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History
Valladolid was a small village improved by count Pedro
Ansúrez in the 11th century. By the 15th century it was the
residence of the kings of Castile and remained the capital of the
Kingdom of Spain until 1561, when Philip II, born here, moved the
capital to Madrid. Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid in 1506 in a
house which is now a Museum dedicated to him. It was made the capital
of the kingdom again between 1601 and 1606 by Philip III. It was in
that period when Cervantes published his first edition of Don Quixote
in 1604. Nowadays, Valladolid is the capital of the Autonomous Region
Castile and Lion, and one of its economic motors, having an important
automobile industry (IVECO, FASA-Renault, Michelin).
Monuments
Few architectural monuments remain in Valladolid of
centuries previous to the 19th one. Some of them include the unfinished
cathedral, the church of Santa Maria la Antigua, the Plaza Mayor (the
template for that of Madrid and of future main squares in the
Castilian-speaking world), the National Sculpture Museum, next to the
church of Saint Paul, which includes Spain's greatest collections of
polychrome wood sculptures, and the Faculty of Law of the University of
Valladolid, whose façade is one of the few surviving works
by Narciso Tomei, the same artist who did the transparente in Toledo
Cathedral. The Science Museum is next to Pisuerga river. The only
surviving house of Miguel de Cervantes is also located in Valladolid.
Although unfinished, the Cathedral of Valladolid was designed by Juan
de Herrera, architect of El Escorial.
University of Valladolid
The University of Valladolid, whose history can be
traced back to the 13th century, has been the inspirational foundation
for numerous other prestigious universities in Spain. It currently has
four campuses (Valladolid, Palencia, Segovia and Soria), and offers
over 100 degree courses, as well as numerous postgraduate and PhD
courses.
Links of interest
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