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VALLADOLID , the capital of theSee also: Spanish province of Valladolid, situated 2228 ft. above See also: sea-level, at the confluence of the See also: river Pisuerga with the Esgueva
.
Pop
.
(1900) 68,789
.
Valladolid is an archbishopric, and the seat of an army corps,
a See also: court of See also: appeal and a university
.
It is connected by numerous See also: railways with every province of See also: Spain
.
Its site is a small valley, enclosed by steep and rugged but not very high hills, which See also: merge into the vast upland plain of See also: Castile
.
The city was formerly surrounded by walls and entered by four See also: principal See also: gates, but it has been to a See also: great extent modernized, and possesses many See also: fine streets and squares
.
There are broad avenues and public gardens beside the See also: rivers
.
Among the chief open spaces are the arcaded Plaza Mayor, the Campo Grande, a wooded See also: park and the Pasco de la Avenida, a wide See also: boulevard in which is the statue of the poet Jose Zorilla (1817–1893)
.
The granite See also: cathedral was begun in 1585 by Juan de Herrera in the See also: Renaissance See also: style
.
Herrera's See also: original See also: model is preserved in the See also: muniment-See also: room, but only the See also: nave and one tower (out of four) were completed after his design, and the tower See also: fell in 1841
.
The See also: building was continued by Churriguera (d
.
1725) . The interior contains some pictures by Luca Giordana (1623–1705) and the celebrated See also: silver monstrance wrought by Juan de Arphe (b
.
1523), which is 61 ft. high; it is in the See also: form of a See also: temple, decorated with figures of See also: Adam and See also: Eve in the garden of See also: Eden
.
The tower and nave of the See also: church of
See also: Santa Maria la See also: Antigua date from about 1200
.
The church of See also: San Pablo is later (1286); its chief feature of See also: interest is a beautiful Flamboyant portal, and formerly it had exquisite cloisters
.
Adjoining is San Gregorio (15th century) with a fine Plateresque See also: facade
.
San Benito, dating from the end of the 14th century, is a See also: Gothic building with a lofty roof finely groined
.
The Plateresque See also: college of Santa Cruz, built by Enrique de Egas in 1479-92, contains an interesting collection of pictures and sculptures, including three pictures by See also: Rubens, which have been somewhat damaged, and some remarkable wooden statues by Alonso Berruguete (d
.
1581) and others
.
The college of San Gregorio, dating from the same See also: period, was wrecked by the French in r8o8, but has a magnificent See also: late Gothic facade
.
This building has been converted into municipal offices
.
The university is attended by about 1200 students, and has faculties of See also: law, See also: medicine, natural science, philosophy and literature
.
Originally founded at See also: Palencia early in the 13th century, it was transferred to Valladolid before 1250 and attained its greatest prosperity from the 16th century to the 18th
.
The library contains many rare See also: MSS
.
The university buildings date from the 17th century and are extravagantly ornate
.
Among other public buildings of Valladolid may be mentioned the royal palace, built in the beginning of the 17th century, the court-See also: house, the See also: town See also: hall, several convents used as barracks, the provincial institute, training
See also: schools for teachers and See also: primary schools, royal See also: academy for cavalry cadets, provincial lunatic See also: asylum, hospitals, seminary (raised in 1897 by See also: Pope See also: Leo XIII. to the See also: rank of a pontifical university), archaeological museum, picture gallery and public library
.
The house in which Cervantes lived (1603–1606) is owned by the See also: state
.
The principal See also: industries are the manufacture of See also: linen, See also: silk and woollen fabrics, pottery, gold and silver See also: work, See also: flour, See also: wine, See also: beer, See also: chocolate, See also: leather, iron-See also: ware and paper
.
There is also a large agricultural See also: trade
.
Valladolid is sometimes identified with the See also: ancient Pintia of See also: Ptolemy, described as a town of the Vaccaei on the road from Asturica to Caesaraugusta
.
Its See also: Roman origin is uncertain
.
The See also: present name is undoubtedly Moorish, but its meaning is obscure
.
Valladolid was recovered from the Moors in the loth century, but is first named in a public document by Sancho II. of Leon in 1072
.
The See also: cortes of Castile frequently met here in the following centuries, and in the beginning of the 15th century See also: John II. made it his principal residence
.
After the removal of the capital to See also: Madrid by See also: Philip II. in 156o it began rapidly to decay
.
In
See also: December 18o8 it was taken and sacked by the French, who destroyed many fine buildings and See also: works of See also: art
.
See also: Columbus died (15o6) and Philip II. was See also: born (1527) at Valladolid
.
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