Castrojeriz

The Plaza Mayor, the main square is the heart of Castrojeriz. The Town Hall building, characterised by its unusual clock tower, was in fact formerly used as its jail.

The Plaza Mayor itself came to being as growing trade in the town required more open spaces and the square was created from the widening of the Calle Real.

Vázquez de Parga in his chronicles of Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela mentions this square as the 'Plaza del Mercado', or market square - the name under which it also appears in the 1868 town plan of the well-known Spanish cartographer Francisco Coello.

The square has a curiously extended rectangular shape, very much in keeping with the original vocation of Castrojeriz as a town on the Way of Saint James, flanked as it is on the one side by a series of terraced and porticoed houses built during different eras. The columns, still standing in the square are known to date back to the 16th century.

As with many other medieval towns, the market would be held in the main square, not far from one of the town's churches, that of San Esteban, which has now disappeared. Now, the municipal pilgrims' hostel stands in its stead.

The castle of Castrojeriz sits silently atop a hill surveying the town below from a height of some 900m.

Although this fortress was founded on a simple tower whose origins date back to the Roman Empire, it was not until the end of the 9th century that Conde Munio Núñez undertook to build the first fortifications on a site that was to be continuously extended until the 15th century.

The castle played an important role in the Middle Ages during the local conflicts between Alfonso I el Batallador or Battle Hardy and Doña Urraca, the Magpie, after whose death it was besieged and eventually surrendered by the armies of Alfonso VII.

Following this turbulent episode, it fell into the hands of the Lara and Castro families, who turned the fortress into the epicentre of both their local influence and political control.

Today, little remains of the outer wall of the castle, which ran parallel to the main walls all the way up to the still well-preserved courtyard on the northern side. The large moat which protected the castle from the plains below is still also clearly visible.

The quadrangle, undoubtedly the most irregularly shaped part of the castle, is at a somewhat lower level than the rest of the fortress, as the walls are built directly on the rock. The entrance is on the south wall and is half-ruined. Its northern end has all but crumbled away.

It should not be forgotten that this monument, apart from being in the thick of numerous battles and palace intrigues, once held Leonor of Castile, Queen of Aragon prisoner before finally being murdered by her nephew Pedro the first of Castile also known as Pedro the Cruel in 1359.

The castle suffered serious damage in the tragic great Lisbon earthquake of 1755, but nevertheless still stands proudly and today forms one of the most important tourist attractions in the town. Open to the public, this historic building allows visitors to travel back in time and enjoy the sublime views over the shire from its walls.

The former collegiate church of Nuestra Señora del Manzano stands today on the ruins of several earlier buildings.

The church we can see nowadays is a fine example of an early gothic temple, dating back to the start of the 13th century, with successive harmonious extensions added later in the 15th and 18th centuries.

Construction of Nuestra Señora began in 1214 by order of Doña Berenguela I, Queen of Castile, daughter of Alfonso VIII and Leonor de Plantagenet.

The edifice is basilica-shaped with Gothic vaults, a core structure of three naves and three side chapels, typical of a style in transition from the Romanesque to proto- Gothic.

At the end of the 15th century the vaults were reformed. In the 18th century the tower was raised, the chapel of the Virgen del Manzano built, and the sacristy and the choir were added, among other features.

A glance at the exterior of the church draws our attention to the outstanding main portal, which opens out below the western gable at the foot of the church, its archivault stonework, bases and capitals decorated with motifs of vegetation, so characteristic of early religious Gothic.

The interior, which is splendidly lit by the beautiful rose window, decorated with German stained glass, was donated by Bishop Rodrigo de Mendoza Manrique. The temple has managed to preserve a rich artistic heritage from a variety of ages, including an impressive set of 18th century paintings on the main altar attributed to Rafael Mengs, Salvador Maella and Francisco Bayeau, all topped off by a magnificent Rococo altarpiece.

Not to be missed either is the well-known, beautiful Gothic figure of the Virgen del Manzano, a coloured wooden carving dating from the 13th century, set in the chapel of the same name.

At the foot of the church lies the tomb of Leonor I of Castile, murdered in the castle at the behest of her nephew Pedro I, known as Pedro the Cruel.

The Museum of Religious Art, located inside the former collegiate church of Santa María del Manzano, houses a notable collection of decorative gold items, incunables, seals, and choir books among other religious artefacts.

Of particular interest are the 13th century carving of the Virgen del Manzano and the rococo altar, crowned by its centrepiece of the annunciation by the German Anton Mengs, court artist of Charles III. It also houses a number of Castilian paintings and sculptures from the 14th to 18th centuries including works by Berruguete, Diego de Siloé, Bartolomé Carducho and Mateo Cerezo.

Visiting hours:
Check with the Tourist Office.
Phone: +34 947 37 85 88

The Church of Santo Domingo, located in the Calle Real, is a Gothic style building dating from the 16th century. One of the outstanding features in its interior is the 18th century neoclassical altarpiece, designed by the architect Fray Pedro Martínez.

Set out along the hall church plan, the building divides into three naves, covered with star-shaped vaults. Of these, the only original Gothic vaults are those above the apse and the first section of the church.

The original Mudejar alfarje or wooden latticework panel that covered part of the ceiling was replaced by a body of vaults in a faux Gothic style to mimic the original ones, however these were put up in the 18th century.

Once outside the church we can observe the majestic bell tower on the western façade with a lintelled doorway, whereas that of the southern wall is more classical with a sculpture of the Madonna and Child, framed by two medallions where figures of Saint Dominic and Saint Jude can be seen.

Not to be missed on one of the exterior walls are the two skull and crossbones denoting the ossuary. In the legend that appears on the skulls we can read 'O MORS', 'O AETERNITAS' (Oh death! Oh eternity!).

The church also houses the Visitor Centre of the Way of Saint James, or Iacobeus Interpretation Centre- a permanent interactive exhibition of the Camino de Santiago.

The Iacobeus, Way of St. James Visitor Centre is located inside the church of Santo Domingo.

This seven-point exhibition, which uses multimedia and interactive elements, helps visitors to Iacobeus discover what drives so many people to make such an epic journey, as well as how pilgrims prepare for the journey today in comparison to those of medieval times. It also illustrates the dangers that may have been lurking for travellers throughout the ages, and all the ills that would have afflicted them, along with remedies used that treated such conditions at the time.

Most of all, the exhibition provides a wealth of information about the Way’s most outstanding myths and legends, the type of food provided to the pilgrims, even the smells, and mysterious symbols carved on the stones of monuments lining the path.

Finally, at the end of the Way, a secret will be revealed, one that we can pass on to others that come after us.

Visitors to this centre can enjoy a wonderful multimedia projection on the vault of the temple, which enables us to travel along the pathway of the stars to far off Compostela.

Visiting hours:
Check with the Tourist Office.
Phone: +34 947 37 85 88

The church of San Juan was built in the 13th century, although it has undergone numerous modifications and witnessed several extensions over the centuries.

It is a church with three naves of equal height with the apse, tower and cloister characteristic of the early Gothic period. The tower, seen from the outside, portrays the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, denoted by the fact that the windows of the first section have semicircular arches, whereas those above are pointed arches, while the cornices are topped off with pinnacles.

From the foundations of this original building, in the 16th century, a new, more spacious hall church was built, the defining feature of this type of temple is that the naves are of equal height. Still standing from the earlier edifice are the apse, the cloister with its late 15th-century coffered ceiling and the tower. The cloister has three galleries with double columns supporting pointed arches suggesting a clear Cistercian influence.

The chapels of the Castro-Mújica and Gallo families also remain as one of the highlights, with their magnificent tombs and family coats of arms. Both chapels date from the early 16th century.

Not to be missed either is the collection of six Flemish tapestries with leitmotifs depicting the liberal arts. They were woven around the mid-17th century in the workshops of Bruges based on designs by the painter Corneille Schutz, a disciple of Peter Paul Rubens. The panel painting thought to be by Ambrosius Benson, is also considered of great artistic value, as are that of the Descent from the Cross by Agnolo Broncino, a painter at the court of the Medici, and the original altarpieces brought from the convent of San Antón.

The 17th century organ is in perfect working order.

The interior of the church houses a permanent exhibition 'From Castrojeriz to Bruges'. Trade and Patronage on the Way of Saint James.

The house known as 'Casa del Cordón' is an historic mansion dating back to the 16th century. On its façade you can see the Franciscan cincture or rope belt which lends its name to the house, along with two coats of arms and the remains of one of the old gates that gave entry to the town.

Many are the buildings of the age that have the decorative carving of the cincture. It is a symbol of the order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1209. It appears on the façades or in the interior of notable edifices dependent on or linked to this religious branch.

The rope belt, represented with either three or five knots, symbolises the girdle worn by Franciscans and which ties the sackcloth they wear as a habit. The three knots represent the three vows of poverty, obedience and chastity, while the five knots represent the stigmata inflicted on Christ during the Passion.

Where chains or indeed a rope are to be seen on a façade, this traditionally meant that a king had slept in the house.

At the time of Carlos I, in 1521, during the Revolt of the Comuneros, (or commoners), many members of the Royal Council of Castile, the advisory body to the Crown, set up residence in Castrojeriz.

The nobles in residence here commissioned the construction of majestic palaces, providing work for many stonemasons in the local shire.

Among such buildings, some particularly stand out, such as the house of Gutiérrez Barona, built at the end of the 16th century and located in the district of San Juan.

The façade is adorned with the family's noble coats of arms and we can see an elegant gallery of windows typical of Renaissance palaces.

This house also boasted being a seat of excellence in the study of Latin, with its teaching staff enjoying an excellent reputation in the discipline.

It now functions as a home for the elderly.

Lying barely a kilometre from the town, the convent of Santa Clara was founded in 1264, at the Spring of Tablín, on land donated by Alfonso X the Wise, before moving to its current site in 1326, since when the Clarissa nuns have lived continuously in this corner of Castile.

The present building, dating from the thirteen hundreds was renovated in the 18th century. It is a sober example of rural Burgos Gothic in keeping with its character as a convent church.

The main temple dates back to the early 14th century, and is characterised by its pointed arches, with a single nave in the convent style, a polygonal apse and five bays embellished by three lancet windows and simple ribbed vaults.

The cloister is neoclassical in style, contrasting with the interesting, purely Gothic crypt. A beautiful 18th century carving of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception presides over the church. While pride of place in the Chapter House is taken by the beautiful carving of the Vírgen del Capítulo said to grant miracles.

At this time there are some 16 nuns of the order of Santa Clara that make up the community here in the convent.

Their primary occupation is that of liturgical prayer, personal prayer and worship of the Lord through the taking of holy communion each day.

Their work also includes baking and making homemade cakes and pastries such as: ‘Castreña pastries’, ‘turrón de la abuela’, ‘almond biscuits’, ‘angelinas’ and other treats, with the speciality of the convent being ‘los Puños de San Francisco’ literally, Saint Francis’ fists.

Convent of Santa Clara / Monasterio de la Inmaculada
Church open from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Sale hours:
Every day from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m

About 2 kilometres northeast of Castrojeriz, by the brook of Garbanzuelo, stands the Convent of San Antón, one of the most emblematic medieval monuments on the way to Santiago de Compostela.

The hill looking down on the town of Castrojeriz upon which these ruins lie has been of great strategic importance since ancient times, making it a key venue in the process of recovery and organisation of the area of Castile during the Early and High Middle Ages.

In addition to its military and political importance, it played a pivotal role in the development of amenities for pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela, given the need of some for-hospital care, something that had been on the rise for pilgrims since the middle of the 12th century. For this reason, in 1146, Alfonso VII granted the foundation of a hospital to the French Order of Saint Anthony.

The Convent of San Antón happened to be one of the two general religious seats of the Antonians founded in the 12th century; the other was in Olite (Navarre). Here pilgrims were given shelter, along with the sick and the poor until the end of the 18th century.

The evocative Gothic ruins, among which its elegant and magical portico stands out, belong to the old convent built in the 14th century by the order of Saint Anthony. The fame of the convent and its monks spread throughout the continent, due to a large extent by the word spread by those who had been cured of the dreaded "Saint Anthony's fire", also known as ergotism, caused by ergot, a fungus that grows on rye that has not been properly stored.

A large part of the Gothic church, built in ashlar style hewn stone, still stands, with the aforementioned northern portico that joined it to the pilgrims' hospice. The chapel itself has a narrow nave retaining two bays, a rose window and a monumental doorway with six archivolts at its base.

Following the Confiscation of Mendizábal, the property went into private hands, and currently belongs to the San Antón Foundation, which since 2002 has been restoring the ruins and rekindling the charitable spirit of the monks by creating a pilgrims' hostel whose motto is Austerity and Gratuidad, which basically means; free of charge.

Opening hours:
Every day from April to October from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Closed from 1/11/23 to 15/03/24.

The ruins of the Convent of San Francisco are located on the road to Hontanas, by the fountain of Cambija.

This religious building was inhabited continuously from the 14th century by Franciscan friars until falling victim to the great confiscation in the 19th century.

It is believed that San Bernardino de Sierra, said to the driving force of Franciscan monastic reform, passed through here in the 15th century. The convent belonged to the Order of Castile, which used it to train novices and indeed many of its members devoted themselves to preaching.

It was burnt down during the War of Independence against Napoleon and the monks evicted during the Confiscation of Mendizábal, whereupon it soon fell into ruins.

Today, we can see all that remains of its walls, arches and gothic windows.

Until 1889 it was the site of the town cemetery and nowadays its ruins envelope a 4-star hotel located at the heart of the Way of Saint James.

The origins of this building are unknown, although it is believed to date back to the 16th century.

During the War of Independence, it was set on fire by the guerrilla Padilla when retreating to prevent it from being used by the Napoleonic armies. Its stones were later reused by the locals to build their houses.

The old schools of the town were built on its ruins, and today the site houses a cultural association.

Its last owners, the Marquises of Camarasa, bequeathed the ruins to the Town Hall. A family coat of arms (De la Mota and Alianzas), remains as one of the few reminders of its origins on the façade of the old schools.

All that is left of the palace today are parts of the wall and the towers upon which it stood.

The building that houses the Ethnographic Museum was loaned by Doña Josefina González Santos to the Castrojeriz Town Council, which after several years managed to refurbish it thanks to the efforts of the local teaching workshop so that it could be used as the current museum. It has been open since 1999.

A typical castreña - local Castile town house, the upper floors were the servants' quarters, while the neighbouring houses were occupied by the owner's family. Looking at the building from the outside, the first floor is built of ashlar stone and the rest of the floors are made of brick, whilst the roofs are covered with Moorish tiles.

Its rooms house a variety of traditional farming tools, kitchen utensils, games, a recreation of a local schoolroom, the wine press, and a wine cellar with its own spring.

It is well worth a visit, if you really wish to get an insight into knowing how our ancestors lived, and the well preserved items all add to make the town’s ethnographic heritage that much richer.

Visiting hours:
Check with the Tourist Office.
Phone: +34 947 37 85 88

Built in the year 1212, the walls offered greater security to its inhabitants and therefore, soon after their completion, the town began to flourish.

At their height, the walls had seven gates, the most well-known being; San Miguel, Santa Eulalia, Puerta del Monte and Puerta Sardina. On the façade of the Casa del Cordón you can still see the remains of one of the gates providing entry to the town.

The stone walls started at the castle and came down to the area now occupied by the campsite, before running through what is now the centre of the town by the Church of San Juan, before leading their way back up to the fortress again.

In 1755, the Lisbon earthquake caused great damage to the castle and the town walls.

Of the old walls, only four towers remain – those by the Camarasa Palace and the section of the wall in the Paseo de la Puerta del Monte.

In the Plaza del Fuero there is a stone monolith commemorating the first millennium of the Charter or as it should strictly be called, municipal franchise of Castrojeriz.

The Charter, (or Franchise) of Castrojeriz contains the set of rights and privileges granted to the town in 974 by Garci Fernández, Count of Castile.

This Franchise is taken as the basis for many others due to its detailed content, as it establishes rights and privileges granted to the more humble social classes; labourers and Jews, as well as clerics and knights. Indeed, the latter were granted the status of infanzon, a minor nobiliary title, if they went to war with their horses. This made it possible for those who had not been born with any title to accede to higher status. These privileges were later extended to the whole of Castile.

That of Castrojeriz is recognised as the first and oldest of the Castilian franchises, at least as far as we are aware of, except for that of Brañosera, whose legal nature would correspond more to that of a 'village charter'.

In the Plaza Mayor there is an exhibition that goes into greater detail on the importance and historical repercussions of these franchises.

The San Esteban Pilgrims' Hostel is a municipal hostel for exclusive use by pilgrims with the credencial – a booklet for pilgrims with stamps from previous hostels that credits they are actually on the Way of Saint James. It is in fact located in the old church of San Esteban, in the centre of the town.

The church was built in 1220 and closed in 1864 after falling into ruin.

Acquired by the City Council and the Junta (regional government) of Castilla y León, it was later converted into a cultural centre and hostel for pilgrims on the Way to Santiago in 2002.

Opening hours:
Open all year from 12:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Phone: +34 629 28 37 42
Possibility of leaving when it closes: Yes.
Places in common dormitory: 30 (Allows reservation of places).

Villasilos, a village some five and a half kilometres from Castrojeriz, came into being when the whole shire was being resettled at the end of the 9th century, and was later included in the town of Castrojeriz at the end of the 11th century by Alfonso VI. It takes its name from a local warlord who went by the name of Silo.

The church of San Andrés, is the most noteworthy architectural edifice in the tightly knit cluster of buildings making up the village. Built in the 16th century and primarily gothic in style, it is however embellished with many Renaissance elements, and considered to be one of the loveliest in the area.

Such work took the talent of numerous accomplished architects, including the masters of Trasmiera (Cantabria), Juan de Pobles and Juan de los Helgueros, together with the great maestro Tomás Gil, author of its chapels, vaults and choir, finished in 1603.

The joint work of the architect Sebastián González and master sculptor Juan de Sobremazas left their mark forever on the small town of Villasilos, with its jewel in the crown, the main altarpiece, enhancing the interior of the church.

Recently restored, this altarpiece, dedicated to San Andrés, is one of the best examples of Baroque altarpieces from the first half of the 17th century. There are those who suggest it was the main altarpiece of Burgos Cathedral itself, which acted as an initial reference for Sebastián González, responsible for its construction between 1615 and 1618.

The skills invested in the making of this altarpiece were fully reflected in its total cost, which at the time was recorded as being 23,350 reales, a very tidy sum indeed for the time.

What particularly catches the eye of the visitor is the size of the figures, which become life-size the higher up they are, turning the whole composition into a veritable catechism lesson.

Villaveta, some 7 kilometres away from Castrojeriz, can be reached from Villasilos, crossing the Odra River, which passes near to the village. Work on the church was recorded as starting back as early as 1529, under the orders of the architect Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, who not only drafted the plans, but oversaw the work as well. However, construction ended up dragging on throughout the century. Indeed, the tower, the last structure to be raised, was not entirely completed until the beginning of the XVII century.

It is built on the hall church plan, set out with curvilinear forms expressed in elegant and unique vaults of rich tracery, all supported by the six large columns built by Alonso de la Peña Montañés. On the vaulted ceilings, and not to be missed are the 11 decorative suns and 343 stars by Antonio de Camargo.

It also has curious, baroque style altarpieces, a tabernacle (sacrament box) from the beginning of the XVII century, work of Gregorio Fernández and an organ from the late XVIII century.

This church is unusually well documented since records were kept from the date of the laying of its foundation stone and even include personal impressions of the masters who were able to carry out the building work.

On April 30, 1982, it was declared a national historic and cultural monument.

Vallunquera is located about 6 kilometres northwest of Castrojeriz, taking its name from the Spanish for reedbeds, which gives away the fact that it is situated among lands of abundant water, occupying a narrow valley at the foot of the surrounding hills.

In the year 1102 a transcendental event took place that was later to have lasting consequences for the future growth of the village. In this year Alfonso VI declared the settlement as a crown estate, leading its inhabitants to enjoy numerous exemptions, to which others were added in the years 1210 and 1220, during the reigns of Alfonso VIII and Fernando III.

The parish church of San Cristóbal a tidy, Romanesque building from the end of the 12th century, is built on a mound. Its structure is somewhat unusual; two naves topped by straight apses that are raised with pointed barrel vaulting. The exterior is also notable for the use of large dimension stones in the construction of the walls.

The Romanesque doorway with shafts, capitals and plain archivolts is topped by a tiled roof with corbels.

In later centuries a quadrangular section and sacristy were added and a tower built onto the nave.

The small village of Valbonilla is to be found some 14 kilometres south of Castrojeriz at the end of the fertile valley, through which the waters from the spring of La Pedraja flow.

Its most important building is the parish church of San Juan Bautista, dating from the 14th century, a temple with a single nave, ashlar and dimension stone walls, a straight chancel and a timber-framed roof.

It was renovated in the 1950s.

The structure of the current church suggests that the building was most likely to be originally of Romanesque design, with plain stone corbels on both the north and south walls.

The first records that mention the church of San Miguel de Tabanera date back to the 29th of October 1602 with a reference to the 'parish church of the neighbourhood of Tauanera' from the confraternities of Santa Veracruz and San Sebastián at Tabanera, district of Castrojeriz.

According to texts of the time, given that a building constructed by her forebears had collapsed, Doña Isabel de Padilla ordered the church to be rebuilt in 1607 reusing the stones of the original church.

From the ruins, the first part of the square tower has been preserved. It is provided with openings, covered with a pointed dome and was built with well worked granite dimension stone, all of which would date it as late 13th century. The doorway likewise goes back to the same period.

Hence, it must have originally been a Romanesque building, as the sacristy occupied the available floor space at the bottom of the tower. The original church probably had more than one nave. The chevet - a type of apse of the church is of a later style, as well as part of the left and right-side façades.

A first reconstruction must have been carried out at the end of the 15th century, judging by the tracery of the vaults. It can also be deduced that the church underwent modifications and alterations in the 16th and 17th centuries too.

During the 19th century, the church remained in continuous use, though in 1965 it was ransacked. This then led to it being emptied. The high altar was moved to Burgos and the bells of the tower to Villasilos. It is currently being left to fall into ruin.

Hinestrosa, whose name links it to that of hay and haymaking, is a little over two kilometres from Castrojeriz. It has always been considered an outlying district of the town.

There is mention of this settlement as far back as 962, as according to the cartulary or charter book of Sahagún, the Benedictine monastery of San Torcuato was founded in this village at this time.

The most notable building is the church of San Torcuato, a Gothic church with a fine classical altarpiece that already shows some Baroque elements and is dedicated to Saint Torquatus.

Castrojeriz is without doubt, one of the great milestones on the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela. The historical importance of Castrojeriz on the Way of Saint James is amply vouched for by the fact that the town once held up to seven pilgrims' hostels.

Among all of them, that of San Antón, one of the most famous pilgrims' hospitales in Europe, stood out. Indeed, pilgrims on the road from Hontanas still pass through the arches of the portico of the old convent, just as they have done for centuries on their way to Santiago.

Castrojeriz is still one of major historical towns on the Way in the region of Castile. The route of the Way of St. James has conditioned both development and town planning of the locality. Indeed, from one end of the town to another it stretches nearly two kilometres, making it one of the longest on the entire path.

As Alfonso Santamaría Diez, native of Castrojeriz once said:

'The walk through Castrojeriz should be made without haste in order to discover its medieval streets, alleyways, passages, stairs and steps, palatial mansions, squares, courtyards, viewpoints, stone walls, and the numerous and interesting monumental fountains, which are scattered throughout the town.... Visit Castrojeriz, you won't regret it'.

If you wish to visit the town of Castrojeriz and learn more about its history, culture and traditions, there is no better place to begin than at the Tourist Office.

Here you be well informed about all the monuments and attractions, as well as the amenities the town has to offer all visitors.

Opening hours:
From Wednesday to Sunday.
From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Church of Santo Domingo.
Phone: +34 947 37 85 88
Email: turismo@castrojeriz.es