The Wines of Northern Spain by Sarah Jane Evans

Author:Sarah Jane Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Infinite Ideas
Published: 2018-05-02T16:00:00+00:00

VALLADOLID

Valladolid, the gateway to Ribera del Duero, is just under an hour on the high-speed train from Madrid’s Chamartin Station (unlike the beautifully restored Atocha, not a station to enjoy lingering in). It’s too easy to abandon Valladolid for the vineyards, but be sure to add on a night or two to explore the city, which has an important place in Spain’s history. The Catholic Kings, Fernando of Aragón and Isabella of Castile, were married here, thus marking the first stage that would unite their two kingdoms. From the twelfth century to the time of Philip II, and briefly afterwards, it was the capital of Castile and then of the united Spain. But in Philip II lay its decline, because he chose to move the court to Madrid. The symbol of that move today is in Valladolid’s imposing cathedral. It was commissioned in 1585 but the architect, the great Juan de Herrera, was called away to build the palace of El Escorial, so it was never finished as he planned. Richard Ford strongly disapproved of the move to Madrid, saying: ‘A position on a fine river, in a rich fertile country abounding in fuel and corn, and under a better climate, was abandoned for a mangy desert, exposed to the death-pregnant blast of the Guadarrama [Sierra].’

There are plenty of striking buildings to visit, including the university with its Baroque façade. The university itself was founded in 1346 and is one of the oldest in Spain. The National Sculpture Museum has an exceptional collection of medieval and Baroque works, including glorious creations in polychrome wood. As a footnote, there’s a memorial to Christopher Columbus, who died here, and to Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.

Despite the very cold winters and very hot summers, Valladolid likes to live on the streets, and the students (there are two universities and a number of other education institutions) add to the atmosphere. There is plenty of food to enjoy, notably the roast lamb, white asparagus, wild mushrooms and very good bread.

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