The Roman bridge that leads to Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo was a city that in the Middle Ages was raffled off for its strategic location on the border with Portugal. It can boast of being one of the oldest cities in our country since It already existed in Roman times, when it was known as Miróbriga, reason why the name of this beautiful town is mirobriguense.
Despite its size, Ciudad Rodrigo has a lot of monumental heritage to see and visit, moving us to a Middle Ages in which the city was in constant conflict between the kingdom of Castile and Portugal.
Such was the importance of Ciudad Rodrigo that Ferdinand II elevated it to episcopal seat, which is why the town has a beautiful cathedral. This same cathedral is the first thing you see in Ciudad Rodrigo, a walled city that has aged dressed in palaces and adorned with the intrigues and exploits of great lineages and noble lineages.
Castle of Enrique II, current national tourist hostel
FOLLOWING THE TRAIL OF THE NOBLES
Escaping to a medieval city with so much heritage takes more than one day if you want to end up well soaked in all its cultural richness. Ciudad Rodrigo has been a Historic Artistic Complex since 1944 and this is a source of pride for the Mirobriguenses.
To start touring Ciudad Rodrigo, you must bear in mind that you cannot access the historic center by car. so it is important to leave it well parked and not to move in case you are driving. As a starting point in this case, we must take as a reference the Castle of Enrique II, a medieval fortress whose homage tower can be visited. It is the highest point in the town and houses inside the National Inn.
From there you can make a route through the medieval wall, Witness the passage of a history full of conflicts through its seven doors. Next to the walls is preserved a set of bastions added from the 18th century in a very good state of conservation and a small viewpoint that offers a panoramic view of the trip, taking as reference the banks of the Águeda river, a point of natural interest that should not be overlooked.
Courtyard of the Palace of the Eagles
Next to the castle, going up to Calle de Juan Arias, you come to the Palacio de los Águila, a beautiful Renaissance palace from the 16th century with an imposing cloister.
In addition to being the headquarters of the Tourist Office, it keeps a safe authentic Goya treasures, a collection of 82 engravings from the War of Independence. The town has a strong role in the contest, starring the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812 for which it was seized from the French and made General Wellington Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo.
Continuing parallel to the walls, the next stop must be made in Cathedral. Along the way, towards the Plaza del Salvador, appear the House of the Chain and the House of the Marchioness of Cartago next to the bishopric that well deserve a photograph.
The cathedral was initially built in the 12th century in a transitional Romanesque style and has three portals. Its interior hides a cluster of baroque chapels, the mausoleum of noble and distinguished families such as the Pachecos and the Headquarters of the Cathedral Museum.
The Tower of the Bells, located on the Pórtico del Perdón, still preserves cannon shots from the War of Independence, fingerprints of the French hand that took the city with fire and gunpowder. The visit is not free, yes.
St. Mary's Cathedral
From the cathedral you have to make your way to the Plaza Mayor, so leaving through the Puerta de las Cadenas and taking Julián Sánchez street, the Church of Cerralbo, a 16th century Herrerian temple that reminds us of the sobriety of these lands. It was built as a pantheon for the Pachecos and it is said that it was to shade the cathedral. The destruction of the War of Independence is also visible.
At the end of the street is the Plaza Mayor, the aorta of the city and a meeting point for travelers and parishioners. You can take one more turn through the nearby squares of the Good Mayor and the Count to continue admiring the palaces that Ciudad Rodrigo hides within the walls, such as that of Moctezuma or that of the Montarco.
In the Plaza Mayor are the Town Hall and the Palace of the First Marquis of Cerralbo, both from the 16th century and where Plateresque art is the protagonist. Formerly it was the place occupied by the popular market but today it is taken over by terraces where you can end the day with a good local wine and the satisfaction of having known a little more about what is possibly one of the most beautiful towns in Salamanca.
The Town Hall of Ciudad Rodrigo
HOUSE OF FARINATO AND HORNAZO
If having a few wines in the Plaza Mayor is not enough, there is no need to shout to the heavens. We are in Salamanca, one of the gastronomic bastions of Castilla y León, a place where pork and morucha beef have their own name.
Masters in the kitchen of use, as is done with the "menudos" of the lamb for the elaboration of the chanfaina, they do not leave aside dishes as Castilian as the tostón roasted in a wood-fired oven, the "meneás" potatoes and the famous Salamancan hornazo, a true gastronomic institution in our country.
Although here you come to discover the "farinato", a sausage of bread, Iberian pork lard and paprika (among other spices) that is not lacking anywhere in the city.
And it is so ingrained that the inhabitants of Ciudad Rodrigo also call themselves farinatos, in case there was any doubt. If you get lazy and don't go past the Plaza Mayor, at Bar El Sanatorio (Pza. Mayor, 14) farinato is served with fried eggs, which is the standard accompaniment.
Two very good options to sit at a table in Mirobrigu are Zascandil (Correo Viejo, 5) and Mesón La Paloma (Paloma, 3). The first is a tiny restaurant ideal for those who can't decide, due to its careful tasting menu in which nothing is missing, including an original dessert menu.
If you choose a good table of Iberian or morucha meat, La Paloma is the perfect place, basically because its morucha sirloin with boletus and foie takes away the meaning. yes, essential reserve with some time.
Living the Parador experience is the alternative for those who want an all-in-one, from sleeping in the castle of Enrique II to strolling through the cuisine of Salamanca and Portugal, making a stopover at roast suckling lamb and cod a bras. Signature cuisine with roots in the land. A ten.
Iberian farinato, typical product of Ciudad Rodrigo
BONUS TRACK FOR THE CURIOUS
Although the castle of Ciudad Rodrigo is known as that of Enrique II, In reality, it was Fernando II who was in charge of ordering its construction, taking advantage of the fortress that already existed. Its reconstruction in the fourteenth century by Henry II of Trastamara it was what popularized the name of the castle.
In Ciudad Rodrigo there is a Urinal Museum. In it you can find 1,320 pieces between urinals and spittoons from all periods, some made of porcelain that are true works of art. There is knowledge of the use of these elements since the time of ancient Egypt and it was said that Louis XIV of France had two "cleaners" for these tasks.
The original altarpiece of the Ciudad Rodrigo cathedral, the work of Fernando Gallego, is not found in the cathedral. The work, from the late fifteenth century, was dismantled and replaced by another silver altarpiece that was lost in the War of Independence.
The pieces disappeared until there were 26 left, which were sold in 1877 for 30,000 reais. to a private collection of Sir Herbert Cook. The tables passed into the hands of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in the middle of the last century, which donated them to the University of Arizona. Today they are on display at the Tucson Museum of Art.
In addition to being a small ancient city, it has one of the most fascinating heritages in our history.