This is Olmedo !!!

Posted in Europe, Spain

We were back to my dear Spain again !! love it !! We came by car of course and took time to see new areas and old repeat with some of them as introduction to my sons and our dog Rex ! I rented a small house in a off the beaten path country town that was just perfect ! I like to continue the saga of our new road warrior experiences even if now with less in our family, This post is on my latest road warrior tour of wonderful sublime Spain.  Therefore, let me tell you about this is Olmedo !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The town of Olmedo is in the province of Valladolid in the autonomous community of Castilla Y-León The city is a Mudejare architectural home. It is 60 km from my home base of Velliza, on the A6 and CL 602 roads, and 42 km from Valladolid ,and 147 km from Madrid, We were in town and parked by parking Plaza Mayor, superbe.

The Castilla Thermal Hotel ,today a 4 -star hotel. Discover a haven of peace and tranquility under the walls of the former convent of Sancti Spiritus of the 12C. The former monastery of Sancti Spíritus was founded in 1128 by the Infanta Sancha Raimúndez, sister of King Alfonso VII de León, and therefore daughter of Raimundo de Burgundy and Urraca I of León, under the invocation of the Holy Spirit and with the intention to institute in the kingdom the order of the Cister under the rule of San Benito. It was one of the first female monasteries in Spain, and its first religious were French. Santa Teresa de Jesús resided in the monastery during the period of its foundations, and Queen Juana I of Castilla was housed between its walls. Since 1950, the Congregation of the Monastery was Trapense, depending on the monastery of San Isidro de Dueñas, and in 1956 it moved to the monastery of Our Lady of Alconada, before the precarious economic life of the area, and finally in 1978 to the monastery of our Lady of Vico, where it thrives today. Of the monacal construction, of Mudejar style, the cloister and the vault of the church is preserved, on whose remains the Villa de Olmedo spa was built in 2005 (now hotel). Part of its historical archive is preserved in the National Historical Archive.

Olmedo Castilla Termal hotel dec24

The Ayuntamiento or City Hall is found in the Plaza Santa Maria ! Olmedo owes his name to the abundance of Olmos or Elms trees that existed in his territory, The City Hall takes refuge in the former convent of Nstra Sra de la Merced Calzada (Our Lady). Its current baroque appearance obeys the 18C. The Old Church of the Merced Convent had a single nave with chapels between the buttresses, covered with a cannon vault with lunetos and plasters; The main chapel, with a cannon vault. High choir at the foot. It is accessed by two covers, one on the side of the Gospel and another at the feet. The rear of the building hosts the scenic activities center, Just passing by for a shot for the memories of the visit to Olmedo.

Olmedo

Olmedo City Hall old monastery Merced side dec24

The bust of Fray Bartolomé located in the Plaza de Santa Maria, opposite the main entrance to the church of the same name. It is a bronze statue representing Fray Bartolomé, which was a monk, left with Hernán Cortés to evangelize on the conquest of Mexico. The Plaza de Santa Maria you find several nice buildings such as the City hall , Church de Santa María del Castillo, the former Convento de la Merced, the house of the Ortega ,the parish office. The rest are particulars building but the architecture remains unique. Here, also, you find the bust dedicated to the former mayor José A. González Caviedes ,and the beforemention Fray Bartolomé.

Olmedo estatua busto Fray Bartolomé plaza Santa Maria dec24

Arriving from Valladolid on the Madrid road, we ran into this imposing building, a sign of the rich flour activity that had once in the province. The “Buhler System” that is advertised in the frontispiece of the flour factory or Fàbrica de Harina, is nothing but a way of grinding the flour that instead of using traditional teeth, incorporates mechanical means by cylinders that substantially increases production, Figure a nice shot for the memories of Olmedo.

Olmedo Fabrica de Harina architecture dec24

Other things to see in Olmedo ,me think, are: The Parque Temático del Mudéjar, Convento de la Concepción, Church de Santa María del Castillo, Real Chancillería , Torre del reloj, Ábside de la Trinidad, Casa de la Villa, Convento de Madre de Dios, Church de San Andrés, Church de San Juan, Arco de la villa, Arco de San Miguel y Murallas (wall),Church de San Miguel y cripta de la Soterraña, Monumento al Caballero de Olmedo, Monasteria de Ntra. Sra. de la Merced and Casa de los Dávila.

A bit of history I like tell us that it was one of the populations conquered by Alfonso VI before 1085.In 1353 he was in the town Pedro I “El Cruel”, when he definitely broke his wife to meet again with María de Padilla, whose adulterine daughter, Constanza, which, which, which, which, which, which, which However, it was swore together with her heiress sheir sisters, and then she was Duchess of Lancaster, received Olmedo and other villas in exchange for the resignation of her rights to the crown she granted in 1388. Having later passed to the domain of Aragon , when he declared the war to Juan II of Castile, Olmedo allied with Juan II, being severely punished. The king of Castile appeared with his army to besiege her, and beat the Aragonese in the battle of Olmedo. The Aragonese left her that same night. In 1467 it was the court of the infant Don Alfonso, raised in arms against Enrique IV, and on August 20 he locked with Olmedo a battle in which the Alfonsino side beat, but did not come into The city, which, the following year, went to the princess who was to be Isabel the Catholic. Her husband Fernando, dispatched her call from the courts of Aragon that in 1515 would meet in Calatayud. Felipe V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, grants a privilege to Olmedo, which is later signed by his successors, In 1811, the Frenchman José Bonaparte, then a monarch for the right of conquest, spent a few days housed in the town. Olmedo has been the cradle of great men who have contributed to building Castilla and Spain such as Fray Bartolomé Ochaita, advisor to Hernán Cortés.

The Olmedo tourist office on its heritage : https://www.olmedo.es/villadeolmedo/

The town of Olmedo on its heritage: https://olmedo.ayuntamientosdevalladolid.es/el-municipio/de-interes-turistico

The Castilla y Léon regional tourist office on Olmedo : https://www.turismocastillayleon.com/es/patrimonio-cultura/ruta-6-centro-tramo-2/etapas/olmedo

There you go folks , another wonderful nostalgic, sentimental trip to my dear Spain, Do not know when we will be back, we sure will have this trip in our hearts forever, Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Olmedo !!! as I.

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

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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