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Points of interest in Ampudia

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Collegiate Church of San Miguel

Its imposing bell tower stands out over the village. It is 63 meters high and its construction was planned in 1509 thanks to the initiative of Fray Pascual de Ampudia, bishop of Burgos; from 1540 work was done on the upper lantern with contributions from Juan de Escalante and Gaspar de Solórzano. The temple has three naves separated by semicircular arches and covered by star-shaped vaults. There are Romanesque (base of the tower), Renaissance (the most lavish) and Gothic elements, with a graceful harmony of pinnacles and chamfers. And in its interior, images, reliefs, gold work and Renaissance, Plateresque and Baroque altarpieces; chapels of Santa Ana and San Ildefonso (XVI century), main altarpiece (XVII century) and Baroque organ (XVIII century) by Tadeo Ortega.

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Ampudia Castle

The castle of Ampudia is the most important and best preserved in the province of Palencia. It was built between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, being declared a national monument on July 3, 1931. At the beginning of the XVII century, Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma and valide of King Felipe III, became the owner of the manor, which attracted him to the town on several occasions, making the castle the occasional seat of the court, and this was its period of maximum splendor. As a curious note, we can say that in this castle was signed the document by which the change of capital from Valladolid to Madrid took place. From then on the castle will enter a long period of abandonment until it was acquired in 1960 by Mr. Eugenio Fontaneda Pérez, who developed an arduous process of restoration that has led to the recovery of this historic building. In addition, as a result of his work as a collector, the castle houses a large and varied collection of antiques that are distributed in different rooms: archeology, sacred art, popular arts, toys, weapons, ethnography, etc.

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Museum of Sacred Art

Located in the Old Convent of San Francisco, it was founded in the 17th century by the Duke of Lerma, Valido of King Felipe III. The Museum of Sacred Art of Ampudia is, undoubtedly, by the value of its artistic pieces, one of the most important of the province of Palencia. In its interior we can discover a great number of sculptural, pictorial and goldsmith pieces. We speak of a museum of great patrimonial wealth in which you can find works ranging from the twelfth century to the eighteenth century.

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Our Lady of Clemencia Hospital

Founded in the 15th century by Marshal Pedro García de Herrera. In the current building, from the 19th century, are located the tourist office, an exhibition hall, an exhibition of models made by Sebastián Vaquero and the Museum of Medicine on the second floor, which exhibits more than 200 pieces that the Official College of Physicians of Palencia has been collecting thanks to donations from former members: medical and surgical material, ornaments, diplomas, books, photographs or various technical utensils. It is one of the few museums of these characteristics in the whole national geography.

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Historical Complex

It has held the title of Historic-Artistic Site since 1965. The streets Corredera and Ontiveros are the two main streets; both are arcaded, with wooden and stone columns that form a structure of arcades that in some cases dates back to the seventeenth century. The houses are built with timber framing and adobe walls.

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Sanctuary of Our Lady of Alconada

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Alconada is located 3 kilometers northeast of Ampudia, in a wooded meadow. The monument traces its origins to the 12th century, when a hermitage was erected for the devotional custody of a Romanesque image of the Virgin Mary with Child, found by a shepherd named Marcos who, according to popular tradition, recovered his sight thanks to her. This Virgin became the patron saint of Ampudia and the region of Tierra de Campos in Palencia. Her feast day is celebrated on September 8. The image of the Virgin is a very old carving, a Romanesque work of the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. It is currently housed in the Museum of Sacred Art of Ampudia, located in the old building of the convent of San Francisco.

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Santiago Chapel

It was built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, probably to replace an earlier building. Attached to the castle, it was once used for religious ceremonies in case of siege and was also the seat of a parish church. In its interior it houses a very retouched and remade altarpiece from the remains of the one placed in 1787 coming from the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Alconada and a processional image of the patron saint, very popular in Ampudia. Its traditional festivities were celebrated on May 23 and July 25; only on the latter date is a solemn festivity still celebrated thanks to the diligent management of its brotherhood.

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Bullring

The town of Ampudia has a long tradition of bullfighting festivities dating back to the 17th century, when the kings Philip III and Margaret of Austria visited the town at the invitation of the Duke of Lerma and bullfights were held in their honor. The current bullring began to be built in 1977 and was inaugurated in 1980 with temporary bleachers. Today it is fully operational and hosts important bullfighting events, such as the final stages of the "Certamen Villa de Ampudia", organized since 2021 by the Asociación Cultural Taurina and the Escuela Taurina de Palencia.

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San Fructuoso Church

The church of San Fructuoso, located in Valoria del Alcor, was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest with the category of Monument. It is an excellent Romanesque building with a single nave, ample space and a large presbytery. Its possible origins date back to the 12th or 13th century, although it has recently been proven that what until now was believed to be an atrium attached to the church is actually an earlier church, from the 10th century, most likely pre-Romanesque. Inside, it is worth noting the carving of a Gothic Christ (15th century), two Baroque altarpieces, several polychrome carvings and a curious tomb carved in stone.

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Hermitage of Our Lady of Guadalupe

In Valoria del Alcor you can also visit the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. The Patron Saint festivities are held in her honor on August 15.

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The Enchanted Forest

Located at the southern entrance of Valoria del Alcor, it is part of the few groves or gallery forests that exist in Tierra de Campos. It takes advantage of the humidity of the Santa María stream, which rises in the Soto de Valderreina, in the Arenal fountain. Its ecosystemic richness is a luxury to be preserved, highlighting the fact that it is a roost for red kites. Its origin dates back to the nineteenth century and has an area of about two hectares. The elders remember that its trees were cared for and used to obtain 6-meter beams needed in the construction of the houses in the area. The neighborhood work has enhanced the value of this natural space, decorating its entrance with painted stones and recycled materials, placing several wooden beams as benches to rest and enjoy its microclimate, sights and sounds, and also placing QR codes of the existing birds.

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Palomares

The dovecote or pigeon house is of Roman origin. Its structure is usually circular in plan, although sometimes it is square, rectangular or polygonal. Its walls are made of adobe or rammed earth, covered with a tile roof with a simple access door at noon. Its purpose was and is the breeding of pigeons. In the last years many of these constructions have been rescued, thanks to the aid received by their owners. Even so, a large number of them have collapsed due to lack of care.

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Chozos

One-story, circular, cone-shaped stone constructions. They have a simple entrance door and a single interior room. The huts are located around what were called "cañadas", "veredas" or "cordeles", where they served as shelter and even housing for shepherds. Almost all of them are in need of restoration, in spite of which, and due to their rustic construction, they are still well visible and conserve their general appearance.

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