In the small and quiet town of Soria. Soria, spain - attractions with photo Soria spain attractions

Tudela - Olite - Tarazona - Agreda - Soria - Calatagnazor - El Burgo de Osma - Berlanga de Duero - Medinaceli - Almasan - Moron de Almasan - Siguenza - Guadalajara

<=============== СОРИЯ ====================>Sadly, it was Soria that turned out to be the only disappointment of this trip. Not strong, really, but still ... Why did this happen - I, frankly, do not find an answer. Moreover, she, in general, completely fit into my previously formed ideas about her, and everything that I saw there basically corresponded to what I expected to see and why I came here.

I suspect that somewhere inside, subconsciously, I hoped for something more, for some special impressions that sometimes appear “between the lines” of what I saw. Perhaps the fact that Soria is considered one of the "Romanesque capitals" of Castile also affected - and I really love this "format".

But no, the miracle did not happen. Of course, all the main attractions of Soria have not gone away, including romance, which in some places is really very worthy. But it does not have integrity of perception and does not define the spirit of the city at all, being lost inside modern quarters. Moreover, the old city, at least somewhat reminiscent of the Middle Ages, does not exist in Soria at all. As for the "Romanesque capital" - I do not know in Castile (and, perhaps, in all of Spain) a city more worthy of this informal title than Zamora.

Soria is a beautiful and comfortable city. For living and living. Everything that I wrote about Tudela suits Soria doubly: here is even more beautiful squares, cozy corners, green squares and parks. For lovers of "movement" - a pronounced "neuralgic" (as they like to write in brochures and guidebooks) center, concentrated along Calle el Collado. I have no doubt that the locals have a place to relax both in body and soul. 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 nice to just walk around the city - periodically coming across cute places frankly delight the eye, well, look, for example:

The largest city park, considered one of the oldest in Spain, is Cervantes Alley (Alameda de Cervantes), known among locals as La Dehesa - "pasture". So it was called for many centuries (the first mention of this place dates back to the 12th century), until it was renamed in 1905 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:

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):

And here is the very street Calle el Collado - the main city "artery", the energy of which is frankly positive:

Nevertheless, we came to Soria for another, and after a somewhat lyrical start, I allow myself to move on to more brutal sights. And I’ll start, without shelving and without building an intrigue that is not needed here, with the main one (in fact, this opinion is far from mine alone) - from the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, or in Spanish - Santo Domingo (Santo Domingo).

Of course, Romanesque churches, with many common features, are very different. But if it were necessary - hypothetically, of course - to portray some "most-most classical", then it (at least from the side of the facade) would certainly 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 monastic, and until then it bore the name of St. Thomas - Santo Tome) was built in the 12th century and was a kind of gift to the townspeople of the local native of the Castilian king Alfonso VIII, who went down in history as the winner of the Moors in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa and is more widely known as the main character of L. Feuchtwanger's novel " Spanish ballad"(" Jew from Toledo "). It is considered a real masterpiece of the Romanesque style and one of the most beautiful churches in Spain (and I agree with this assessment!). Particularly 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 plot from the Old and 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" (however, on the relief, 2 soldiers pierce Jesus at once):

Or the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt:

And this, it seems, is the beating of babies on the orders of Herod:

In the center of the tympanum is a relatively rare image of Christ kneeling at God the Father (usually the Mother of God is depicted in its place):

Gorgeous and the main Gothic window - "rose":

Beneath it are poorly preserved statues of the royal couple: Alfonso VIII himself and his wife Eleanor of England.

Figured relief over the "rose":

The bridge itself, known simply as the "Stone" (Puente de Piedra), has existed 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 levied from all passing and passing - 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 "humped", was straightened during the construction of a new road laid through it.

Turning right after the bridge to the left and passing some couple of hundred meters, we find ourselves near the former monastery of the Hospitallers. The church and the arcades of the cloister remind of him today - the very "arches" for which we came here. The entrance, by the way, costs mere pennies - about 1.5 euros, if my memory serves me (and if it does, then not much): an insignificant amount for such beauty!

There is no need to talk much about the "arches", they just need to be shown - and lovers of the architecture of the Middle Ages, I'm sure, will not remain indifferent when they see them:

The main "trick" of the arcades, which gives them such an unusual look, is that they consist of heterogeneous arches: semicircular, lancet and intertwined, and in different ways. In the latter, Arab motifs are clearly felt, which is not surprising: after all, the Knights Hospitaller knew the East not by hearsay.

The interior of the church is also interesting, first of all - two rotundas with canopies located opposite each other at opposite walls. Interestingly, one of them has a spherical dome, while the other has a conical one.

The reliefs on the capitals of the columns are very curious, combining both gospel stories and images of mythological creatures:

Just look at the cuties 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 under King Philip II held the high position of alferes, that is, the standard-bearer. The one who wore the royal standard was called "supreme leader over the people of the king 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 protect the entire state on behalf of the king (by the way, the legendary El Cid also held this post for some time). The huge building of the palace with a single tower stretched for almost a whole block:

The Palace of the Counts of Gomara is located on a small hill (Soria is generally not a very "smooth" city in terms of relief), and practically under it there is a small picturesque square named after the modern Spanish writer Ramon Aillon:

If we go down to the square and look around, we will see the tower of the count's palace soaring into the sky above us:

And if you go a little deeper inside the quarter, you can go to the classical facade of the Church of the Carmelite Sisters:

Among other Sorian palaces, I would single out one more, 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. Clement. Its beautiful facade is really pressed against the corner of the building, and such asymmetry is clearly evident:

And the explanation for this "skewness" is very simple: once upon a time there was an old church of the same name (St. Clement) on the square, and its apse (that is, the back) part practically adjoined 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 Marquesses of Alcantara (Palacio de los Marqueses de Alcántara) of the 17th century:

Another building in the center of Soria, which in fact is not a palace, but related to almost the same "format" and historical period, is the former Jesuit school of the Holy Spirit. After the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain, the school changed many owners, at one time even served as a barracks, and in recent history it housed a variety of institutions, which, however, did not stay there for a long time. Since 1967, it has 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.

At the end of the theme of Sorian palaces, there is another heraldic relief on the wall of some house:

An interesting feature of the design of the southern gate (it is through them that today they enter inside) 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 paradise" in the hands, has almost the same appearance as the gate itself , only in a smaller size:

Fortunately, during the destruction of the cathedral (or collegiate, you can get confused there), the cloister courtyard was not damaged, the construction of which was carried out from the end of the 12th century to 1305 (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, and others (including me) simply admire the harmonious lines of the arcades and the capitals of the columns supporting them, amazing in terms of subtlety of detail and variety of plots depicted.

Well, the capitals themselves here 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 the usual tombs:

And the so-called "arcosolio" (I don't know how this word is translated into Russian) - a special type of burial in the wall in the form of a niche, decorated along the edges and on top with decorative relief elements: columns, arches, sculptures, etc. Arcosolio were widely used in ancient Rome, then they 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 decoration 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, and above one there is a small "peephole" (in Spanish there is very precisely the word "oculo", which is difficult to translate literally into Russian, but quite understandable in meaning) of a bizarre "lobed" form:

It’s forbidden to take pictures inside the “so-cathedral” (I don’t understand such prohibitions, it’s one thing - during mass events, services, and quite another - in an empty church ... Who will it hurt, who will it offend? And it’s okay if, say, dad the Roman issued a bull throughout the Catholic world: they say, all commerce out of the temples, as Jesus bequeathed to us, we do not sell candles-indulgences, we prohibit photos, in general, to Caesar-Caesar's, and God-God's.At least, uniformly. so - why is it possible to shoot in one church, but not in another? Why is it possible in Pisa Cathedral, for example, but not in Orvieto Cathedral? What, for God, not all temples are equal? Of course, all - as, however, and people. So, it's not all about God? But who would doubt ... 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 worth not only attention, but also admiration, especially if you look up - there powerful columns form an elegant "palm forest" - this type of vaults is so beautifully called. This happens, by the way, not so often, and one of the most famous examples is the church of the Lisbon monastery of Jeronimos. So in the absence of my own, I will give just a couple of photos from the open Wikipedia:

However, visit the Cathedral of St. Petra (and, accordingly, 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 most likely to get here during "working hours" - approximately between 6 and 7 pm (at least on weekdays).

And now from the medieval center, where the cathedral of St. Peter, let's fast forward to the center of today - to the main square of Plaza Mayor (it is curious that until we entered Castile, we did not meet squares with such a name, super-traditional in Spain, in any city).

Plaza Mayor in Soria leaves a double impression - and, in principle, it is very "two-faced": one half of it consists of quite modern houses, but the other looks very historical. Compare:

In the building of the "People's Assembly" (Casa del Comun) - a kind of city government, consisting of ordinary citizens (that is, people of humble origin), where the "holy of holies" - Fueros, bestowed on the city, is located "Arch of the Horns" (arco del Cuerno ), through which bulls were released into the square during the bullfights held on the Plaza Mayor until the middle of the 19th century:

From here, apparently, the bulls ran out into the "arena":

Opposite them, on the square rises the "Lion Fountain" (Fuente de los Leones), which was nicknamed the "traveler" ("viajera"), because in 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 used to be, and in the Alameda Park of Cervantes, and recently moved to the Main Square of Soria.

Lions, as usual, spit on snakes, but snakes are already far away:

Next to the Casa del Comun is the Church of the Virgin Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor - very old (12th century), but due to the simplicity of the facade, it is almost not eye-catching. 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 facade of the temple overlooking the Plaza Mayor, you can see several walled-up windows. This was done in 1739 by order of the then bishop, who noticed that some priests were peeping through these windows at the bullfights taking place in the square. What are the pictures...

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 an inconspicuous from below, but very interesting emblem with the image of five bowlers on one of the ledges of the church building.

Similar symbolism belongs to the Calderon, a very famous and ancient Spanish family. In general, there are several genera of Calderons: descending from the Aragonese king Sancho Ramirez, originating in Cantabria and some others. Which of them are related to Soria, I do not know, but the Church of the Virgin owes its current name to the local Calderons. It originally bore the name of St. Aegidium, sometimes called Saint Giles (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 a retablo for the chapel). Well, since the Mother of God was considered the patroness of this noble family, the whole church received the name Nuestra Senora la Mayor, or Santa Maria la Mayor. So money and power once again made the "weather in the house", even if this house is God's...

A little to the right of the entrance to the church 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 tourist route for places associated with his short stay in the city) Leonor. Here, in the Church of the Virgin, their wedding took place, and here, just 3 years later, Leonor was buried, who was only 18 years old - she died of tuberculosis.

The most ancient building on the Plaza Mayor looks like the building of 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 its current form only in the 18th century, and the clock on it appeared even later. Sometimes it is called the old town hall (Ayuntamiento antiguo), because 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, there are already purely stylistic subtleties of translation) - Palacio de los Doce Linajes.

On the facade of the building, you can see a relief resembling a clock face, but instead of numbers, it depicts the coats of arms of 12 noble aristocratic families that lived in medieval Soria.

In general, the main square of Soria is beautiful, but it does not evoke the feeling of the Middle Ages, like the city itself. As well as some special heartfelt awe and delight (there were practically no such squares on this trip, with the possible exception of Siguenza and, to some extent, Medinaceli and Almasan).

And here is the fabulous house, which simply had to be in such an entourage:

On the way we passed the former church of the ancient monastery of San Polo, whose construction is attributed to the Knights Templar. The church has not been operating 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 after the next bend in the river ahead, on the hilly bank, the church of St. Saturnina, as if "hanging" (as the Spaniards love this epithet!) From the coastal rocks:

The church was built over a cave in which, in the distant Visigothic times, the ascetic hermit Saturnin lived, later equated with the saints. The first chapel on this site was erected back in the 12th century by the Templars from the aforementioned monastery of San Polo, and the current church was built in the 17th century. It can be accessed 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:

Having already gone down the usual "outer" stairs to the river, we cross the bridge to the other side and once again look back at the church "hanging" on a stone cliff:

Our way back to Soria goes along a different road, and from here the Duero is seen in a new way:

Among other sights of Soria not mentioned by me, another Romanesque church deserves special mention - St. John (Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera). It was built in the 13th century and underwent significant transformations in the following centuries, 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 managed to do this, in particular, several external chapels and the spire of the 16th century were dismantled, and the church again showed 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. John received a new portal, which previously belonged to another ancient Sorian church, dedicated to St. Nicholas. Since it was literally in a deplorable state, it was decided not to restore it, but to use the poorly preserved portal, "giving" it a new life in a new place. Therefore, one should not be surprised that St. Nicholas is depicted on the tympanum (that is, in fact, in the title place) of the Church of San Juan de Rabanera, and scenes from his life are depicted on the capitals. However, I think very few people pay attention to this (and I would not have known in my life either if I had not accidentally read about it).

16.12.2015

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-Leon.
Before our era, the Celtiberian tribes lived here. In the Middle Ages, Soria was one of the most important centers of wool production.
The main attractions of the city are located in its old part, the center of which is the Plaza Mayor. The square is surrounded by Romanesque buildings. Here you can see the church Santa Maria la Mayor with an interesting Romanesque façade. Nearby is a church Santo Domingo The 12th century is one of the most beautiful churches in the city. Of greatest interest is its facade, crowned with an arch with sculptural compositions. It is worth visiting the San Pedro Cathedral (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 of interest in Soria is a Romanesque church. San Juan de Rabanera(12th century) - one of the earliest buildings in 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 perched on a rock above the river Duero San Saturio, where the relics of the patron saint of the city - Saturios are kept.
Especially popular is Numantine Museum, which tells about the history of the region from the Paleolithic era to the present day. Archaeological finds are presented here, ranging from mammoth bones to 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 Numantia settlement 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, the inhabitants, realizing that the city could not be saved, set fire to it and began to kill each other. The Romans entered the already devastated city. Numantia was rebuilt under the Romans. The ruins of Numancia 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, reconstruction battles of the Numantines and Romans are held here.
There is an interesting city 55 km southwest of Soria Burgo de Osma. Under the Visigoths, starting from the 6th century and ending with the Arab conquest of these lands, the residence of the bishop was located in Burgo de Osma. The main attraction of the city is the Gothic cathedral of the 12th century, inside which many art objects of the Romanesque era have been preserved. Also stand out Bishop's Palace, remains of the fortress walls of the 15th century, 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 old towns and villages as Calataniasor with the ruins of an Arab fortress, Almasan with churches of the 12th century and the remains of fortress walls and gates, Medinaceli with a Roman triumphal arch from the 1st century and San Esteban de Gormaz, where the remains of the fortress and two Romanesque churches of the 11-12th centuries have been preserved.
In the western part of the province, 60 km from Soria, there is a 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 northwest of the province of Soria, along its border with the provinces of Burgos and La Rioja, the Sierra de Urbion mountain range, which is part of the Iberian mountain range, stretches. Maximum mark - mountain Pico Urbion. Dense forests and glacial lakes are found among the mountainous landscapes of the region. This is a great place for hiking. The main settlement of these places is the village of Vinuesa. From here you can go on a trip to the glacial lakes of Laguna Negra and Laguna de Urbion, surrounded by sheer cliffs, and to Mount Pico Urbion. Nearby is the Cuerda del Pozo reservoir, where you can enjoy a variety of activities during the summer. water sports sports or just sunbathing and swimming. Santa Ines ski station is located 10 km north of Vinues in the mountains at an altitude of 1753 m.

Its history is quite typical for Spain - it was probably founded by the Romans (at least, the remains of the Roman city of Numancia are located nearby), it was first mentioned under its current name in the Arabic chronicles.
After the reconquista, Soria found itself on the border between Castile, Aragon and Navarre, which determined its importance and, as a result, its rapid growth. After the unification of Castile and Aragon (1492), the geographical location of Soria ceased to be strategically advantageous and the city gradually lost its importance.
Nevertheless, over four centuries, Soria has acquired interesting architectural monuments, which attracts quite a lot of tourists here.

The center of medieval Soria, of course, was a fortress on a mountain, but it was destroyed in 1812 in order not to let the French go there. From Soria Castle there is only one fragment left and there is nothing more interesting on the mountain, not even a view of the city - everything is covered with trees. And climbing there is quite difficult, so this point of the program can be safely skipped.

city wall
Muralla (XIII c.)

The Franciscan monastery in Soria, according to legend, was founded by St. Francis of Assisi. At the beginning of the XVII century. everything burned to the ground, along with documents that could confirm this event. And before that, the monastery served as the pantheon of the kings of Mallorca and a venue for events, such as the wedding of the heir to the Castilian throne, Juan (1375) - that is, it really was very important. After the fire, the monastery was rebuilt, but it did not regain its former grandeur. Now the walls and the church remain from the whole complex.

Monastery of the Clarissinok
Convento de Santa Clara (XVI century)

The Church of Our Lady of Espino is the second highest church in Soria (after the Cathedral). Espino is the name of the area, but in general, the direct meaning of this word is blackthorn.
The church was built instead of the previous Romanesque basilica, of which nothing remained at all. :(

Church of Our Lady of Espino

Church of Our Lady of Espino
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Espino (XIV-XVI centuries)

Plaza Mayor in Soria unusual - there is no familiar space surrounded by houses with columns and balconies. It is rather a very wide street, on which important city buildings are located - the Main Church of the Virgin Mary, the House of the Community, the Palace of Audiences, the Doña Urraca tower, the city administration.

Church of St. Mary began as an addition to the old Romanesque church of St. Gilles (Aegidia), from which now only the portal and the lower part of the tower remain.

The main church of St. Mary

The main church of St. Mary
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Mayor (XII-XVI centuries)

The most influential townspeople gathered in the House of the Community. Now here is the city archive.

Palace of Justice
Palacio de la Audiencia (XVI-XVIII c.)

Tower of Queen Urakka
Torre de Doña Urraca (XV century)

The City Administration is located in a house that used to belong to the Council of the Twelve Noble Families of Soria, an institution that was abolished at the end of the 19th century. These twelve families, according to legend, founded the city.

City Administration (Council of Twelve)
Ayuntamiento (Palacio de los Doce Linajes) (XVII century)

The land house may be a clumsy translation of the original name, but, by some consonance with our Zemstvo, quite accurately conveys the meaning of the occupation of the institution that was located in this house. It was founded back in the 12th century, when Soria became an autonomous region, and was called the "Community of the City and the Land" (Comunidad de Villa y Tierra). In the 16th century, the heir of the "Community", the "University of Soria Lands" (Univrsidad de la Tierra de Soria) was already located in this building. In fact, this is the district administration.

land house
Casa de la Tierra (XVI century)

Another municipal institution is the Palace of Deputies. This is a much older building.

Palace of Deputies
Palacio de la Diputacion (XIX century)

The Antonio Machado Institute is located in the building of the former Jesuit school, which began to be built in 1575 on the ruins of the Church of St. Michael. In 1740, the house was almost completely destroyed by fire and rebuilt. After the expulsion of the Jesuits, there were various institutions and, once, even a factory. In 1808, the building was returned to an educational institution - a technical institute. In 1967, the institute was named after Antonio Machado, the famous Spanish poet who taught here at the beginning of the 20th century.

Palace of the Salvador family
Casona de los Salvadores (XVII century)

Palace of Rios and Salcedo
Palacio de los Rios y Salcedo (XVI century)

Palace of Diego de Soller
Palacio de Diego de Solier (XVII century)

The Palace of San Clemente is, in fact, the palace of the Marichalar family, one of the very twelve, according to legend, descended from the aforementioned saint.

Palace of San Clemente
Casa de los San Clemente (XVII century)

Separately, it is worth noting the huge palace of the Counts of Gomar - 109 meters in length! The direct customer was Francisco Lopez de Rio y Salcedo, who was then, in modern terms, the mayor of Soria.

Palace of the Counts of Gomar

Palace of the Counts of Gomar
Palacio de los Condes de Gómara (XVI century)

Church of St. Juan Rabanera
Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera (XIII-XVI c.)

Church of St. Juan Rabanera
Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera (XIII-XV centuries)

Church of St. Nicholas
Iglesia de San Nicolas (XII century)

The church of Santo Domingo was formed after the expansion of the Romanesque church of St. Thomas, which is almost completely preserved, as the back of the building, including the tower.

Church of St. Sunday

Church of St. Sunday
Iglesia de Santo Domingo (XII-XVI centuries)

Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy
Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (XVI century)

Skete of Our Lady Myron in the 13th century. is mentioned as a parish church built on the foundations of a Visigothic building. From this church, the sacristy has been preserved, which is now in the apse, rebuilt in the 15th century. The rest of the building was built in the 18th century. The church was downgraded to the category of a skete as a result of the outflow of the population from this area. Nobody lives there now.
There is a special legend about the name of the church, referring to the times of the Visigothic king Theodomir (VI century), who had a son, Miro. In the XIII century. the oxen of a local peasant passing here refused to go further and he heard a voice that repeated “Listen, Miron!”. The peasant fled to the village authorities, who certified the fact of the miracle and ordered to dig the earth in the place where the oxen had stopped. As a result, a statue of the Mother of God was found, for which the church was built.

Monastery of the Carmelites

Monastery of the Carmelites
Convento de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (XVI-XVII centuries)

Cathedral in Soria socathedral, the "main half" is located in El Burgo de Osma. It was built instead of the collapsed monastery church. What remains of the monastery is a beautiful Romanesque cloister.

So-Cathedral Cathedral of St. Petra
Concatedral de San Pedro (XIII-XVII centuries)

On the outskirts of Soria, a medieval bridge is thrown over the Duero River, which is still actively used.

A stone bridge
Puente de Piedra (XII century)

On the other side of the river is one of the most famous sights of Soria - the monastery of St. John of Jerusalem, Order of the Hospitallers. It is also called Arches of St. John (Arcos de San Juan de Duero). The arches are what is left of the monastery cloister. It is interesting that on different sides of the perimeter the arches are different.
The church is very simple, single-nave. Inside, there are two pavilions resting on columns with carved capitals, one with a spherical roof, the other with a conical one.
In 2008, a poll was conducted in Spain, in which lovers of Romanesque architecture had to name the best, in their opinion, architectural monuments in Spain. San Juan de Duero ranked fourth, after San Isidoro de León, Santiago de Compostela and the Old Cathedral Salamanca.

Monastery of St. John of Jerusalem on Duero
Monasterio de San Juan de Duero (XII-XIII c.)

On the same bank, but quite far from the city, is the Chapel of St. Saturnine. According to legend, there was a cave in the mountain, where, in fact, the saint lived, and then was buried. Then a skete was built over the cave. It looks very picturesque.

Chapel of St. Saturnina

Chapel of St. Saturnina
Ermita de San Saturio (XVII century)

Soria is a popular tourist destination, as a result, the cost of living here is not too humane. In principle, it is not necessary to live here, it is quite possible to see everything in one day, since there is a left-luggage office at the bus station. Moreover, it is a separate room with a special person who receives and guards things. :) I haven't seen this for a long time, I'm used to automatic cells.