The city of Segovia in Spain is a place worthy of attention of every traveler. It is located just 90 km from Madrid , that is, it is easy to get there from the capital, trains and buses run between cities. This city is a historical museum of Spain, which has its own distinctive architecture and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will make a small trip and find out what sights Segovia offers to tourists.
The aqueduct of Segovia
The aqueduct is one of the most recognizable and memorable sights, inherited from the Romans. The construction of 20 thousand granite slabs, not bonded with mortar, stretches for 800 meters and rises to 28 meters. All 167 arches of the Aqueduct create a sense of grandeur and admire the technologies of construction, which were known in ancient times, because this irrigation system was erected as far back as the 1st century AD. The aim of Aqueduct was to supply water to the city from a river flowing in the mountains. It is a ground part of the ancient "aqueduct" stretching for 18km.
Alcazar Castle in Segovia
Another famous landmark of Spain is the Alcazar in Segovia. The structure is located on a rock in the northeast direction from the city center, it is surrounded by the Eresma and Clamores rivers. The Alcazar castle in Segovia was built in the 12th century as a fortress, but excavations have shown that much earlier on this site there were already military fortifications of previous conquerors. The building functions changed all the time, after the fortress it was a royal castle in Segovia, then a state prison, later an artillery school. Today it is the most popular museum with a legendary past.
Cathedral of Segovia
The architecture of the Cathedral of St. Mary also conquers architecture, the main period of construction of which fell on the middle of the 16th century, but in general it lasted 200 years. The cathedral of Segovia is famous for being called the last cathedral in the Gothic style, because at the time of the completion of its erection in Europe, the Renaissance, including architecture, was already fully revealed. The height of the bell tower of the cathedral is 90 meters, and each of 18 chapels has its own interesting history and keeps in the walls works of art from different times.
Church of Vera Cruz
The main attraction of the church is that its construction was carried out by the knights of the Order of the Knights Templar. The building dates back to the 12th century. The unusual architecture of the church, which is based on a dodecagon, shows that its prototype was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The interior is filled with oriental motives, which are most clearly manifested in the peculiarities of the altar on the top floor.
The city wall of Segovia
Protective walls surrounding the city, began to build more Romans, this is evidenced by research, which resulted in the walls were found plates of the Roman necropolis. The main part of the building is made of granite. In historic times, the length was about 3000 meters, around the perimeter 80 towers were located, one could enter the city through one of the five gates. Today, tourists can see only three gates: Santiago, San Andres and San Cebrian.
House of Rush in the City of Segovia
Previously, to the corner of the House of Peaks, another gate of the city wall adjoined them, they were called San Martina and were considered the main city gate, but in 1883 they were destroyed. The house of the peak, built in the 15th century, was not damaged. In the style of the building, the Renaissance is already being read. The most important "highlight" - the facade, decorated with multifaceted marble stones. According to the idea of the author and architect Juan Guas, these elements had to resemble the faces of a diamond.
