Avila and Segovia.

After a couple days exploring Madrid, we decided to take a day trip to two of the most interesting towns outside the capital--Avila and Segovia. We left on a bus with our tour group at around 7 AM. The day was gray and dripping when we left Madrid, but by the time we got to Avila, the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds.

Avila is one of the few cities in the world that is still completely enclosed by a medieval wall, This wall, which was begun in 1090, is still intact and has been maintained well. Its nine enormous gates and 100 towers make it a natural location for historical movies, and many have been filmed here.  

One of the jewels of this ancient town is the Cathedral of Avila, built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Because it was constructed over such a long period of time, it incorporates elements of a number of architectural styles, This unique mixture makes it one of the finest examples of Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance architecture in Europe.

The cult of St. Teresa, very popular in this region of Spain, is centered in her hometown of Avila. The Convent of St. Teresa was built in 1636 around the room where she was born in 1515.

This stained glass window depicts the saint being visited by the Virgin Mary.  

The gold-adorned chapel with its baroque altar is built above the room where St. Teresa was born. In the adjoining museum, you can see the saint's finger, still wearing her favorite ring. It's said that Franco kept the relic on his bedside throughout his rule.

The Real Monasterio de San Tomas was founded in 1482. Funded by Ferdinand and Isabella, the monastery was the headquarters of Friar Tomas de Torquemada, Spain's first Grand Inquisitor, when he led the great heretic and witch-hunts that made him a legend.

This sculpture of a bull predates Roman times. It's one of the few traces of the earliest people to inhabit the Iberian peninsula.

This hand-carved wooden model shows how Avila looked in medieval times.

After Avila, our bus continued to Segovia, about 45 minutes away. 

Sited high on a hill overlooking the rolling plains of central Spain, Segovia is considered one of the country's most beautiful cities. 

One of the major attractions here is Segovia’s Roman-built aqueduct. Dating from the late 1st or early 2nd century CE, "the aqueduct of Segovia is – because of its long span, architectural beauty, uncharacteristic slenderness, and dramatic presence in the center of a dense urban fabric – the most impressive Roman structure in Spain, and one of the most famous among the numerous aqueducts built by the Romans throughout their vast Empire,” according to architectural writer Alejandro Lapunzina. 

The aqueduct is still used to deliver drinking water. Its 25,000 granite blocks are held together without mortar. It spans 2,700 feet with more than 170 arches, the highest of which tops 95 feet.

Built between 1525 and 1593, this imposing church is the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. It stands at the highest point of Segovia's Old Town, offering stunning views of the entire city and the surrounding Sierra de Guadarrama foothills. Constructed of yellow stone, the cathedral's intricately articulated facade features gargoyles and other Gothic architectural elements, capped by a 328-foot tower.

The Alcazar of Segovia started as a fortress built by the Moors on a stone peninsula between the Eresma and Clamores rivers sometime before 1122. After the Reconquest, it was one of the favorite residences of the kings of Castile. The building is structured around two courtyards and has two towers, and a keep. It now houses the General Militar de Segovia archive and the museum of the Royal School of Artillery.

 

From the walls of the Alcazar, you can see sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.

A stork flies by one of the Alcazar's towers.

Inside, the thrones used by Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

The ceiling features portraits of the kings of Castile and Aragon.

The museum displays many examples of armor and weapons of the past.

Ouch!

The artillery collection is extensive.

The Christian king Alphonse the Wise was known for beheading Muslims.

The hour-and-a-half ride back Madrid took us through mountains covered by a fresh fall of snow.

 

P.