rodera-Robles Foundation
- Museum of Witchcraft
- Museum of Arms
- Museum of the Walls of Segovia
- Jewish Center.
MUCES
MUCES is the Spanish acronym to The City of Segovia Festival of European Cinema, an annual film festival which takes place in the city since 2006, usually in November. It gives the wider public a chance to get to know quality European cinema and, above all, it offers the general public an opportunity to see European films which have not yet been commercially screened in Spain, but have been very successful with critics and audiences in their own countries.Festivities
- San Lorenzo (around August 10). It is the feastFeastFeast may refer to:* Banquet, a large meal* A Festival or feria* Ramadan, Muslim's holy month* Nineteen Day Feast, a monthly meeting held in Bahá'í communities to worship, consult, and socialize....
of one of the neighborhoods most popular in the city. - Fairs and Festivals of San Juan and San Pedro (late June). This feasts are the most famous of the city and have been held since the 15th century.
- San Frutos (October 25): Patron saint of Segovia. At Mid-morning is sung in the Cathedral the Carol of San Frutos, after which there are often various activities in the Plaza Mayor, as a proclamation, a concertConcertA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
by the Band of the Segovian Musical Union, mycologyMycologyMycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
exhibition, etc. In recent years, following the established tradition of drawn traditions of the sleeve, Segovia's pastry chefPastry chefA pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods...
s have invented a dessert of the saint. On the last night to San Frutos the segovian congregate at the image of the saint who is at the door of the Cathedral to see him turning the page of the book that she holds. - Virgin of the Fuencisla (September 25): Patronenss of Segovia. The biggest celebration day is the last Sunday of the month. Two Thursday before the Virgin up from his sanctuary in the Alameda of the Fuencisla to the Cathedral to start the novenaNovenaIn the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
(his arrival at the Plaza Mayor is one of the most specific one can be found in Segovia, is typical to make it when the clock of the Town Hall rings). During the nine days following celebrates the novena in the Cathedral, which is sung the Hymn of the Fuencisla, and the last Sunday in the Virgin returned to her shrine. Since the Virgin is Captain General of Artillery (which is indicated for the baton and the sash that has his feet) from the September 24, 1916, en route from the Cathedral Shrine and is accompanied by cadets Artillery Academy and the Band (which has to be brought from the Academy of Toledo since disappeared local). In its trip between the Sanctuary to the Cathedral is accompanied by the Cadets to Plaza del Azoguejo, where they sing a Salve. Until a few years had exhibitions in Castilian JotasJota (music)The jota is a genre of music and the associated dance known throughout Spain, most likely originating in Aragon. It varies by region, having a characteristic form in Valencia, Aragon, Castile, Navarra, Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia and Murcia. Being a visual representation, the jota is danced and...
in the Alameda de la Fuencisla in the arrival of the Virgin; but recently Castilian Jotas are danced in the Azoguejo own.
Holy Week
Segovia has 10 fraternities, which are:- Oración en el Huerto (own of the neighborhood of San Lorenzo)
- Resurrección del Señor (own of the neighborhood of Nueva Segovia)
- Cristo con la cruz a Cuestas (own of ADEMAR association)
- Santo Cristo de la Cruz (own of neighborhood of Cristo del Mercado)
- Santo Cristo de San Marcos (own of the neighborhood of San Marcos)
- Soledad al pie de la Cruz (own of the neighborhood of San Millán)
- Nuestra Señora de la Piedad (own of the neighborhood of San José)
- Real Cofradía de la Santa Esclavitud (own of the neighborhood of El Salvador)
- Feligresía de San Andrés (own of the neighborhood of San Andrés)
- Soledad Dolorosa (own of the neighborhood of Santa Eulalia)
Famous people
- Don Abraham Senior Coronel
- Juan Bravo
- Pedro DelgadoPedro DelgadoPedro Delgado Robledo , also known as Perico, is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He won the 1988 Tour de France, as well as the Vuelta a España in 1985 and 1989....
- Nicomedes García
- Andrés LagunaAndrés LagunaAndrés Laguna de Segovia was a Spanish humanist physician, pharmacologist, and botanist.-Biography:Laguna was born in Segovia, according to Diego de Colmenares and other historians, to a converted Jewish doctor. He studied the arts for two years in Salamanca, then moved to Paris in 1530, where he...
- Cándido Lopez (Mesonero Mayor de Castilla)
- Aniceto Marinas
- Manuel Pérez BrunicardiManuel Pérez BrunicardiManuel "Manu" Pérez Brunicardi is a Spanish ski mountaineer.Pérez was born in Segovia. He started ski mountaineering in 1995 and competed first in 1996. In 1999 he became member of the national team. He won Spanish Championships in a row from 2002 to 2006...
- Cayetano Redondo AceñaCayetano Redondo AceñaCayetano Redondo Aceña , Spanish politician, journalist, and mayor of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War - from November 1936 to May 1937)...
- Florentino Trapero
- Benjamín Yeo la Tercera
Sister cities
EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland, since 1985. Marysville, Ohio
Marysville, Ohio
Marysville is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Ohio, United States. The population was 15,942 at the 2000 census, and the Census Bureau estimated that it had risen to 17,621 by 2006.Marysville's longtime slogan is "Where the Grass is Greener"...
, United States, since 2001. Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, United States. Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, France, since 1972 gangdong-gu
Gangdong-gu
Gangdong-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is located on the east side of the city....
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
External links
- Official website
- Official tourism office of Segovia
- Official Language Schools of Segovia
- Segovia photo and video essay Part I and Part II