Tordesillas - provincia de Valladolid M1 - 2023
Tordesillas is a historic town in the province of Valladolid, in Castilla y León, situated on the banks of the River Duero amid the fertile plains of the Castilian plateau. Its traditional architecture includes stone and brick houses, timber-framed buildings, arcaded squares, and quiet streets reflecting its medieval and Renaissance past. Among its most significant buildings are the Royal Monastery of Santa Clara, the Iglesia de Santa María, and the Casas del Tratado, associated with the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494, which divided the newly explored world between Spain and Portugal. The surrounding countryside is predominantly agricultural, with extensive cereal cultivation, vineyards, and irrigated crops along the Duero. What makes Tordesillas particularly distinctive is the combination of its attractive historic centre with its extraordinary place in world history: the treaty negotiated here helped determine the subsequent division of territories in the Americas and beyond.
We have visited Tordesillas a number of times, in both spring and autumn, and it has become one of those places we are always happy to return to. We usually stay at the Parador, but make the short journey into the town, crossing the bridge over the Duero and heading for the Plaza Mayor, where we invariably stop for a drink and watch the life of the town unfold around us. We have also taken the time to visit the principal sights, including the remarkable royal convent and the churches and historic buildings that give Tordesillas its distinctive character. It is a charming and very approachable town, with an attractive mixture of Castilian architecture, quiet streets and a lively central square. Perhaps its greatest appeal is that, despite its considerable historical importance, it retains the feel of a lived-in provincial town rather than a place preserved solely for visitors.
