Covarrubias

Burgos

Max 14ºC / Min 1ºC

Covarrubias owes its name to the reddish caves that abound in the surroundings. Its city centre, declared a Property of Cultural Interest, is one of the best examples of typical Castilian town planning, with arcaded streets and half-timbered houses.

The entrance to the old town is through the arch of the Archivo del Adelantamiento de Castilla, whose façade bears the coat of arms of Felipe II. Before going through the arch, take a look at the 16th-century Gothic transept in front of the Archivo. A stroll through the old quarter will reveal the characteristics of typical Castilian architecture: stone ground floors, arcades, exposed timber framework and upper balconies. The House of Doña Sancha is one of the best examples.

Monuments include the Church of Santo Tomás, with its Renaissance pulpit and altarpieces; and the Collegiate Church of San Cosme and San Damián, in Gothic style, which houses a pantheon of distinguished families from the town. Under the altar lie the remains of three infant abbesses, and the presbyterium houses the remains of Count Fernán González and his wife Sancha, the latter in a 4th-century Hispano-Roman sepulchre. The cloister dates from the 16th century, and the museum, a must-see, contains one of the most beautiful works of Flemish Gothic imagery, the triptych of the Adoration of the Magi, from the 16th century. Nearby you will find the remains of the old wall, as well as the Tower of Doña Urraca, a Mozarabe building from the 10th century.

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