A wonderful quant litle village ,we have passed by on our road warrior trails enough to have a wonderful time. I will do this one as an introduction to this pretty town of Medinaceli. See my other post with pictures as this one will be in my black and white series, no pictures, I drove once in and really with so much to see will have to come back ,eventually, For now, let me tell you on this is Medinaceli !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The village of Medinaceli is located in the province of Soria, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León,and in the kingdom of Spain. The village has a population of 671 (INE 2024). The village is located 78 km from Soria , 83 km from Catalayud, 41 km from Sigüenza, 155 km from Madrid, We drove down from Soria on our way to Madrid and made a quick stop along the SO20 continue on the A15 or Autovia de Navarra on exit/salida 3 bear left onto the N111 road curvy turn until next roundpoint and bear left onto the SO 131 road ahead make a sharp left onto the SO 132 road that takes you to City center and the Plaza Mayor,
We passed by it and glad got a glimpse of this beauty, the Plaza Mayor with an area of approximately 5000 square meters, it is located on the site of the former Roman forum ; completely restored and paved today. The Ducal Palace closes its eastern side, and on the south side is the 16C Alhóndiga or granary of the treasury (see pic), The upper floor of which housed the council house, while the lower floor and the two arcades, with semicircular and box-shaped arches on columns, were reserved for commercial transactions, and at the rear was the judicial district jail.
Other things to see here, me think with more time are the Arab ruins. Behind these ruins, a few meters outside the perimeter of the wall, you can visit the old Arab icebox, which was used for centuries to preserve food using the snow that was preserved under its vault thanks to its location on the northern slope of the plateau. To the west is the medieval Arab Arch, the only gate still standing among the most intact remains of the wall. Built between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, it is the only in Spain, with three arches , On the patrol walk towards the castle, you can distinguish the different levels of the wall that has surrounded the town since Roman times. Medinaceli Castle ; the reconstructed remains of the castle, currently used as a cemetery, are also visible from the valley. It was a Moorish citadel and later the residence of the then Counts of Medinaceli until their transfer to the Ducal Palace, whose balconies overlook the Plaza Mayor. The Collegiate Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, whose abbots fought for centuries with successive bishops of Sigüenza to maintain their privileges, and where an image of Christ of Medinaceli is venerated. Ducal Palace of Medinaceli , a Renaissance palace built during the 16C as a worthy seat of the House of Medinaceli, whose coat of arms are displayed on the façade. In December 2008, a museum dedicated to cultural exhibitions was opened, with ten rooms that occupy practically the entire ground floor of the former palace, La Maison d’Eros is a museum located in a 19C house on Calle San Román street ; dedicated to eroticism, the museum houses works of art. prehistoric, oriental, pre-Columbian and contemporary artists.
A bit of history tell us that its origins lie in the ancient Occilis, a city of the Belos and a Roman municipality. During the Roman domination of Hispania (present day Spain), the salt flats in the valley began to be exploited (salt extraction continued until 1994), and the Roman arch and the Canal fountain were built in the town, whose excellent water comes from the same canals and settling tanks built by the Romans. It was a dividing line between Christians and Muslims ,and was a major strategic enclave for centuries, due to its location at the confluence of the Jalón and Arbujuelo valleys. According to some authors, the leader Almanzor came to die in its Moorish citadel in 1002, presumably on his way back from the Battle of Calatañazor. Around 1129, the King of Aragon, Alfonso I the Battler, definitively conquered the territories of the upper Jalón, including Medinaceli and the enclave of Molina, although they would soon fall into Castilian hands. During the Peninsular War (locally independance war), El Empecinado (Juan Martín Díez, was a Spanish soldier and hero of the Spanish independance war, in which he participated as the leader of one of the legendary guerrilla groups that repeatedly defeated Napoleon’s army. He was portrayed by Benito Pérez Galdós in the novel Juan Martín el Empecinado, part of the Episodios Nacionales (National Episodes), and portrayed by Francisco de Goya. He took up a stronghold in the square, facing the attack of Napoleon’s troops). In 2013, Medinaceli was included in the association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain, being the first in the province of Soria to do so.
The village of Medinaceli on its heritage : https://medinaceli.es/callejeando-por-la-villa/
The Province of Soria tourist office on Medinaceli : https://www.sorianitelaimaginas.com/comarcas/tierra-de-medinaceli/
The Castilla y Léon region tourist office on Medinaceli : https://www.turismocastillayleon.com/en/heritage-culture/medinaceli
There you go folks, another gem in my dear Spain, Medinaceli was a nice ride and great impression, all worth it on my road warrior trails. Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Medinaceli !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 