Soria spain attractions. In the small and quiet town of Soria. What's worth seeing
16.12.2015
The small provincial capital of Soria located on the banks of the Duero River in northern Spain. The province of Soria is part of the autonomous region of Castile and Leon.
Before our era, Celtiberian tribes lived here. In the Middle Ages, Soria was one of the most important centers wool production.
The main attractions of the city are located in its old part, the center of which is Plaza Mayor. The square is surrounded by buildings made in the Romanesque style. You can also see the church here Santa Maria la Mayor with an interesting Romanesque façade. There is a church nearby Santo Domingo 12th century - one of the most beautiful churches cities. Of greatest interest is its façade, crowned with an arch with sculptural compositions. Worth to visit Cathedral San Pedro (12th century), which was rebuilt in the 16th century in the Renaissance style. The facade of the cathedral, made in the Plateresque style, and the internal gallery of the 12th century, supported by columns decorated with ornaments, are very beautiful.
Also interesting in Soria is the Romanesque church San Juan de Rabanera(12th century) - one of the earliest buildings of the city; castle Condes-Gomara 16th century (now the Palace of Justice); monastery San Juan de Duero, which until the 18th century belonged to the Order of the Hospitallers; church located on a cliff above the Duero River San Saturio, where the relics of the city’s patron saint, Saturios, are kept.
Particularly popular Numantine Museum, which tells the history of the region from the Paleolithic era to the present day. Presented here archaeological finds, starting from the bones of mammoths and ending with the ceramics of the Celtiberian tribes. Most of The exhibits were found at the excavations of the nearby destroyed Celtiberian settlement of Numantia.
The ruins of the settlement of Numantia are located 8 km north of Soria. It was founded by the Celtiberian tribes in the 3rd century BC. In the 2nd century BC. The Romans tried to capture Numantia for 20 years, but its inhabitants put up fierce resistance to the Roman troops. After an 11-month siege of the city, residents, realizing that the city could not be saved, set it on fire and began killing each other. The Romans entered the already devastated city. Under the Romans, Numantia was rebuilt. The ruins of Numantia were discovered in the 19th century and are now one of the most popular archaeological sites in Spain. Every year on the last Saturday of July, reenactment battles between the Numantians and Romans are held here.
There is an interesting town 55 km southwest of Soria Burgo de Osma. Under the Visigoths, from the 6th century until the Arab conquest of these lands, the bishop's residence was located in Burgo de Osma. The main attraction of the city is the 12th century Gothic cathedral, inside of which many works of art from the Romanesque era have been preserved. Also highlighted Bishop's Palace, remains of 15th century fortress walls, Renaissance building University of Santa Catalina 16th century, 8th century castle and Roman bridge.
In the vicinity of Soria it is also worth visiting such ancient towns and villages as Kalatanyasor with the ruins of an Arab fortress, Almasan with churches from the 12th century and the remains of fortress walls and gates, Medinaceli from Roman triumphal arch 1st century and San Esteban de Gormaz, where the remains of a fortress and two Romanesque churches from the 11th and 12th centuries are preserved.
In the western part of the province, 60 km from Soria, is located natural Park Canyon del Rio Lobos. Over many millennia, the flow of the Lobos River has formed a canyon with sheer walls, surrounded by pine and juniper forests. One of the main attractions of the canyon are its birds of prey: eagle owls, vultures, griffon vultures, falcons and golden eagles. There are also several caves in the park.
In the north-west of the province of Soria, along its border with the provinces of Burgos and La Rioja, stretches mountain range Sierra de Urbion, part of the Iberian mountain range. Maximum elevation – mountain Pico-Urbion. Among the mountainous landscapes of the region there are dense forests and glacial lakes. This beautiful place for classes hiking. Main populated area This area is located in the village of Vinuesa. From here you can travel to the glacial lakes Laguna Negra and Laguna de Urbion, surrounded by steep cliffs, and to Mount Pico Urbion. Nearby is the Cuerda del Pozo reservoir, where summer time you can do a variety of things aquatic species sports or just sunbathe and swim. 10 km north of Vinues in the mountains at an altitude of 1753 m is the Santa Ynez ski station.
In north-central Spain is the province of Soria, part of the autonomous region of Castile and Leon. The capital of the province is the city of the same name, Soria, with a population of about 40 thousand people. The city was founded on the banks of the Duero River during Roman rule in Spain.
The city is of great interest to tourists, as it is rich in architectural monuments from various periods of Spanish history.
The cathedral was built on the site of a temple erected during the era of Alfonso the Conqueror; a monumental church in the Romanesque style was built here in the 1150s, but the temple was destroyed in 1543, and it took a long time to restore it.
The bell tower of the 14th century, which is crowned with seven bells made in the 18th century, has survived to this day. Today the cathedral houses the Diocesan Museum, where permanent exhibition Spanish documents from the 12th to 19th centuries, church utensils and a unique painted sculpture of Christ from the 13th century.
Location: Calle Sta. Cruz - 14.
The monastery is located in the center of the city; an alley of unique hundred-year-old trees leads directly to it. The monastery is small in size; the main pride of the temple is the image of Christ, made of ivory in the 16th century.
The monastery was built for the brotherhood, which was engaged in the funeral of criminals sentenced to execution; they were buried in the courtyard of the temple. On the territory of the monastery there is also a very beautiful bell tower of the 18th century.
This place is the most popular among tourists in Soria. It is believed that the temple was founded in the 6th century by the Suevian king Theodore. The temple survived the Arab conquests and the reconquista period. The architecture of the temple resembles the Greek style, although the influence of both Romanesque and Gothic cultures is noticeable. During the 7th-19th centuries, some of the buildings were destroyed, and new ones arose in their place; only the sacristy remained from the original church. Later, a statue of St. Saturius, dome paintings of the Apostle Peter, and St. Isidore appeared on the territory of the temple. The interior of the church is made in the Spanish Baroque style, the temple is decorated big amount stone statues of Catholic saints.
Location: Calle Mirón - 1T.
According to the Spanish legend, the holy hermit Saturius lived on the site of the monastery, in the cave above which the monastery was built, the relics of the saint were located, after the construction of the temple they were transferred to the altar.
The temple, partly located in the rock, was built in the 17th century and also houses a chapel painted with images of St. Michael. Despite the fact that the temple was built in the Baroque style, the architectural lines are striking in their severity and moderation; the dome of the temple, painted with paintings from the life of the saint, is particularly beautiful.
Location: Camino San Saturio.
Initially, the temple, built in the 12th century, was dedicated to St. Thomas, and only in the 19th century, after the closure of the parish, was it given a new name. The church was built in three architectural styles of different times:
- The altar part is in the 16th century in the Renaissance style.
- Naves at the beginning of the 12th century in Romanesque style.
- Western façade at the end of the 12th century in Gothic-Romanesque style, in honor of the king's wedding, which took place in Soria.
It is thanks to the royal wedding that took place in the church that two statues are located under the windows of the temple - the king and the queen, in which even today you can recognize Alfonso VIII and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The Church of St. Dominic is included in the list of historical and cultural heritage of Spain.
Location: Plaza Condes de Lérida - 2.
The temple is located on Main Square, originally the temple, built at the end of the 12th century, was dedicated to St. Gil, and only in the 16th century, after the addition of the main chapel, the temple received its current name.
In the 19th century, the church was on the verge of destruction, so the naves of the temple had to be reconstructed. From the original temple, the following have survived to this day: the southern portal, column capitals, three floors of the tower and apsidioles skillfully decorated with stucco ornaments.
Location: Calle Mayor, 0.
This palace is the main monument of non-cult architecture of the Renaissance in Soria. It was built on the site of an old palace in the 16th century and was more than a hundred meters long.
The building consists of two buildings with large balconies; above the central entrance is the coat of arms of the Counts of Gomar. On the territory of the palace there were large stables, galleries for walking, a three-story tower, and in the courtyard there was a courtyard with Ionic arches characteristic of that time.
In the early Middle Ages, the area of Soria was one kilometer, the entire perimeter of the city was surrounded by a fortress wall, in the center on the Castle Hill stood Soria Castle, one of the most fortified castles of the 12th century. It had a trapezoidal shape, there were small towers in the four corners, and inside there was an armory courtyard, the Church of St. Salvador, and two synagogues. Currently, only the remains of the donjon and part of the main gate with two towers have survived from the fortress walls.
The founders of the monastery are the Dukes of Soria, who allowed the Mercedarian monks who did not have a parish to settle in the church parish of the Virgin de la Mercedes.
The first temple was built in the 14th century in the Gothic style, and in the 16th century it was restored and expanded. Already in the 20th century, the monastery church was restored and turned into Cultural Center Provincial Council. Inside the temple, the dome, cornices and columns were painted by painters of the 17th century, and in the altar there is a sculpture of St. Peter Nolaska.
The monastery, founded in 1224, was dedicated to Saint Catalina, and only several centuries later it changed its patron saint. In the 19th century, the monastery housed barracks, and the monks were forced to move.
Despite the fact that over the course of nine centuries the temple has undergone many reconstructions, outwardly it looks almost the same as at the time of construction. Currently, the temple houses the Institute of Science and Health of Castile and Leon.
The Archaeological Museum of Soria received this name because of the large exhibition of objects found near Numasia.
The museum was founded in the 19th century; the exhibition area is about seven thousand square meters. At the exhibition you can see the history of Soria from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, there are exhibitions from the era of Roman rule, the Visigothic era and the Muslim period.
Location: Paseo el Espolón - 8.
The square, located in the “heart” of the city, took its name from the Church of St. Clement, destroyed in 1952. During the XII-XIV centuries, a medieval cemetery was located on the territory of the square.
Currently, the square houses an architectural monument of the 16th century - the Rios and Salquedo Palace, which houses a historical archive. Also on the square is the house of the Inquisition, in this moment being a residential building.
The park is located in the city center and is the most popular place for walks in the city. This place was first mentioned in the 12th century as “the pasture of St. Andrew”; monks grazed their cattle here, and only in the 20th century did the farm receive its current name.
On an area of 9 hectares there are gardens with 78 species of trees, a rose garden, springs, fountains, and statues. It is on the territory of the park that city festivals take place.
The second name of the structure is the Arena of St. Benedict. In the middle of the 19th century, the city authorities decided to build an arena for popular bullfighting. A vacant lot was chosen, on which the Church of St. Benedict was previously located.
Initially, the arena was small - approximately down to the first level of the modern building; in 1963 the arena was rebuilt. IN last years The arena hosts not only bullfights, but also various exhibitions and concerts.
Tudela - Olite - Tarazona - Agreda - Soria - Calatanasor - El Burgo de Osma - Berlanga de Duero - Medinaceli - Almazan - Moron de Almazan - Siguenza - Guadalajara
<=============== СОРИЯ ====================>It’s sad, but it was Soria that turned out to be the only disappointment of this trip. Not strong, really, but still... Why did this happen - I honestly can’t find the answer. Moreover, it, in general, completely fit into my previously formed ideas about it and everything that I saw there basically corresponded to what I expected to see and why I was coming here.
I suspect that somewhere inside, subconsciously, I was hoping for something more, for some special impressions that sometimes arise “between the lines” of what I saw. Perhaps it was also due to the fact that Soria is considered one of the “Roman capitals” of Castile - and I really love this “format”.
But no, no miracle happened. Of course, all the main attractions of Soria have not gone away, including the Romanica, which in some places is really very worthy. But it does not have the integrity of perception and does not at all define the spirit of the city, being lost inside the modern neighborhoods. Moreover, the old city, at least somewhat reminiscent of the Middle Ages, does not exist in Soria at all. As for the “Roman capital”, I don’t know in Castile (and perhaps in all Spain) a city more worthy of this informal title than Zamora.
Soria is a beautiful and comfortable city. For life and living. Everything that I wrote about Tudela is doubly suitable for Soria: there are even more beautiful squares, cozy corners, green squares and parks. For lovers of “movement” there is a pronounced “neuralgic” (as they like to write in brochures and guidebooks) center, concentrated along Calle el Collado. I have no doubt that local residents have a place to relax both soul and body. But for a tourist - you must admit, this is often not enough for a tourist, because he does not go for comfort and relaxation (at least to such places), he goes, first of all, for impressions that will touch his soul.
No, it’s just pleasant to walk around the city - the cute little places that come across from time to time are frankly pleasing to the eye, well, look, for example:
The largest city park, considered one of the oldest in Spain, is Cervantes Alley (Alameda de Cervantes), famous among local residents like La Dehesa - "pasture". This is what it was called for many centuries (the first mention of this place dates back to the 12th century), until in 1905 it was renamed on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the appearance of the novel “Don Quixote”.
Dovecote in the form of a granary (hórreo), which are widespread in Galicia and other northern regions of Spain:
A beautiful and graceful chapel, built in the style of a “typical village church of Old Castile”, with a stork on the roof (more precisely, on the bell tower):
But that same street Calle el Collado is the main city “artery”, the energy of which is frankly positive:
And yet, we came to Soria for something else, and after a somewhat lyrical beginning, I will allow myself to move on to more brutal sights. And I’ll start, without putting it off for a long time and without building an unnecessary intrigue here, with the main one (in fact, this opinion is not only mine) - with the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, or in Spanish - Santo Domingo.
Of course, Romanesque churches, with many common features, are very different. But if it were necessary - hypothetically, of course - to depict some “most, most classic”, then it (at least from the facade) would probably look like the Church of Santo Domingo in Soria:
The Church of the Resurrection (it should be noted that it received its current name relatively recently - at the end of the 19th century after changing its status from parish to monastery, and until then bore the name of St. Thomas - Santo Tome) was built in the 12th century and was a kind of a gift to the townspeople from the local native of the Castilian king Alfonso VIII, who went down in history as the winner of the Moors at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa and is more widely known as the main character in L. Feuchtwanger’s novel “The Spanish Ballad” (“The Jew from Toledo”). It is considered a true masterpiece of the Romanesque style and one of the most beautiful churches in Spain (and I agree with this assessment!). What especially stands out is its facade with a beautiful portal, the relief decorations of which can be called a real “Bible in sculptures”: from the creation of the earth to the Apocalypse.
Here you can find almost any story, from the Old or New Testaments. For example, the crucifixion of Jesus, with an emphasis on the episode when “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear” (although on the relief 2 soldiers are piercing Jesus at once):
Or the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt :
And this seems to be the beating of infants on the orders of Herod:
In the center of the tympanum is a relatively rare image of Christ on the knees of God the Father (usually the Mother of God is depicted in its place):
The main Gothic “rose” window is also magnificent:
Below it are poorly preserved statues of the royal couple: Alfonso VIII himself and his wife Eleanor of England.
Figured relief above the "rose":
The bridge itself, known simply as the "Stone Bridge" (Puente de Piedra), has been in existence since the mid-12th century. Once upon a time, 2 towers with gates were installed on it, from which the so-called “bridge tax” was collected from all those passing and driving - a widespread practice in medieval Europe. The towers were dismantled already in the middle of the 19th century, and a little later the profile of the bridge, previously “humpbacked,” was straightened during the construction of a new road laid across it.
Turning left immediately after the bridge and walking a couple of hundred meters, we find ourselves near the former Hospitaller monastery. The church and arcades of the cloister remind us of him today - the very “arches” for which we came here. Entrance, by the way, costs mere pennies - about 1.5 euros, if my memory serves me correctly (and if it does, then not by much): an insignificant amount for such beauty!
There is no need to say much about the “arches”, they just need to be shown - and lovers of the architecture of the Middle Ages, I am sure, will not remain indifferent when they see them:
The main feature of the arcades, which gives them such an unusual appearance, is that they consist of heterogeneous arches: semicircular, pointed and intertwined, and in different ways. The latter clearly have Arabic motifs, which is not surprising: after all, the Knights Hospitaller knew the East firsthand.
The interior of the church is also interesting, first of all - two rotundas with canopies, located opposite each other on opposite walls. Interestingly, one of them has a spherical dome, and the other has a conical one.
The reliefs on the capitals of the columns are very interesting, combining both gospel scenes and images of mythological creatures:
Just look at the cuties you see here:
And at the base of the domes there are masks of completely fantastic characters:
In the 16th and 17th centuries, many noble palaces and mansions were built in Soria, many of which have survived to this day. But the most notable of them was and remains the palace of the Counts of Gomara (Palacio de los Condes de Gomara). It was built at the end of the 16th century by order of a certain Francisco Lopez Rio y Salcedo, who held the high position of alferez, that is, standard bearer, under King Philip II. The one who wore Royal Standard, was called “the supreme leader over the king’s people in battles” and was actually the commander-in-chief of the army. He also carried the royal sword in front of him as a sign that he was authorized to defend the entire state on behalf of the king (by the way, the legendary El Cid also held this post for some time). The huge palace building with a single tower stretched for almost an entire block:
The Palace of the Counts of Gomar is located on a small hill (Soria is generally not a very “smooth” city in terms of relief), and practically underneath it there is a small picturesque square named after the modern Spanish writer Ramon Aillon:
If we go down to the square and look back, we will see the tower of the count’s palace soaring into the sky above us:
And if you go a little deeper into the quarter, you can come to the classical facade of the Church of the Carmelite Sisters:
Among other Sorian palaces, I would highlight one more, which, ironically, also belonged to the Rio and Salcedo family (Palacio de los Rios y Salcedo). It was built half a century before the “Gomar” palace in the first half of the 16th century on St. Clementa. Its beautiful facade is literally pressed against the corner of the building, and such asymmetry clearly catches the eye:
And the explanation for this “skewness” is very simple: once upon a time there was an ancient church of the same name (St. Clement) on the square, and its apsidal (that is, rear) part was practically adjacent to the wall of the palace. Therefore, all the decorations of the facade, including the portal itself, had to be placed on a relatively small free part of the wall. The church itself was demolished in our time (in 1952) due to its dilapidated condition.
Baroque Palace of the Marquises of Alcántara (Palacio de los Marqueses de Alcántara) 17th century:
Another building in the center of Soria, in fact not a palace, but belonging to almost the same “format” and historical period- former Jesuit school of the Holy Spirit. After the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain, the school changed many owners, at one time it even served as a barracks, and in modern history it housed a variety of institutions, which, however, did not stay there for long. Since 1967, its walls have housed the Antonio Machado Institute, dedicated to the life and work of this well-known Spanish poet of the early 20th century, who lived in Soria for several years.
To complete the theme of Sorian palaces, there is another heraldic relief on the wall of a house:
An interesting feature of the design of the southern gate (it is through them that one enters today) of the cathedral is that the niche above the portal, in which the statue of the apostle is located, easily recognizable by the traditional “keys to heaven” in his hands, has almost the same appearance as the gate itself , only in a smaller size:
Fortunately, during the destruction of the cathedral (or collegia, you can get confused there), the cloister courtyard, whose construction was carried out from the end of the 12th century to 1305, was not damaged (the exact date is known from the inscription on one of the burials of the eastern gallery, built by the latter). Not all galleries are equally well preserved, but not everyone will notice this, while others (including me) simply admire the harmonious lines of the arcades and the capitals of the columns supporting them, amazing in the fine detail and variety of depicted subjects.
Well, the capitals themselves are simply the most interesting:
It is very interesting to walk through the galleries and take a closer look at their walls.
Here you can see ordinary tombs:
And the so-called “arcosolio” (I don’t know how this word is translated into Russian) is a special type of burial in a wall in the form of a niche, decorated along the edges and on top with decorative relief elements: columns, arches, sculptures, etc. Arcosolio was widely used in ancient times Rome, then were forgotten, and in the 13th century they were “reborn” again and became popular.
Very often one of the most spectacular places in the cloister is the design of the gate leading to the capitular hall. And here we also see a beautiful portal, consisting of the gate itself with three archivolts above them, and beautiful windows on both sides of them, made in the form of a 2-tier arcade, with a small “peephole” located above one (in Spanish there is a very precise the word "oculo", difficult to translate literally into Russian, but quite understandable in meaning) of a bizarre "lobed" shape:
It is forbidden to take pictures inside the cathedral (I don’t understand such prohibitions; it’s one thing during mass events, services, and something completely different - in an empty church... Who will this bother, who will it offend? And okay, let’s say the Pope issued a bull on everything to the Catholic world: they say, get out of the temples of all commerce, as Jesus bequeathed to us, we don’t sell indulgence candles, we forbid photography, in general, for Caesar’s things are Caesar’s, and for God’s things are God’s. At least it's consistent. So why is it possible to film in one church, but not in another? Why in the cathedral Pisa, for example, it’s possible, but not in the Orvieto Cathedral? What, for God not all temples are equal? Of course, everyone - just like people. So, it’s not about God after all? Who would doubt it... Where in today's religions and in their rules in general is God, the real God, the God of love and forgiveness?). But its interiors are worthy not only of attention, but also of admiration, first of all, if you look up - there powerful columns form an elegant “palm forest” - this is the beautiful name for this type of vault. This kind of thing, by the way, does not happen very often, and one of the most famous examples is the church of the Lisbon monastery of Jerónimos. So, in the absence of my own, I will give just a couple of photographs from open Wikipedia:
However, visit the Cathedral of St. Petra (and, by extension, the cloister) is not very simple, since it does not have clear and fixed opening hours and opens only before services, which, in turn, are also held differently on different days. The greatest chance of getting here is " work time" - approximately between 6 and 7 pm (at least on weekdays).
And now from the medieval center, where the co-cathedral of St. Petra, let's move to the center today - to the main square of Plaza Mayor (it is curious that until we entered Castile, we had not come across squares with this name, super traditional in Spain, in any city).
Plaza Mayor in Soria leaves double impression- and, in principle, it is very “two-faced”: one half of it consists of completely modern houses, but the other looks very historical. Compare:
In the building of the "People's Assembly" (Casa del Comun) - something like a city government, consisting of ordinary townspeople (that is, people of humble origin), where the "holy of holies" - Fueros given to the city were kept, is the "Arch of Horns" (arco del Cuerno ), through which bulls were released into the square during bullfights held in Plaza Mayor until the mid-19th century:
This is where the bulls apparently ran into the “arena”:
Opposite them in the square rises the "Lion Fountain" (Fuente de los Leones), which was nicknamed the "traveler" ("viajera"), because during its not too long history (it was built at the end of the 18th century) it changed several locations, having managed to stand and on the hillside where the fortress was previously located, and in the Alameda park of Cervantes, and recently moved to the Main Square of Soria.
Lions, as usual, spit on snakes, but snakes - well, that’s all right:
Next to the Casa del Comun is the Church of Our Lady of Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor is very old (12th century), but due to the simplicity of the facade it hardly attracts the eye. Already at the beginning of our 21st century, several houses adjacent to it from the side of the square were dismantled.
Interestingly, if you look closely, on the façade of the temple facing Plaza Mayor you can see several bricked-up windows. This was done in 1739 by order of the then bishop, who noticed that some priests through these windows were spying on the bullfights taking place in the square. What kind of photographs are there...
The most remarkable element of the facade of the Church of the Virgin is its strict, almost ascetic portal in the Romanesque style. It is curious that it is not “native” and once served as the northern gate, but after the reconstruction of the building it was moved to this place.
And here is a hardly noticeable from below, but very interesting coat of arms with the image of five kettles on one of the ledges of the church building.
Similar symbolism belongs to the Calderons, a very famous and ancient Spanish family. In general, there are several families of Calderons: those descended from the Aragonese king Sancho Ramirez, originating in Cantabria and some others. I don’t know which of them are related to Soria, but the Church of the Virgin Mary owes its current name to the local Calderons. Initially she bore the name of St. Aegidium, sometimes called Saint-Gilles (in Spain - San Gil), but in the 16th century a new main chapel (Capilla Mayor) was built inside it, into which the family pantheon of the Calderon family was transferred (they also financed the production of the retablo for the chapel). Well, since the Mother of God was considered the patroness of this noble family, the entire church received the name Nuestra Senora la Mayor, or Santa Maria la Mayor. So money and power once again changed the weather in the house, even if this house is God's...
A little to the right of the entrance to the church there is a sculpture depicting the young wife of the poet Antonio Machado (his name in Soria is considered one of the local brands; there is even a separate a tourist route in places associated with his short stay in the city) Leonor. Here, in the Church of the Virgin Mary, their wedding took place, and here, just 3 years later, the funeral of Leonor, who was only 18 years old, took place - she died of tuberculosis.
The most ancient building on Plaza Mayor looks like the Palacio de la Audiencia - the Palace of Justice (or Receptions, since the word Audiencia can be translated into Russian in different ways). It really is old, although it took on its current form only in the 18th century, and the clock on it appeared even later. It is sometimes called the old town hall (Ayuntamiento antiguo), since until 1769 the city authorities were located here.
But today’s ayuntamiento, since 1897, has been located in the Palace of the Twelve Families (or clans, here are purely stylistic subtleties of translation) - Palacio de los Doce Linajes.
On the facade of the building you can see a relief reminiscent of a clock dial, only instead of numbers it depicts the coats of arms of 12 noble aristocratic families who lived in medieval Soria.
In general, the main square of Soria is beautiful, but it does not evoke a medieval feeling, like the city itself. As well as some special heartfelt trepidation and delight (there were practically no such squares on this trip at all, with the exception, perhaps, of Sigüenza and, partly, Medinaceli and Almazan).
And here is a fairy-tale house that simply had to be in such an environment:
Along the way we passed through a former church ancient monastery San Polo, the construction of which is attributed to the Knights Templar. The church has not been in operation for a long time and is in private ownership, but its walls, entwined with greenery, delight everyone passing through the gates that have retained their Romanesque appearance:
The road ran somehow imperceptibly, and soon, around the next bend of the river, the Church of St. Saturnina, as if “hanging” (as the Spaniards love this epithet!) from the coastal cliffs:
The church was built over a cave in which in distant Visigothic times lived the ascetic hermit Saturninus, who was later equated with the ranks of the Saints. The first chapel on this site was erected in the 12th century by the Templars from the above-mentioned monastery of San Polo, and the current church was built in the 17th century. You can get into it through the cave where the Saint once lived:
At the very top, from a small terrace, panoramas of the Duero River and its banks open up:
Having gone down the usual “external” stairs to the river, we cross the bridge to the other bank and once again look back at the church “hanging” on a stone cliff:
Our return journey to Soria takes a different road, and from here we see the Duero in a new way:
Among other attractions of Soria that I have not mentioned, another Romanesque church deserves special mention - St. John (Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera). It was built in the 13th century and in subsequent centuries underwent significant transformations, and in the Baroque era its appearance completely changed beyond recognition. Already in the 20th century, the city authorities decided to return the church to its original appearance, and they succeeded in doing this, in particular, several external chapels and a 16th-century spire were dismantled, and the church again revealed the purity of the original Romanesque style.
An unrecognizable lion on the roof of the church, which reminds me more of a seal:
True, one radical change in its appearance did occur: in 1908, the Church of St. Joanna received a new portal, which previously belonged to another ancient Sorian church dedicated to St. Nikolai. Since it was literally in a deplorable state, it was decided not to restore it, but to use the poorly preserved portal, “giving” it new life in a new place. Therefore, one should not be surprised that on the tympanum (that is, in fact, on the main place) of the church of San Juan de Rabanera, St. Nicholas is depicted, and on the capitals there are scenes from his life. However, I think very few people pay attention to this (and I, too, would never have known if I had not accidentally read about it).
Soria is the capital province of the same name in Castile and Leon. Located in a picturesque region with rich history, Soria, oddly enough, is underestimated by tourists. Even the Spaniards themselves probably say that the cold climate does not attract the heat-loving inhabitants of the country. However, there is a lot to see in the city itself, and a lot to do in the province.
The province of Soria is one of the least populated in all of Spain, while almost half of all residents of the province live directly in the city. The city is located strategically advantageous position on the banks of the Duero River. This makes the city's climate even colder by Spanish standards: long and relatively cold (2-3 °C) winters and short, very hot summers (28-35 °C).
What's worth seeing
You can start exploring the city from the very center - the Main Square of Soria (Plaza Mayor de Soria), where the city hall building in the Renaissance style of the 16th century is located.
The Palace of the Counts of Gomara (Palacio de los Condes de Gomara de Soria) will allow you to feel a truly aristocratic scale. The coat of arms of one of the facades of the palace depicts a bas-relief of a woman looking out of a window. This is a reminder to all wives of the fate that awaits them if they cheat on their husbands - eternal imprisonment (well, not execution).
Soria is often called the city of poets, since many famous writers and poets paid attention to the city in the pages of their works. Indeed, walking along the city streets, you can feel the romantic mood that inspired the poets. The grateful residents of Soria opened the Museum of Poets, placing it on one of the floors of the casino, where they used to play cards, lotto and other gambling games.
Of course, as a self-respecting city with origins in the Middle Ages, Soria also has its own castle, which, unfortunately, is so destroyed that only ruins remain, scattered throughout the city. Most of all, eight kilometers of the city fortress wall along the river have been preserved.
Only Andalusia can compete with the religiosity of Castile and Leon. In Soria there are, without exaggeration, several dozen churches, chapels and monasteries. The list opens with St. Peter's Cathedral (Concatedral de San Pedro de Soria), built in the Romanesque style.
In the very heart of the city - on Cervantes Alley - there is a small Hermitage of the Virgin Mary de la Soledad (Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad), the history of which begins with a brotherhood responsible for the funeral and burial of criminals.
The Hermitage of Our Lady of Mirón (Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Mirón) even survived the times of Arab rule. Archaeologists date the foundation of the monastery to the 6th century. Just imagine: there has been a church here for 14 centuries in a row!
The most beautiful place Soria is rightfully considered the Hermitage of St. Saturio (Ermita de San Saturio), as if grown into the rocks above the Duero River. Although the monastery is located a little far from the city center, it is undoubtedly worth a visit.
The Monastery of San Juan de Duero (Monasterio de San Juan de Duero) is also located outside the city limits. Unfortunately, little remains from the construction of the 12th-13th centuries, but even now one can appreciate the scale of the monastery and the Romanesque architectural style.
Finally, when talking about Soria, it is impossible not to mention the Numantine Museum, which will tell about the very distant past - the Bronze Age. After all, already in the VI-V centuries BC. e. these places were inhabited: the Centiberian tribes lived here.
What's worth trying
Soria is famous for its meat and dairy products. Particularly appreciated is butter, which is made both salty and sweet, to suit all tastes. You should definitely try the local sausages and ham, which are made from cattle that graze in the surrounding mountains. Due to the cold climate, Soria's cuisine is generally quite nutritious, if not greasy.
In any bar and restaurant, if you order a glass