Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Tordesillas
Tordesillas is a municipality located in Valladolid, 28 km from the provincial capital, and forms part of the Tierra del Vino region.
The true origin of the name is unknown, which has led to a great debate among etymologists about its meaning. There are three possible interpretations:
The first stipulation is that it dates back to the Roman Empire, when the Roman Consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus founded the city in 83 BC and had a tower built to honour the Emperor Lucius Cornelius Sulla, which became known as Turris-Syllae or "Sila's Tower".
Another name, derived from the period of Arab domination, is Thor Shilah, meaning fortress of the Shilans. The Arab tribes settled on the peninsula in the 8th century.
The latter can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with the emergence of "Autero de Sellas". The settlement was originally established in the 10th century and subsequently renamed Oterdesiellas or Otordesillas.
The town's origins can be traced back to the second Iron Age, as evidenced by the remains of a site that was later used by Iberian or Celtic tribes between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. The Vacceans were responsible for the establishment of the city of Sarabis, also known as Acontia, in this region.
The city of Tordesillas was first documented in the year 939, with the passage of troops belonging to Abderramán III in the direction of Zamora. Some time later, the Battle of Simancas between Saracen and Christian troops took place in the vicinity of the town.
In the 12th century, Tordesillas became part of the bishopric of Palencia. In 1262, Alfonso X El Sabio granted Tordesillas a Royal Charter. This ancient village was the manor of queens and royal mistresses, as well as the place of reclusion of Juana I of Castile, also known as Juana la Loca, until her death in 1555.
In the 15th century, under the Trastámara dynasty, Tordesillas reached its greatest historical peak with the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. The objective of this agreement was to resolve the conflict between the Crown of Castile and the Kingdom of Portugal that emerged following the signing of the Treaty of Alcáçovas in 1479 and the return of Christopher Columbus from the Indies in 1493.
The signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas brought an end to the confrontation by dividing the Atlantic Ocean in half. This resulted in the eastern hemisphere being under the Crown of Portugal and the western hemisphere being under the jurisdiction of Castile.
The town's most notable monument is the Church of Santa María, which was designated an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1983. The temple was constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries in a Gothic and Classicist style.
The Royal Monastery of Santa Clara, formerly the Royal Palace, is another notable landmark. The original edifice was constructed in 1340 at the behest of Alfonso XI. In 1363, Doña Beatriz established the monastery on the site of the old structure.
Also of religious interest are the Gothic church of San Pedro (16th century), the church of Santiago, the church of San Antolín (10th and 17th centuries), the chapel of Las Angustias (16th century), the chapel of San Vicente and the chapel of Santa Marina.
On the other hand, there is the Mater Dei Hospital, founded in 1467 by Doña Beatriz, and the Pilgrims' Hospital, founded in 1499 by Don Juan González, archpriest of Tordesillas. As well as the Houses of the Treaty of Tordesillas, two linked palaces declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1996, where the negotiations for the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas took place in 1494.
The festivities in honour of Nuestra Señora la Virgen de la Peña, the patron saint, start on 8 September. The Middle Ages Market take place on the first weekend in October. The recreation was inaugurated in 1994 in the historic centre of the town on the occasion of the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas.