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Municipality in Castile and León, Spain
Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0 es via Wikimedia Commons
Palencia is a city in Castile and León in northern Spain, with a population of 76,300 in 2023. It was industrial from about 1840 to 1960 and its centre is modern, but with several interesting old buildings and plazas. It now has its own university, and a campus of Valladolid university.
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Flamboyant Gothic cathedral, built from 1321 to 1504 and dedicated to San Antolín. Highlights are the west facade, the ornate chapels especially Capella El Sagrario, the stone choir screen, the pulpit, and the 7th century crypt with the saint's relics (the only remnant of the cathedral's Visigothic predecessor). These are sure to be authentic, as St Antoninus of Pamiers was unlucky enough to be martyred in at least four different centuries (and serially butchered in 303 AD) leaving bits aplenty to go round.
Housed in the episcopal palace, this has several notable works of art, including a retablo of twelve panels by Juan de Flandes, court painter to Queen Isabella I of Castile.
Excellent display of the Celtiberian, Roman and Visigoth periods.
Background exhibits on the water cycle and conservation, but this is mostly about the Canal de Castilla, completed in 1849 to carry grain to the ports. Construction took a century so it was nicely in time to be replaced by the railways. Much of it has been lost but sections have leisure use.
Clean friendly central place. Parking is a tight squeeze.
Budget chain with basic but comfy central rooms. They have two other hotels in town.
Just off the inner bypass but walking distance to centre.
Clean and comfy, walking distance to centre.
By road
From Madrid take A6 then A62 past Valladolid, 260 km.
By bus
Four ALSA buses per day run from Madrid Estación Sur, taking 3 hr 30 min via Valladolid. Some start from Madrid Airport T4.
By train
Trains run every two hours from Madrid Chamartín, taking 90 min via Segovia and Valladolid. They may start from Valencia or Alicante, and continue to León, Oviedo and Gijon, or to Santander.
Town centre is compact and walkable. Taxi Palencia is on +34 979 707070.
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Valladolid · Regional · VLL
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