Strolling Through Segovia…

So on the last leg of our excursion, we went to Segovia–another ancient city in the heart of Castilla y León…Oh, and what a glorious day it was…

Well, first there was the Acueducto (Aquaduct [?sp?], an ancient water-transporting structure used by the Romans) that was built sometime between the 1rst and 2nd centuries during Roman rule…What really amazes me about this is that there’s no concrete or anything that holds this thing together–Considering that this thing runs for about 11 miles, that’s saying something…

Another point of interest was the statue/story of Juan Bravo, who was a nobleman from Segovia and a valiant soldier who fought in the Guerra de las Communidades (The War of the Communities, 1520), a conflict which stemmed from the people’s protestation of having Carlos V, a king of German descent who couldn’t even speak Spanish well…Well, unfortunately for them, Carlos V and his forces won, and many of the rebels (including Juan Bravo) were executed…But still, even to this name, his valor is remembered by the people of Spain…

…The statue…

And let’s not forget the Alcázar de Segovia (an alcázar is a type of fortalized castle), constructed between the 12th and 16th centuries…Due to various happenings ( e.g. the roof collapsing in the 13th century, a fire in the 19th century, etc.), the castle has had to be rebuilt many times, and because of that, an eclectic mix of various styles can be seen…Also, it’s said to have been Walt Disney’s inspiration for Cinderella’s castle–now you KNOW this place gets some extra cool points in my book because of that!!!!…

…The outside…

…Looks like I found my knight in shining armor…

…Beautiful stained glass…

…The actual thrones of King Fernando and Queen Isabel…

…Fernando and Isabel’s bed…

…The Hall of Kings, which has statues on the ceiling that show every provincial king/queen there was before Spain’s unification under Fernando and Isabel…