Medina Del Campo – Castillo de la Mota and Castilian History

Medina del Campo takes you right into Castilian history: Castillo de la Mota is a 15th-century castle. Its defining features include the keep, the arms courtyard, the chapel and the Queen’s dressing room. The fortress was one of the first castles in Europe to be adapted for the use of artillery.

Culture and History

Queen Isabella I of Castile, “the Catholic”, wrote her will and died at the Palacio Real Testamentario de Isabel la Católica. Today, the palace houses a museum about the life of Isabella I; two rooms are dedicated to her will and codicil.

The former Gothic collegiate church of Colegiata de San Antolín now serves as a sculpture museum. The Palacio de las Dueñas was built in the 16th century in the Renaissance and Plateresque styles. Its two-storey central courtyard features basket-handle arches and medallions of the kings of Castile.

The permanent exhibition at the Museo de las Ferias includes historical objects, works of art, commercial instruments and financial documents from the 15th to the 17th century. The Ferias Generales of Medina del Campo were the most important trading centre of the Castilian Crown in the 15th and 16th centuries; their commercial and financial activities extended throughout Europe.

The Balcony of Our Lady of Pópulo at the Colegiata de San Antolín is also connected with Medina del Campo’s historical importance in the wool trade. When Medina del Campo was the most important centre of the wool trade, no merchant was allowed to conclude a transaction before the High Mass celebrated from this balcony had ended.

Sightseeing

At the visitor centre of Castillo de la Mota, visitors can see an archaeological site from the Iron Age. A tour of the fortress includes the Iron Age archaeological sites, the outdoor areas with remains of medieval walls and the castle front, the underground galleries, the arms courtyard and the chapel.

Guided tours of the fortress are organised from the visitor centre. Themed tours are also offered throughout the year, focusing on historical figures and events connected with the fortress. For groups, guided tours must be arranged in advance with the Museo de las Ferias.

Festivals and Cuisine

The San Antolín festival takes place from 1 to 8 September. It includes traditional encierros, which are of regional tourist interest. A culinary speciality of its own is cocadas, a traditional sweet from Medina del Campo.

Other places: Geria, Olivares De Duero, Ventosa De La Cuesta, Corcos, Megeces, Aldeamayor De San Martín, Casasola De Arión and Alaejos.

Medina del Campo is connected by the Madrid–Irún railway line and the Madrid–Galicia high-speed railway line, as well as by the A-6 motorway and the C-610 road.

To the higher-level travel overview: Valladolid.