Discover the must-sees of Medina del Campo, famous for being the city where Queen Isabella the Catholic died.
List of must-sees places in Medina del Campo
- La Mota Castle
- Royal Testamentary Palace of Isabel the Catholic
- Main Square of the Hispanic World
- Collegiate Church of San Antolin
- House of the Arches
Extras to see:
- Ricordi Toy Museum: if you go with the kids we recommend it. We did not go because we went by train and visiting everything on foot did not give us time to see it, but you have it marked on the map as well. This blog explains very well what you can find there.
- Palacio de Dueñas: we saw in many blogs that it was recommended to visit this palace, but nowadays it is a teaching center. We went there on the weekend, maybe it can be visited during school hours but I am not sure.
- Museum of the fairs: we did not have time to visit it, we prioritized other things but I share their website in case you are interested. In it they explain “The Museum of Fairs aims to reflect the importance that commercial activities had and still have for the economy, culture and art in society, taking as exhibition script the world of the famous fairs of international scope held in Medina del Campo during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. For this purpose, an extraordinary collection of artistic, historical and documentary pieces, original from those times, related to the fair markets is exhibited; likewise, complementary audiovisual elements are incorporated in its discourse.”
- Simón Ruiz Hospital
- Royal Butcheries
Description of Medina del Campo must-sees
Brief history of Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo is a small town in Valladolid of about 20,000 inhabitants.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was one of the main international commercial centers thanks to its fairs and markets.
Later, Queen Juana I of Castile, known as “la Loca”, was imprisoned in this castle. As it is so long ago, it is difficult to distinguish the real history from the legend, but it is said that Joan’s husband, Philip the Handsome, returned to Flanders and Joan only wanted to go there to be with him.
This provoked arguments between Juana and her mother, Queen Isabella I of Castile, also known as Isabella the Catholic, who was already ill at the time. Her main fear was that her heiress would not return to Castile to fulfill her duties. Finally, Juana was told that she could return to Flanders and Medina del Campo was a rest stop.
But the reality was that Juana was left imprisoned in the Castle between 1503 and 1504. Legend has it that she, indignant, stayed in the outer enclosure of the castle, without warm clothes and barefoot. This made Isabel the Catholic, had to travel, well into the disease, to Medina to calm the mood.
It is in this town where Queen Isabella stayed between September 1504 and November 1504, staying in the place where the Royal Testamentary Palace is located, where she dictated her will and died.
La Mota Castle of Medina del Campo
To visit the Castle there are different options:
Free without guide: includes exteriors, Liza and first floor (Patio de Armas, Sala de Juan de la Cosa and Chapel).
Guided (without the keep): archaeological site of the Iron Age, the repopulation wall, the exterior of the castle, the Liza, the subway shooting gallery, the parade ground and the chapel.
It can be in other languages for groups of more than 25 people for 6 euros, prior reservation.
Guided tour of the Keep (Spanish only): access to the second floor through the Staircase of Honor, the Hall of Honor, the Queen’s Peinador, the interior rooms of the Tower (Archive and Prison) and views from the Mirador del Caballero. Part of the stairs are from the 15th century. To access the Tower it is necessary to sign a visitor acceptance form.
I always like to share the official URLs to visualize prices and schedules, as these can change over time. Also, in this case, to book a guided tour you must call 983812724. This phone number is the one used to book a visit to the Collegiate Church of San Antolin as well. There they will explain you better the special and reduced rates they apply since I have not found them on the web.
Main Square of the Hispanic World of Medina del Campo
Another must-see in Medina is the Plaza de la Hispanidad, which is where the fairs used to take place. Here, we can find the Collegiate Church of San Antolin, the Casa de los Arcos and the Royal Testamentary Palace of Isabella the Catholic.
As mentioned above, you can book a visit to the Collegiate Church of San Antolin by calling 983 81 27 24, from its website we have also seen that you can book by calling 983 81 00 63:
Guided visit to the Tower of the Collegiate: from here there is a nice view of the Castle.
Guided visit to the temple.
From the web you can see in detail the schedules and prices (as of today 3 euros the ascent to the tower and 4 euros the visit to the temple).
As for the Royal Testamentary Palace, little remains of the original, what we see today is mainly a reconstruction, where you can visit a museum, where they tell you the history of the city and where you can find, among other things, a replica of the Testament written by Queen Isabella the Catholic. On this website you can see their schedules and prices of the general, special and reduced rate.
Map of the must-sees of Medina del Campo
In the following map you will be able to see all the places to see in Medina del Campo.: