Iglesia de Santa María del Castillo

The Church of Santa María del Castillo is a religious temple located in the upper part of Maderuelo, in Segovia, integrated in the medieval walled town and linked by its location to the ancient defensive function of the complex. Its name and position above the hamlet reinforce its strategic character within the historic center of the town. It is a church of medieval origin, with a first factory related to the 13th century and successive later transformations. The consulted informative sources indicate a construction on a Romanesque building and reforms in the XV and XVI centuries, with later reconstructions; for that reason it presents a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Mudejar elements, in addition to caliphal remains mentioned by the local patrimonial tradition. Among its most outstanding patrimonial elements are the plateresque main altarpiece, attributed to Gabriel de Sosa and Alberto Castellanos in 1556, the representation of the Sagra de la Santa Cena, a pulpit and a baptismal font of Romanesque tradition. Also mentioned is the presence of a child mummy found in the 19th century, preserved as a singular piece of the temple. In the historical context of Maderuelo, declared a historical site, the church is part of the main monumental tour of the town and is visited along with other heritage resources of the old town. Its exact location corresponds to the Plaza de Santa María, with views of the Linares del Arroyo reservoir and the surroundings of the medieval bridge.