Valladolid

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For the city in Mexico, see Valladolid, Yucatán. For the municipality in the Philippines, see Valladolid, Negros Occidental.

Valladolid

The church of San Pablo


Flag	Coat of Arms

Location

Coordinates : (41°38′0″N, 4°43′0″W)
Time Zone : CET (GMT +1)
- summer: CEST (GMT +2)

General information

Native name

Valladolid (Spanish)

Spanish name

Valladolid

Nickname

Pucela

Founded

1072

Postal code

47001-47016

Website

http://www.ava.es

Administration

Country

Spain

Autonomous Community

Castile and Leon

Province

Valladolid

Mayor

Francisco Javier León de la Riva (PP)

Geography

Land Area

197,5 km²

Altitude

691 m AMSL

Population

Population

319,943 (2006)

Density

1.609 hab./km² ()

Plaza Mayor and city hall, Valladolid

Valladolid is an industrial city and its municipality in central Spain, upon the Rio Pisuerga and within the Ribera del Duero region. It is the capital of the province of Valladolid and of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon, therefore is part of the historical region of Castile.

1 Etymology
2 History
3 Interesting places
4 Population
5 Routes
6 SEMINCI
7 Local cuisine
8 Easter Week in Valladolid
9 Sister cities
10 Gallery
11 Maps and aerial photos
12 See also
13 External links

[edit] Etymology

The most probable origin of the term is Latin: VALLIS, "Valley"; and Celtic: TOLITUM, "place of confluence of waters" And it also means "city in a cloud"[1], The name is also linked with the Arabic name for the city بلد الوليد meaning The City of Walid.

It is also popularly called Pucela, a nickname whose origin is not clear, but probably refers to a few knights who accompanied "Juana de Arco".

[edit] History

Valladolid was captured from the Moors in the 10th century, being a small village improved by count Pedro Ansúrez in the 11th century; by the 15th century it was the residence of the kings of Castile and remained the capital of the Kingdom of Spain until 1561, when Philip II, born here, moved the capital to Madrid. Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid in 1506 in a house which is now a Museum dedicated to him. It was made the capital of the kingdom again between 1601 and 1606 by Philip III. It was in that period when Cervantes published his first edition of Don Quixote in 1604.

The city nonetheless boasts few architectural manifestations of its former glory. Some monuments include the unfinished cathedral, the church of Santa Maria la Antigua, the Plaza Mayor (the template for that of Madrid and of future main squares in the Castilian-speaking world), the National Sculpture Museum, next to the church of Saint Paul, which includes Spain's greatest collections of polychrome wood sculptures, and the Faculty of Law of the University of Valladolid, whose façade is one of the few surviving works by Narciso Tomei, the same artist who did the transparente in Toledo Cathedral. The Science Museum is next to Pisuerga river. The only surviving house of Miguel de Cervantes is also located in Valladolid. Although unfinished, Cathedral of Valladolid was designed by Juan de Herrera, architect of El Escorial.

Valladolid is an economic motor of the autonomous community, having an important automobile industry (IVECO, FASA-Renault, Michelin). There is an airport at nearby Villanubla, with connections to London-Stansted, Paris, Brussels-Charleroi, Lisbon, Barcelona and Vigo.

[edit] Interesting places

The capital of Castile-León preserves an important heritage of monuments in its old quarter, especially aristocratic houses and religious buildings. Outstanding among them is the unfinished Cathedral. The architect Juan de Herrera was commissioned by King Felipe II to design the original scheme in the 16th century. The death of both left the church unfinished and its central body was not opened until 1668. Years later, in 1730, Master Churriguera finished the work on the main front. Inside the cathedral, the great chapel houses a magnificent reredos made by Juan de Juni in 1562. From the complex you can get into the Diocesan Museum, in which the outstanding features are various carvings attributed to Gregorio Fernández and to Juni himself, as well as a silver monstrance by Juan de Arfe.

Other interesting churches are the Gothic church of Santiago, with an important reredos depicting the Adoration of the Magi, created by Berruguete in 1537, and the church of Santa María la Antigua, with its unusual pyramid-shaped Romanesque tower.

The 16th-century Plaza Mayor, presided over by a statue of Count Ansúrez, is right in the heart of the city. On one side of it stands the City Hall, a building from the beginning of the century crowned by the clock tower. In the nearby streets are many large houses and palaces. The Palace of Los Pimentel, today the seat of the Provincial Council, is one of the most important, as King Philip II was born in it on 21 May 1527. The 16th-century Palace of the Marquises of Valverde, and that of the banker Fabio Nelli - a building with a Classicist stamp built in 1576 - should also be pointed out. The Museum of Valladolid occupies this complex, exhibiting a collection of furniture, sculptures, paintings and ceramic pieces.

The University, whose Baroque façade is decorated with various academic symbols, and the Santa Cruz College, which as well as housing a valuable library forms one of the first examples of the Spanish Renaissance, say much about the cultural importance of Valladolid.

The city preserves houses where great historical characters once lived, like the Casa de Cervantes, where the author of Quijote lived with his family between 1603 and 1606. As a curiosity, it was in this house where the writer gave his masterpiece the finishing touches. A visit to the house-museum enables you to get to know the way of life of a noble family in the 17th century through possessions and furniture from the time. You can also visit the Christopher Columbus House-Museum, where the navigator spend the last years of his life. Nowadays the palace exhibits various pieces and documents related to the discovery of America.

From nineteenth century Valladolid, the house where one of the provincial capital's most illustrious characters - José Zorrilla - was born is preserved. The house, which is open to the public, brings together various personal possessions, furniture and documents that belonged to the Romantic writer.

The church of Santa María la Antigua, Valladolid

As a city that has experienced notable urban growth in the last few decades, Valladolid offers a wide range of leisure and cultural opportunities: cinemas, theatres and museums, like the National Sculpture Museum, at its site in San Gregorio College. This splendid Flemish Gothic style building - one of the most outstanding buildings in the provincial capital - is important for its exhibition of polychrome carvings made by artists like Alonso Berruguete or Gregorio Fernández. The Museum of Contemporary Spanish Art, located in the Herreriano Courtyard, one of the cloisters of the former Monastery of San Benito, preserves more than 800 paintings and sculptures from the 20th century.

[edit] Population

Population of Valladolid (1900-2005)

As of the 2004 census, the population of the city of Valladolid proper was 321,713, and the population of the entire urban area was estimated to be near 400,000.

[edit] Routes

Valladolid's province is revealed through different tours like those along the Red Wine Route and the Knight's Route, which lead to the "Alma de Castilla" and the "Tierra de Campos". The first of these routes leads to the wine-growing country of Quintanilla de Onésimo, Vega Sicilia, Pesquera de Duero and Peñafiel. Here you can visit the castle and Wine Museum as well as interesting cellars.

The Knight's Route unfolds to the south of the provincial capital and here you can get to know the cellars of Boecillo, the Mudejar architecture of Mojados and Olmedo and the medieval wealth of Iscar and Portillo. Historic towns like Simancas, where the General Archive of the Kingdom can be found; Tordesillas, of great historical and artistic importance; and Medina del Campo, famous for its markets, fairs and spa, lie in the so-called “Soul of Castile”. Meanwhile, the Tierra de Campos brings you to medieval towns like Medina de Rioseco and beautiful examples of popular Vallodolid architecture like Villalón de los Campos or Castromonte, known for its medicinal waters.

To tour this whole area you can stay in the excellent facilities of the Parador de Turismo at Tordesillas. It is also a good place for trying Valladolid cuisine, where the roast lamb and suckling pig are famous. Castilian soup (made with bread, garlic and ham), cod with garlic and game dishes are also famous. To accompany these recipes there is nothing better than the wines with Denomination of Origin from the province: Ribera del Duero, Cigales, Rueda and Toro.

[edit] SEMINCI

The city is also host to one of the foremost (and oldest) international film festivals, the Semana Internacional de Cine de Valladolid (Seminci), founded in 1956.

The unfinished cathedral and the Plaza de la Universidad, near the University of Valladolid

[edit] Local cuisine

Despite being Valladolid an inland province, fish is quite common. Brought from the Cantabrian Sea, fish like red bream and hake are a major part of Valladolid's cuisine. Like in the rest of Castile, cod is the main ingredient of many dishes. Another great speciality is frog's legs. Although they are not common in the menu of restaurants, you should definitely try to find them because they get prepared here like nowhere else, smooth and at the same time full of flavour. Valladolid also offers a great variety of wild mushrooms. Asparagus, endive and beans are also excellent. Some pulses, like white beans and lentils are particularly good. Pine nuts are also produced in great quantities, used in a variety of stews. Sheep cheese from Villalón de los Campos, the famous pata de mulo (mule's leg) is usually unripened (fresh), but if it is cured the ripening process brings out such flavour that it can compete with the best sheep cheeses in Spain. Valladolid has a great bread to go with every great dish, like the delicious cuadros from Medina del Campo, the muffins, the pork-scratching bread and the lechuguinos, with a pattern of concentric circles that resembles a head of lettuce.

The pastries and baked goods from the province of Valladolid are abundant and excellent, specially St. Mary's ring-shaped pastries, St. Claire's sponge cakes, pine nut balls and cream fritters.In Valladolid we can also find excellent wines. The ones that fall under the Designation of Origin Cigales are very good. White wines from Rueda and red wines from Ribera del Duero have such supreme quality that they are quickly becoming emblems of Spanish oenology. While in Valladolid you can taste the traditional cuisine either by going for pinchos (which are, like tapas, small portions of a given dish served as a complement of your drinks) or by visiting restaurants like Fátima, María and Mesón Panero, rated 1 sun by the CAMPSA guide.

[edit] Easter Week in Valladolid

Holy Week in Valladolid is a fine example of the international repercussions this celebration has had.The Good Friday processions are considered an exquisite, rich display of Castilian religious sculpture. On this day, in the morning, members of the brotherhoods on horseback make a poetic proclamation throughout the city. The "Sermon of the Seven Words” is spoken in Plaza Mayor Square. In the afternoon, thousands of people take part in the Passion Procession, comprising 31 pasos (religious statues), most of which date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The last statue in the procession is the Virgen de las Angustias, and her return to the church is one of the most emotional moments of the celebrations, with the Salve Popular sung in her honour.

Easter week is one of the most spectacular and emotional fiestas here. Religious devotion, art, colour and music combine in acts to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ: the processions. Members of the different Easter brotherhoods, dressed in their characteristic robes, parade through the streets carrying religious statues (pasos) to the sound of drums and music – scenes of sober beauty.

[edit] Sister cities

Lille (France)
Morelia (Mexico)
Tinduf (Algeria)
Orlando (United States)
Florencia (Italy)
Binviles (Valladolid de los Binviles) (Equatorial Guinea)

[edit] Gallery

Museum Patio Herreriano	The distinctive cloaks and hoods of the Easter Holy Week processions	House of Cervantes	Town Hall in Christmas
Valladolid Railway Station	Cervantes' statue	Valladolid Easter Holy Week processions	The Campo Grande fountain
Pisuerga river	Science museum	Calderon Theatre	Academia de Cabllería
Real Palace	National Museum of Sculpure	Palacio de Santa Cruz	Cathedral