Palencia Province
South western Palencia is known as the Valleys of Cerrato. Towns such as Villamuriel de Cerrato, close to the Palencian capital were, in medieval times, home to the bishops of Palencia.
To the south of the province the wide open Spanish meseta, rich in extensive fields of cereal crops is also famed for its cattle and sheep, the lambs of which form part of the staple Castillian gastronomy.
Close to the town of Venta de Baños is the small populous of Baños de Cerrato, famed for its small Visigoth church of San Juan de Baños.
Interior inscriptions point to its construction in 661 A.D. by the Visigoth King Recesvinto.
Other well-preserved medieval towns include Dueñas, Baltanás and Valdecañas. Of the ancient walls of Dueñas few are preserved. The typically narrow streets house several palaces, amongst them one known as ‘the house of the Catholic Kings’ where Fernando of Aragón is said to have resided temporarily. Baltanás is the principal town of the region and is notable for its rich historical heritage.
Like a ribbon around a girl’s waits, the Road to Santiago crosses the Palencian plains and takes in such romanic treasures as Fromista and Carrión de los Condes. In Fromist, the church of San Martín, dating from the 11th century is perhaps one of the earliest complete examples of romanic architecture of the province. This small town also boasts two other magnificent temples; the late gothic churches of San Pedro and Santa María.
The north of Palencia is extraordinarily rich in natural beauty. To the north the Cantabrian Mountains form a brooding halo over the pristine villages and towns within whose boundaries an equally rich heritage and wealth of architectural beauty can be appreciated. Towns of royal lineage such as Aguilar de Campos with its ruined castle at whose feet is found the hermitage of Santa Cecilia and the monastery of Santa María are well worth a visit.
The mark of Palencia and of Castilla y León in general is stamped on the post-conquest history of Spain. It is from these northern lands that new populations were introduced to the rest of the Peninsula thus forming the basis of the modern-day Spanish character.
More information: http://www.palencia.com/
Places worth a visit
Of particular interest here is the town of Ampudia. Medieval houses jostle in the narrow streets and the gothic castle, once the palatial home of the bishop of Palencia, Don Sancho de Rojas, is a well-preserved 15th century construction.
Other towns worth visiting for their gothic or romanic religious buildings include Meneses de Campos, Villarramiel, and Autillo de Campos, this latter the place where Fernando III, known as ‘The Santo’ (the Saint), was crowned king thus uniting León to Castilla and marking the beginning of one of the most extensive phases of southern expansion and conquest of Moorish Iberia.
Carrión de los Condes is a small town located on the route to Santiago that contains several palatial reminders of an aristocratic past. These palaces housed landed aristocracy whose patronage resulted in the magnificent temples of San Julian, San Andrés and Santa María as well as the beautiful hermitages of la Piedad and Belén. The extensive monastery of San Zoilo, dating from the 10th century with later 15th century additions, is now a comfortable three star hotel in which guests can relax surrounded by reminders of less complicated times.
Popular Fiestas
Corpus Christi is the big religious date in Carrion de los Condes. Carpets of flowers great the sumptuous processions through the town. Between the 1st and 15th July, the town holds an interesting Antiques Fair.
Ampudia: Festival of the town’s patron saint Nuestra Señora de Alconda.
