Pedraza is a small village in Segovia, located 37 km northeast of Segovia, the capital city, one hour from Madrid, and has a population of 388 (National Institute of Statistics, 2017). It is a walled medieval town whose restoration allowed it to be declared a national historic site in 1951. The municipality is comprised of Pedraza, Rades de Abajo, and La Velilla.
History
The name of the village comes from Pretaria, due to its Roman heritage. So, the first historical documents tell of Fernando Gómez de Albornoz, commander of Montalbán, who was named by King Enrique II as the Lord of Pedraza. Later, the village was taken over by the Herrera family at the end of the 15th century, after the marriage between Blanca Herrera and Bernardino Fernández de Velasco. They held power in the village until the 19th century, when the aristocracy was abolished. As result, the village was a stopover site for artists, nobles, and the monarchy.
The village reached its splendor in the 16th and 17th centuries, thanks to the exportation of cotton to the north of Europe that competed with the Flanders region at the time.
Monuments of interest you should visit
The Castle: Castillo Ignacio de Zuluaga
The Prison: Cárcel de la Villa
The Church: Iglesia de San Juan
The Square: Plaza Mayor de Pedraza
The castle of Pedraza. The church of San Juan.
Gastronomy
You cannot visit Pedraza without enjoying the excellent lamb (cordero asado) and pork (cochinillo), as well as the ponche segoviano (a traditional dessert) typical to the village. If you want to have lunch, make sure to place a reservation ahead of time. The Restaurante Reberte is highly recommended. We can recommend you several places, for exemple, Restaurante Reberte and El corral de Joaquina.
Events to experience
The village is decorated with thousands of candles every July on the first and second Saturday of the month. All public electric lights are switched off and those who use indoor lights keep their windows closed and shuttered so that the streets, windows, squares, gardens, and patios are illuminated with candlelight that lasts several hours after nightfall. It’s a charming and romantic sight. Take this opportunity to bring your girl in a a very exclusive place to enjoy a romantic weekend!
