Sigüenza Travel Guide

This beautiful medieval city in northern Castilla-La Mancha has had a turbulent past from which it is gracefully emerging. Its name, from the Latin Segontia, means “dominating the valley”, and its strategic location on the Henares River has been fought over since Roman times. It was a stronghold for the Moors who built the formidable castle at the top of the town in the 8th century, before falling to the Christian Reconquest in 1124. The first archbishop built the massive Gothic cathedral which looks like a fortress and has frequently served as one. Sigüenza played a central role in Spain’s medieval civil wars, suffered devastation by Napoleonic troops during the War of Spanish Independence, and endured horrors by both sides during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The cathedral and castle were badly damaged, and you can still see the bullet holes in the walls of Plaza Mayor.

Today, much of this now-tranquil small city has been restored with redevelopment funding, and the castle has been repurposed as one of Spain’s most beautiful and evocative paradors. Sigüenza’s eventful history, impressive architecture, and first-class restaurants make it an appealing place for an overnight stay.