As you approach the village from the south you can see the ruins of the long Muslim fortress linked to the memory of the Cid, which dominates the river Duero. If you climb to them, in its western part, you will find the mysterious Lairón well, which is said to lead to the exterior, up to the Douro River.
It is in the river where there is the monument that gave strategic importance to the town and that motivated two centuries of struggles for its possession. This is the medieval bridge installed in the best ford of the Duero for many kilometers, which is why the town was called “The Gate of Castile”, because it could prevent an enemy army crossing it. To facilitate the passage of trucks the bridge has undergone so many reforms that barely maintains some of its medieval configuration. In the river there is a zone suitable for the bath to which it has been adapted shower and a green space for the enjoyment of the bathers.
The most important visit to San Esteban de Gormaz is the Church of San Miguel, built in 1081. It is the oldest Romanesque church in Spain with porticoed gallery, a beautiful and sober gallery of seven arches of half a point on Columns that served as a model for other temples in the province. Its capitals contain anthropomorphic motifs, turkeys, crenellated cities, chess abacuses and, on the inside, horses and lions. In one of its canecillos appears the date of 1081, although some authors delay its production to 1111. It consists of a single nave attached to the staggered headboard in the presbytery and a semicircular apse.
The Church of the Virgen del Rivero also Romanesque, was built in the twelfth century. Her Virgin has been taken out in the prayers to ask for rain or serious calamities
Aerial view of the town
Following the course of the Duero from the city you will reach a space of leafy woodland where you can find the Ecomuseum Molino de los Ojos. It houses an exhibition on the milling and cereal ecosystem with implements and other utensils donated by the inhabitants of the town. The mill was built in 1784 by the Marquesa de Villena and Countess of San Esteban de Gormaz. It ceased its milling activity in 1956 but remained active until 1960 to control irrigation. In this environment is the Theme Park of the Romanesque of Castile and Leon. By means of models of the Romanesque temples of the autonomous community and audiovisuals the best works of this architectural and artistic style are known.
Rejas de San Esteban (10 km), declared BIC village, treasures, in addition to its popular architecture, two exceptional Romanesque churches: San Martín and San Ginés. In Villálvaro (12 km), the church of La Virgen de las Lagunas, also Romanesque, stands out. In Langa de Duero (18 km away) the Castle and the Parochial Church are conserved, gothic reconstructed in the XVII. Also interesting are the churches of Berzoza (23 km), Alcozar (15 km) and Miño de San Esteban (14 km). In Castillejo de Robledo (29 km) the ruins of the Castle and the Church of the Assumption, Romanesque of the XII century, declared National Monument, in which some of its canecillos present / display erotic motifs.
And finally in Gormaz (to 23 km), are the ruins of the enormous Castle that reaches a perimeter of almost 1 km. It was built at the end of the 10th century on previous remains under Al-Haquem II and served as a prison in time of the Catholic Monarchs. Atauta (7 km) has the largest set of wineries in the region with Vino Ribera del Duero with D.O.