Roca Pintada

The Montes de Torozos are a piece of land sandwiched between Tierra de Campos and the countryside of Valladolid. This natural area occupies a large portion of territory north and northwest of the capital.

The landscape is characterized by extensive moors, dotted with small valleys and hills with dense forest patches, remnants of the leafy tree forests that used to be until a century ago.

Excursions

• 22 Km away is Valladolid, a thriving city full of history, culture and monuments.
• Tordesillas: the town was declared a Historic. Protected Nature Reserve Bank of Castronuño. Outstanding among the monuments, we can mention the following:
  • Plaza Mayor: This is a Castilian style square plaza, with arcades and exits to four streets. It is full of noble houses.
  • Royal Monastery of Santa Clara: was built in 1340 by Alfonso XI and Royal Palace, Moorish style.
  • Houses of the Treaty: on June 7, 1494 in these houses was signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, in which the Emperor Charles V made the distribution of the world with the King of Portugal.

Castles and monasteries

• Villalba de los Alcores: Historic ensemble formed by the village and the castle.
• Mucientes Castle: Built in 1326 by King Alfonso XI, who ceded it to the Counts of Ribadavia, Lords of Mucientes.
• Trigueros Castle: It was built Robres and Guevara's family in the fifteenth century. It has a strange shape, because the castle is protected by a cylindrical outer wall with towers.
• Montealegre de Campos: The Castle of Montealegre was built in the fourteenth century by Alfonso de Meneses.





• Simancas Castle, was built in the fifteenth century and was used by the Admirals of Castile. During the Renaissance Philip II placed there the General Archive of the Crown. The castle still keeps its moat and bridge
• San Pedro de Latarce: its castle was built in the twelfth century and belonged to King Alfonso IX, who gave it to his ex-wife Berengaria. Until the fourteenth century it belonged to the Templars.
• Tiedra Castle, known for the meeting which took place between El Cid and Lady Urraca, governor of Zamora. The castle was built in the eleventh century by King Sancho II.
• Torrelobatón Castle, was built between 1455 and 1473. It was destroyed during the War of the Communities and had to be rebuilt in 1538. Its style belongs to the School of Valladolid. Its 4 towers are very remarkable. It is in very good condition.

Famous Monasteries

• Wamba: Church of Santa Maria: it was originally a Visigothic monastery. The oldest part are the horseshoe arches of the headboard and the wall paintings of Visigothic-Mozarabic style. The rest is Romanesque. Highlights include the monks' ossuary and the tombs of the brothers of Lady Urraca.
• Castromonte: It is very common the practice of hiking through this area.
• Monasterio de la Santa Espina, was founded in 1147 by Ms. Sancha of Castile, sister of Alfonso VII. Biult in Cistercian style, it holds a thorn from the crown of Christ, that the princess brought from Paris, given St. Louis, King of France. The transept and the chancel are of Renaissance style. Its façade was made by Ventura Rodriguez in Baroque-Neoclassical. The monastery has two cloisters built in postherreriano style.

Culture - Book Town

The nearby walled town of Urueña preserves almost intact its medieval flavor. It has an interesting ethnographic museum and has recently become a "book town" with many bookshops and an antique calligraphy workshop.

Wines

The Shire of Montes Torozos is recognized worldwide for its wines. From the Roca Pintada house in Castrodeza, you enjoy a privileged position for excursions to nothing less than four appellations of origin in a radius of no more than 50 km:

• Less than 30 km to the north, and without leaving the region, are the famous Cigales rosés, an appellation of origin that also has excellent reds.
• Recently it has reached fame the red wine from Toro, a Zamora historical town 50 km to the west of Castrodeza.
• If we go south, after 30 km we enter the land of the white wines from Rueda, considered among the best in the world
• Finally, to the east, across the city of Valladolid, lie the vineyards of the very famous red wines from the Ribera del Duero.