Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Torrecilla de la Abadesa
Torrecilla de la Abadesa is a town that forms part of the municipality of Tordesillas, in the province of Valladolid.
This town is situated in the Tierra del Vino region, a historical and geographical area of Castilla y León. The town is situated a short distance to the southwest of Tordesillas, on the banks of the Duero River.
Torrecilla de la Abadesa is first mentioned in volume XV of the Diccionario geográfico-estadístico-histórico de España y sus posesiones de Ultramar (Geographical-statistical-historical dictionary of Spain and its overseas territories), published by Pascual Madoz in the 19th century.
Until 1868, the territory of Torrecilla de la Abadesa was subject to the jurisdiction of the Monastery of Santa Clara de Tordesillas. Subsequently, the property was transferred to the state following the 1868 Revolution. During the 16th to 18th centuries, Torrecilla was renowned for its thriving ceramics industry, specialising in the manufacture of tiles and bricks.The town is characterised by a blend of traditional and contemporary architecture, with the parish church, dedicated to San Esteban, serving as a prominent landmark perched atop a hill. The temple was constructed during the 16th and 17th centuries and comprises three naves, separated by cruciform pillars and barrel and groin vaults. The rectangular main chapel features a low choir and an organ. The exterior comprises a rectangular apse with buttresses and a two-section brick tower with narrow openings in the first section and semicircular openings for bells in the second. The church is constructed primarily of brick and rammed earth, with a stone doorway featuring a semicircular arch.
The property is in front of the church, at the foot of the access staircase. It is an old two-storey timber-framed adobe house with a colonnade decorated with two Tuscan stone columns and plain wooden footings. Local sources indicate that this property was once the residence of the Tordesillas nuns. It is believed that the abbess, Manuela Rascón, resided here and even hosted Christmas Eve dinner with Napoleon in 1808.
Another notable historical site in the town is the Chapel of the Humilladero del Cristo, which dates to the 16th century. The site is situated at the village exit towards Tordesillas and was constructed by the Vera Cruz brotherhood. The building is constructed from rammed earth and brick and has a square floor plan, a doorway with a semicircular arch, a hipped roof and a small belfry.
The festivities celebrated by the inhabitants of this town, namely those of San Antonio de Padua on 13 June and San Esteban on 26 December, are worthy of note.