travel
Text: Alfredo de la Casa * Photos: Thoa Kieu
With over 60 million people visiting every year,
Spain ranks number three in the world of tourism
as most visited country, just behind France and
the US. Most people visiting Spain tend to go
either to the Mediterranean coast and Islands,
seeking the hot weather, or to the main cities like
Madrid, Barcelona or Bilbao. However, Spain has
much more to offer, especially if you like history,
old buildings and gastronomy. One good example
is the city of Segovia, which is barely 90km North
of Madrid, easily reachable by road and rail.
Its origins go back more
than 20 centuries, and Celts,
Romans, Jews and Arabs, to
name a few, have occupied
this lovely city for different
lengths of time, leaving their
architecture and heritage
behind, making Segovia one
of the most fascinating cities
to visit for art and architecture
lovers due to the many
architectural styles present in
this little town. The historic
value is so huge that the
UNESCO declared Segovia
part of the world heritage
in 1985.
But it was in the 12th century
when Segovia really became
important, as a center for
the trade of sheep, wool and
garments, which helped the city
to thrive, and part of the wealth
126
TRAVELLIVE
from the trade was dedicated
to build some of the gems that
visitors can enjoy in Segovia.
from very far away, and used in
Roman times to transport water
to the city.
With hundreds of interesting
sites and buildings to visit,
this little town where barely
50,000 people live receives
lots of tourists. One of the
main attractions to visit is
the Roman Aqueduct, located
at the Azoguejo square, it
was built around the end
of the 1st century, the most
significant Roman engineering
construction in Spain. Around
25,000 granite blocks were
used in its construction, with
no cement or adhesive material
holding them, just perfect
construction; it is over 800
metres long and 29 metres
tall with around 170 arches,
a real beauty that can be seen
The Alcazar de Segovia
which dates back to the 12th
century, was the residence
of many kings, and the start
point for the coronation of
Queen Isabella of Castilla.
An amazing castle that allow
visitors, it has two defence
towers and currently holds the
Segovia Artillery Museum with
examples of ancient weapons
covering many centuries.
The views from its yard, on
the main hill of the city, are
amazing, protected by the city
walls, visitors can also enjoy
the visit to the Museo de la
Quimica, a small museum
covering the discoveries in
chemistry over centuries.