Places of Interest in Castilla-León -
Palencia

The city of Palencia is situated in the midst of a large plain in Tierra de Campos with the river Carrión running through it. It was built over the settlement of the vaccea tribe, later conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C. Its development as a city began in the 11th century and by the 15th century it had already become an important focus for the cloth industry, an industry which has always characterised the commercial activity of this area.

One of the best views of the city can be had from the Cerro del Otero, where the imposing sculpture, Cristo del Otero, stands 30 metres high. A work of the sculptor Victorio Macho, it is an established part of the landscape of Palencia and can be seen for miles around.

Of particular note in Palencia is the Roman bridge of Puentecillas, the Palacio de la Diputación Provincial from the New Castilian Renaissance at the start of the 20th century and the Calle Mayor, one of the city's arteries whose ambience is utterly authentic. The street is 900 metres long with colonnades running three quarters of its length.

Passing through the city's old quarter, its glorious past can be gleaned from the large noble houses and old palaces and the monuments which are of great artistic interest.

The Cathedral, which is nicknamed "La Bella Desconocida" (The Beautiful Stranger), combines three distinct styles which can be observed in the area beneath the building, where the Cripta de San Antolín is situated, containing Visigothic and Romanesque elements in its two different buildings. Inside are carvings from the high altarpiece by Felipe Bigarny and panels painted by Juan de Flandes.

The city contains churches of great interest such as the churches of San Francisco, San Juan or San Lázaro. The most significant church however is San Miguel because of the Gothic tower with its large windows. Inside the monastery of Santa Clara, a statue of the Cristo Yacente de la Buena Madre can be found.

Palencia offers visitors a number of different museums such as the Museo Dio cesano, the Museo de Jerónimo Arroyo and the Fundación Díaz Caneja which is concerned with contemporary art. The Casa del Cordón, a civil building from the 16th century which houses the Museo Arqueológico de Palencia and numerous finds from the Prehistoric age, Romanisation, Celtiberic culture and the Middle Age.

On the 2nd September the Fiestas de San Antolín are celebrated. These are considered to be the area's greatest festivals, and on the 2nd February the Fiestas de la Virgen de la Calle, who is the city's patron, are celebrated. Traditionally, on the 1st January the Bautizo del Niño (Baptism of the Child) is celebrated in the Iglesia de San Miguel.

The great stalwart of this city's gastronomy is the menestra de verdures (vegetable stew) which is most popular in the area of Tierra de Campos and Cerrato. The mountain area is characterised by its meat products while the central area offers a wide variety of vegetables. Lechazo (Young lamb) is popular as is beef from brown alpine cattle which is found in the mountain areas in particular.