The world heritage city of Avila - Segovia - The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso - Spain

Описание: Day 19 of this road trip begins heading west and passing Toledo super views of which we had from across the river Tagus. As we aim for an overnight stop in Avila we pause beside castles at Maqueda and then the huge fortress at Escalona. It was getting colder as we crossed more mountainous landscapes until finally arriving beside the amazing walls of Avila. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries these defensive walls are an incredible survival. They encircle the old town for 2.5km with 87 turrets and 9 gates and are an incredible sight. We had bright sun between heavy and increasingly cold showers as we circled the town and wandered into its historic heart. The Old Town with its walls and also those medieval churches beyond the walls were given World Heritage status in 1985.
The following day we turned north to a city that was awarded World Heritage status the same year, Segovia. The great Roman Aqueduct, constructed by the Romans This amazing structure was built in the first century AD to bring water to Segovia from the mountains some 17km (11miles) distant. It was incredibly still in use until 1973. This has to be seen! After crossing through the wonderfully preserved historic heart of the city we arrive at a promentary upon which is located the Alcazar. This medieval fantasy was built on the site of a Roman Fortress. In the 13th century it became a favoured Royal residence and much of the current site dates from that time. It is one of the most visited of Spanish historic sights.
A short drive took us to the foot of the nearby mountains where a Royal Palace was built surrounded by vast gardens and an extensive park. The highlight of the Palace is a collection of tapestries that were created for Spanish Monarchs in the early 1500`s. The collection was added to by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, who had inherited vast swathes of Europe including Brussels where the very best tapestries were being created. The collection in the Palace of San Ildefonso o La Granja, is the worlds very best. Outside we wandered the garden as it once again rained heavily before being treated to the firing of some really spectacular fountains. This had been a day of spectacular historic sights that we had long wanted to re-visit. Despite the rain we were certainly not disappointed.
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