Segovia

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<tr><td align="center" colspan="2">Image:Panorama Segovia from Alcazar.jpg</td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="2" style="background:#ffffff;">Image:Segovia, Spain location.png
Location of Segovia in Spain </td></tr>

Segovia

Image:Sin bandera.svg	Image:Escudo Segovia.PNG
	Coat of Arms

Location

Coordinates : 40°57′N 4°10′W
Time Zone : CET (GMT +1)
- summer: CEST (GMT +2)

General information

Native name

Segovia (Spanish)

Spanish name

Segovia

<tr><td>Postal code</td><td>40001-40006</td></tr><tr><td>Website</td><td>http://www.segovia.es/</td></tr>

Administration

Country

Spain

Autonomous Community

Castilla y León

Province

Segovia

Mayor

Pedro Arahuetes (PSOE)

Geography

Land Area

163'6 km²

Altitude

1002 m AMSL

Population

Population

54,945 (2003)

Density

340,1 hab./km² ()

For the Spanish classical guitarist, see Andrés Segovia.

For the ancient city of southern Spain, see Segovia (Baetica).

Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Segovia in Castile-Leon. It is situated about an hour north of Madrid, at 40°57′N 4°10′W. 55,586 people live in the municipality of Segovia.

1 Name
2 History
3 Sights
4 Demography
5 Transportation
6 Famous Segovians
7 Food, drink, nightlife
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Name

Under Roman and Moorish rule, the city was called Segovia (Σεγουβία, Ptolemy ii. 6. § 56) and Šiqūbiyyah (Arabic شقوبية) respectively.

[edit] History

Originally a town of the Arevaci, it was incorporated in the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis, on the road from Emerita (modern Mérida) to Caesaraugusta (modern Zaragoza). (Itin. Ant. p. 435; Plin. iii. 3. s. 4; Flor. iii. 22.) It minted coins in antiquity, which were later described and cataloged by Enrique Florez.

[edit] Sights

The old city is spectacularly situated atop a long, narrow promontory. It contains a wealth of monuments, including the cathedral, a famous ancient Roman aqueduct, the Alcázar, and various churches built in the Romanesque style including San Esteban, San Martin, and San Millan. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is surrounded by walls built in the 8th Cent a.D., probably on a Roman base, and rebuilt extensively during the 15th. Cent.

The Alcázar, or castle-palace, is perched at the tip of the promontory and towering over the countryside below. It was built by the Muslims in the 8th century and modified in later times, till the 15th Cent.. During the Middle Ages, the Alcazar of Segovia was the favourite residence of kings of Castile, and almost each king added new parts to the building, transforming the original fortress into a courtier residence and prolonging the construction of the castle till 16th century, when King Philip II added the conical spires and the slate roofs. A fire in 1862 destroyed part of the roofs, but they were restored, in the very same style they were built more than 300 years ago.

The church of Vera Cruz, beyond the Alcazar and the city walls was founded by the Knights Templar. It is built in the circular style, a common design of the Templar, in recognition of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The aqueduct, typically the most recognized and famous symbol of Segovia, terminates at the entrance of the historic section. It was built at the end of 1st to early 2nd century AD by the Romans during their occupation of the Iberian Peninsula to bring water from the Frio River (about 18 km away) to the city, requiring an elevated section in its last 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) from the Sierra de Guadarrama to the walls of the old town. This elevated section, largely dominating the nearby scene, is supported by an engineering marvel of 166 arches and 120 pillars in two levels. It is made of 20,400 large, rough-hewn granite blocks, joined without mortar or clamps. Its maximum height of 28.1 m (100.53 ft) is found at the plaza of Azoguejo. A raised section of stonework in the center once had an inscription. Today only the holes for the bronze letters survive.

The Cathedral of Segovia stands in the city's central plaza. Constructed by architect Juan Gil de Hontanon in the late Gothic style between 1522 and 1577, it is widely considered Europe's last great Gothic cathedral.

Owing to these famous monuments, Segovia is a very popular tourist destination, especially as a day-trip from Madrid.

[edit] Demography

Demographic evolution of Segovia between 1991 and 2004
1991	1996	2001	2004
54,375	54,287	54,368	55,586

[edit] Transportation

Urbanos de Segovia has recently renovated its urban transportation services, providing trips between the various districts of the city and including a nighttime service. [www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid/ Renfe Cercanias Madrid] also provides frequent, direct train service between Segovia and Madrid.

The Alcázar of Segovia

Roman aqueduct in Segovia (Early 20th Century view)

Gothic Cathedral of Segovia

Vera Cruz Church

[edit] Famous Segovians

[edit] Food, drink, nightlife

Segovia is famous for its food, drink, and night-life. The oldest tavern in Segovia is Taberna Rubi. Young people congregate at La Calle de los bares.