Paris1972-Versailles2003

Ok so I am back in this wonderful Castilian town of my love. I heard about since birth, but finally came to see it in 1990 and has been an everlasting love affairs since. Hard to visit my beloved Spain without passing stopping here; I need to see its silhouettes! Of course, I am talking about Segovia ,in the Province of Segovia, and the autonomous region of Castilla y Léon!

So much to see in such a reduce space ,worth coming back over and over again. However, some minor monuments don’t get the recognition they deserve even in my previous posts touch only by word. It is time I tell you a bit more on the other Churches of Segovia!

The Church or Iglesia de San Andrés is located in the city of Segovia, in the Plaza of La Merced. The Convent of Our Lady of Merced, founded in 1367, existed in this same square. The Church is located on the west side of the square and, although subjected to alterations, still preserves its primitive Romanesque style two apses, with half-point windows, columns, capitals, corbels and Byzantine moldings. It has a three-body tower, plastered and with spire, sharp and slated. The north cover is the primitive. The south cover has a statue of the holy titular, San Andrews. The interior has three naves. The main altarpiece consists of two bodies, occupying the center statues and the side paintings. It would also contain the altar of the demolished convent adjoining. Sculptures of Our Lady of the Mercedes, San Ramón and San Pedro Nolasco.

romanesque Segovia on the Church of San Andrés

Tourist office of Castilla y Leon on San Andrés

The Church or Iglesia de San Martin, erected in the 12C, it already existed in 1117, because in the testament of Domingo Petit the abbot that appears as a witness. It is located in the current Plaza de Juan Bravo, midway between the Cathedral of Santa Maria and the Roman aqueduct. It is a temple of Mozarabic origin with Romanesque style. The Church differs in part from the original, as some parts have been reconstructed or eliminated, as is the case of the central apse, which was replaced. It has three naves, transept with brick dome and tripartite headboard.  Of the Church are notable the belfry, which is Romanesque-mudejar style, and has arches of brick on stone columns. It is also noteworthy its arcaded gallery, which surrounds the whole Church except the front. This portico has half-point arches resting on columns with Romanesque capitals.  The cover of the western façade is one of the largest doors of Spanish Romanesque. It is a cover of five arch vaults, decorated with vegetal motifs. It is sheltered by a portico, as a narthex, whose opening is a large set of arch vaults supported by human statues representing characters from the Old Testament.

The Church or Iglesia de San Millán  is located next to Avenida Fernández Ladreda, in the neighborhood of San Millán. The Romanesque tower forms the oldest remains of the Church, since it corresponds to the 11C being Mudejar style, the rest of the Church is the product of the reform made between 1111 and 1126 by king Alfonso I the Battler (Batallador) during his government in Castile for his marriage with Doña Urraca, so it is one of the oldest Churches in the city. Its construction reflects the influence of Aragonese architecture, reproducing the plant of the Cathedral of Jaca on a smaller scale. It is composed of four apses, of which three correspond to the naves and the fourth, a later addition, to the sacristy. It has three covers, one on each side, and two galleries of porticoes arches, so common in the Romanesque Segoviano. Inside we can find three large naves with a simple roof, replacing the initial Mudéjar roof. The columns and capitals are large in comparison to the size of the Church. Among the most notable capitals we find one that is thematic the magicians path of Bethlehem and another that has as a theme the flight of Egypt. Among the ornaments destined to the cult stands out its main altar of Romanesque style, composed of a crucified surrounded by ten blinded arcades, as well as several pieces of the processional imagery that participates in the Holy Week of Segovia, as are the carvings of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad or Our Lady of Solitude at the foot of the Cross and the Blessed Christ in his last Word, which were donated by the Segoviano sculptor Aniceto Marinas and correspond to his homonymous brotherhood, which has its canonical headquarters in the Church.

The Church or Iglesia de San Clemente, the Church, which stands between the Calle del  Marquis de Mondéjar, Calle Gobernador Fernandez Jiméneza and Calle Doctor Sancho, is characterized by a semicircular apse with three paired arches, with columns that would have inside windows of half point, pedestals and capitals. It would preserve from its primitive Romanesque construction the portico, and two covers: the one that corresponds to the main nave, and the lateral one, which gives entrance to the Church. The tower is of low elevation and was eliminated in the 18C. Altars would be baroque and Churrigueresque in style. At the beginning of the 20C, the congregation was added to the parent parish of San Millán.

Romanesque Segovia on the Church of San Clemente

The Church or Iglesia San Sebastiàn,  is located in the Plaza de San Sebastiàn  at the end of the aqueduct, in the upper part of the city, next to the Plazuela de Avendaño.  It was told in history that in 1906  it was closed to the cult, by threatening ruin the vaults of plaster and brick, which served only to hide the primitives. It  became an independent parish. Its exterior is Romanesque-Byzantine and has apses, doorways and windows with the typical character of the Segovia’s Churches of the 13C or earlier. The tower is reduced and lost its primitive style after several renovations. The interior has three naves.

Romanesque Segovia on the Church of San Sebastiàn

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The Convent or Convento de San José at Calle Tomasa de la Iglesia,4  It’s a cloistered convent of the Barefoot Carmelite nuns.  Convent founded by Saint Teresa of Jesus in 1574. Initially it was located in a building a few meters higher than its posterior and definitive location to which they moved in 1579, for having a greater need for space.  On the outside we find a wall of masonry revoked with two doors, one that gives to the convent, with two jambs decorated with remains of what was undoubtedly the house of Diego de Porres ( another Saint) and another larger that gives way to the Church.  The Church is a single nave with three sections and a chorus at the feet. Originally had a wooden roof that was replaced between the 17C and 18C by vault of plasterwork.

Of course the above are my favorites, there are more! and will put some general webpages to help you enjoy fully Segovia and its monuments.

Tourist office of Segovia on monasteries and churches

Tourist office of Segovia on the old town heritage monuments

City of Segovia tourism general views

Province of Segovia on tourist spots to see

The quest continues for more, as Spain is everything under the sun! Never amazes me to find wonderful places to see ,no wonder is the no 2 spot on Earth for visitors behind my belle France. And numbers are from WTO-UN or United Nations World Tourism Organisation ,keeping numbers on travelers since 1949! Enjoy Segovia for it’s treasures!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!