» Religious Experiences in Segovia History of Spain

As we all know a large part of Spanish history is catholicism. So when you are visiting Segovia you might want to experience some of this catholic history yourself. Or maybe you are just a visiting student who wants to know some interesting places that you can do your worshiping.

The most notable place of worship you could visit is the Segovia Cathedral. It is a beautiful Gothic-style cathedral. In fact, it was the last Gothic cathedral constructed. They hold mass at 10 on most days or 11 and 12:30 on Sunday if you would like to join. However, if you are not one to worship but your friend dragged you here there are other things that you can do in the Cathedral. For example, you could go to the art museum located in the basement of the Cathedral. It contains numerous impressive religious-inspired artworks. Like the Triptych of Descent by Ambrosius Benson a massive 3-panel painting depicting Jesus being taken down from the cross. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy you could always walk around and admire the impressive architecture which composes the Cathedral (Which I wish I could include a picture of however the storage on this blog is already full :(. ). Which fun fact mostly had to be rebuilt after the Revolt of the Comuneros in 1520. So when you are admiring the architecture you are not only getting a good view you are also experiencing history. Isn’t that fun! Lastly, you could visit the Bell Tower which does offer guided tours if you want a more structured activity. However, the quite possibly best aspect of the Bell Tower is the view it will give you. Standing 288 feet tall it’s one of the tallest places in the city allowing you great views of the entire city allowing you to maybe spot the place you are staying or discover the place you would like to visit next.

Another place of worship you could visit is the Iglesia de la Vera Cruz or the Church of the True Cross located just on the outskirts of the city. Even though it is much smaller than the Segovia Cathedral and was used as a place to store cattle briefly in the 20th century it is a no less important place. It’s so important it was declared a Spanish Cultural Heritage in 1919. There is some debate about what group constructed the Church of the True Cross. For the longest time it was believed to be constructed by the knights templar, a military branch of the catholic church, however recently it has become more likely that it was built by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Either way still a group of pedigree is responsible for this church. Inside the church, you can see some artwork tracing back to as old as 1208. However, it is not all preserved due to the building being abandoned off and on since 1844 till it was named a cultural heritage site. If any of this sounds interesting to you can visit on any day other than Monday or Tuesday at 10:30, 1:30, or 4:00.

However, Segovia isn’t all about catholicism. It also has some places for fans of the old testament in the Old Main synagogue. This synagogue was built in the 14th century. However, after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 it was converted into first a church and then a convent. It was destroyed in 1899 by a fire but it has been rebuilt since then so you can visit it.

If any of you reading are interested in reading any further here is where you can find out more.

Segovia Cathedral:

https://longwooduniversity.on.worldcat.org/oclc/9523266942