Valladolid

Capital of the Baroque and Castile

Valladolid is the capital city of Castile and León. It offers you extraordinary architectural and artistic pieces, especially from the Baroque period.

Do you want to visit this place?

Things to do in Valladolid will not probably take you more than a couple of days. We start our tour in Campo Grande Park, from where other constructions such as the Agustinos Recoletos Royal School(1759), the Oriental Museum and Cervantes House-Museum (where the famous writer lived between 1603 and 1606) are not far away. If you go via María de Molina street, heading for Poniente Plaza, you will find Lope de Vega Theater (1861), San Joaquín and Santa Ana Convents (which house paintings by Goya and Bayeu).

Do not miss the Plaza Mayor, built in 1561 after the fire that destroyed great part of the city. The City Hall is there, and so is the Zorilla Theater. The Fuente Dorada Plaza is another symbolic sight of the city, an interesting place to understand more about the history of this fascinating city. Many other theater and museums are also worth a visit. Among them, we highlight: Calderón Theater (neoclassicist, from 1864), Valladolid Museum (housed by Fabio Nelli Palace), the Science Museum (research center that a planetarium and several exhibition rooms) and Sculpture National Museum. This last museum has a religious importance like no other in the city, since it collects several pieces from convents’ confiscation. It houses San Gregorio School (the main attraction here), Villena’s Palace and Sol House.

Apart from Fabio Nelli Palace, there are more palaces that are gorgeous. The Royal Palace has an interesting courtyard worth a visit. The Pimentel Palace is known because it was here where Felipe II was born; it now houses several exhibitions. Marqueses Valverde Palace was built in the 16th century; it has several legends that are interesting for those who love royal gossips. Villena’s Palace (16th century), which used to be the headquarters of the civil government. It has a nativity scene with more than 600 figures.

Next to the cathedral we find the University, whose façade is from the 18th century although the original one was from the Gothic period. In this line, pay attention to the plateresque façade of the Santa Cruz School (1483) and the Val Market, a construction inspired by Paris’ Les Halles.

Santa María la Antigua Church

If you like churches, there are many temples in Valladolid. We highlight Santiago Church, Salvador Church (16th century), Santa María la Antigua Church (Gothic in style, 14th century), Vera Cruz church (16th century), San Pablo Convent-Church (Gothic in style), San Miguel Church (16th century), San Benito el Real Monastery (Gothic in style, built between 1499 and 1515, and it is attached to the Contemporary Art Museum Patio Herreriano), and Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Cathedral (a temple which has been remodeled many times since it was first built in the late 16th century; it now houses the Diocesan and Cathedral Museum).

Must-see...

Academia de Caballería
Dónde dormir en Valladolid
Ayuntamiento

Practical Data

Coordinates

41° 39′ 7.13″ N, 4° 43′ 42.82″ W

Distances

Burgos 120 km, Salamanca 112 km, Segovia 111 km, Madrid 189 km

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