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 came into Simancas for the first time! and it was sublime ! I like to continue my road warrior stories, and do this post that was needed as an introduction to Simancas,in my black and white series, no pictures, Therefore, here is my take on this is Simancas !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The town of Simancas is located in the province of Valladolid, within the autonomous community of Castilla y Léon, and in the kingdom of Spain, It is 15 km from Valladolid, 18 km from Tordesillas, 55 km from Toro, 204 km from Madrid, and 11 km from our home base of Velliza (see posts) from where we came along the Calle Abajo to connect left turn on VP5806 road passing by Geria (see post) continue passing our grocery store Agropal (see post), then turn right on Calle Carretera dir Simancas going underneath the autovia de Castilla A62 continue then bear left onto Calle de Robladillo continue onto Calle Carretera again ,then make a sharp right turn onto Calle Miravete then another sharp left onto Calle Hospital and again left onto Calle Archivo and the General Archive of Simancas. The town is traversed by the A-62 autovia or highway ;Autovía de Castilla between km exit/salidas 133 and 138, as well as by the regional road CL-600, which heads toward Boecillo and Tudela de Duero.
See my other posts on Simancas in my blog but the main thing to come here is this story, In the 15C, the Enríquez family ; Admirals of Castile held lordship over Simancas. They rebuilt the old Moorish fortress, and the chapel dates from this period. Shortly thereafter, the Catholic Monarchs reclaimed it for the Crown and converted it into a state prison. Felipe (Philip) II transformed the castle into the General Archive of the Kingdom ; now known as the General Archive of Simancas (see post) housing one of Europe’s most important archives, containing 35 million documents. The renovations carried out gave the structure its current appearance. The surrounding wall, the towers, the battlements, the moat, the entrance, and two bridges date back to the medieval period or late 15C. The chapel was renovated by the Enríquez family in the 15C; the current structure reflects a renovation from the 1950s. It features a beautiful painted star vault displaying the coats of arms of its founders: Alonso Enríquez and María de Velasco. The torture chamber has also been preserved. The castle as it stands today is largely the result of 16C renovations. The lantern atop the Bishop’s Tower was designed with a bell-like shape. Further renovations took place in the 17-18C. Extensive and significant work has been carried out to preserve the building for its role as the General Archive. Among other notable rooms, there is a fireproof vault housing the majority of the documents.
A bit of history I like tell us that on the outskirts of Simancas lies the megalithic tomb of Los Zumacales, a Neolithic funerary monument of the cromlech type. In Roman times, the city was known as Septimanca and was located within the territory of the Vaccaei. Spanning the Pisuerga river is a medieval bridge, the successor to the one that served the Roman road; the town was occupied by the army of Alfonso I of Asturias in 753 and definitively conquered by Alfonso III of Asturias in 883. Following the Battle of Rueda, it was captured and destroyed by Almanzor. In 939, a battle known as the Battle of Simancas took place near the city walls between the Christian troops of Ramiro II of León and the Muslim Caliph Abd al-Rahman III. In 1812, another Battle of Simancas occurred between Allied troops (Spanish, British, and Portuguese), commanded by Wellington, and Napoleon’s forces, who were retreating after the Battle of Salamanca or Battle of Los Arapiles.
The legend of the tributo de las siete doncellas or tribute of the seven maidens: during the reign of Abd al-Rahman II, there existed a levy known as the “Tribute of the Seven Maidens,” whereby seven young women were handed over annually to Arab chieftains. However, on one occasion, just as the maidens were about to be surrendered, they cut off one of their own hands in an act of defiance. Abd al-Rahman then uttered a phrase that would later give the town its name: “If you give them to me maimed (*mancas*), I do not want them maimed.” The legend inspired several literary works, most notably *Las doncellas de Simancas* by Lope de Vega, who revisited some of these themes in another historical play titled *Las famosas asturianas* or the famous Asturians,
The town of Simancas on its heritage : https://aytosimancas.es/que-ver-2/
The local heritage and arts on the church of Simancas: https://arteypatrimonio.es/project/simancas/
The province of Valladolid on Simancas: https://www.provinciadevalladolid.com/en/-/simancas-4
The Castilla y Léon region tourist office on Simancas : https://www.turismocastillayleon.com/en/heritage-culture/simancas
The Spain National tourist office on Simancas : https://www.spain.info/en/destination/simancas/
There you go folks , another wonderful nostalgic, sentimental trip to my dear Spain, Simancas was a pleasant surprise ,quant,near our house,and historical I like, We will be back ,eventually, we love it !, Again, do read my other post on the town in my blog, Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Simancas !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 