Page 119 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

ASTURIAS AND C ANT ABRIA  117

valley is its most interesting
building – the majestic Castillo
de los Templarios (Castle of the
Knights Templar), built from
1218 to 1380. This imposing
fortress, equipped with towers
and battlements, was built
to protect pilgrims travelling
to Santiago.
Clustered around the foot of
the castle is the old quarter,
whose narrow streets with
delightful arcades accommo­
date most of Ponferrada’s
monuments. These include the
17th­century Baroque town
hall on the Plaza Mayor, entered Gaudí’s Palacio Episcopal in Astorga
through the Puerta del Reloj
(Clock Tower gate), and the Aside from the beautiful Gothic Iron and sulphur oxides have
10th­century Iglesia de Santo cathedral, begun in 1471, tinted the beautiful stalactites
Tomás de las Ollas, a mix of Astorga’s most interesting and stalagmites with subtle
Visigothic and Mozarabic monument is the fairy­tale shades of red, grey and black.
architecture with later Palacio Episcopal (1889­93) by Skilful lighting picks out the
Romanesque and Baroque Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. beau tiful limestone concretions,
elements. The most impressive The turreted grey granite block creating a memorable effect.
feature in the church is its oval ringed by a moat, with a Guided tours take parties
chancel, with blind arcades spacious interior decked out in through the impressive series
and Moorish arches. ceramic tiles – so horrified the of galleries and chambers.
diocese that no bishops ever They begin with the Pequeñas
lived in it. Inside is the Museo de Maravillas (Small Wonders),
c Astorga los Caminos, which is devoted which feature fantastic rock
to the pilgrimage to Santiago. formations with imaginative
León. Road Map D2. * 12,000. £
@ n Glorieta Eduardo de Castro 5; names, such as Las Gemelas
987 61 82 22. ( Tue. _ Santa Marta v Cuevas de (Twins), La Torre de Pisa (Tower
(end Aug). ∑ turismoastorga.com of Pisa) and Virgen con Niño
Valporquero (Virgin and Child).
The Roman town of Asturica León. Road Map E2. Tel 987 57 64 08. The massive Gran Rotonda,
Augusta was a strategic halt on Open Oct–Apr: 10am–5pm Thu–Sun; covering an area of 5,600 sq m
the Vía de la Plata (Silver Road) May–Sep: 10am–6pm daily. (60,200 sq ft) and reaching a
linking Andalusia and Galicia. Closed mid­Dec–Feb. & height of 20 m (66 ft), is the
Destroyed by the Moors in the ∑ cuevadevalporquero.es most stunning cave in the
11th century, the town soon system. As the interior is cold
recovered its status as an Beneath the village of and the surfaces uneven, it
important stage on the Valporquero extends a complex is advisable to wear warm
pilgrimage route to Santiago of spectacular limestone caves. clothes and sturdy shoes.
de Compostela.
Its character is influenced
by the Maragatos, a people
probably descended from
Carthaginian and Punic slaves
brought here by the Romans to
work the mines. Astorga was an
important trading centre for
them from the 8th century
onwards, and until the building
of railways in the 19th century,
they were the main transporters
of goods between Galician
ports and Madrid. Among the
goods they brought were
chocolate and sugar, which is
why this inland town is known
for producing chocolates and
mantecados (sweet biscuits). Impressive stalactites in one of the Cuevas de Valporquero

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