“Wow, I’ve seen a castle like this in the Cinderella cartoon!” Erika exclaimed excitedly — and she wasn’t wrong.
The Alcázar of Segovia is considered one of the castles that inspired Walt Disney when he created Cinderella’s castle for Disney films and parks. It really does look like something out of a fairytale.
This medieval castle was built in the 12th century on the site of an ancient Roman fortress. Over the centuries, it served as a royal residence for the monarchs of Castile, a prison, and a military academy. Today, it is a museum.
Inside, you can see the Knights’ Hall. Arian absolutely loves taking pictures with the knights and having “man-to-man” conversations with Dad, such as whether a sword could actually pierce a knight’s armor. There is also a hall with cannons, a throne room, a royal bedroom, and much more.
At the castle, we climbed the tower, which has no fewer than 152 steps. For the first time in our lives, when Erika and I were climbing uphill together, it was she who encouraged me rather than the other way around.
“Just a little bit more, Mom!” she kept saying.
From the top of the tower, you can enjoy magnificent panoramic views. And there is also an unexpected visual metaphor waiting for you. When you look around, the mountains seem to stretch out like an endless sea. Rising among them, right in the center of the city, is the Cathedral.
Down below is the aqueduct, although you cannot see it from the Alcázar. The entire ensemble of Segovia, spread across different elevations, is often compared to the shape of a ship. The mountains resemble the sea, the Alcázar is the ship’s bow, the Cathedral is the central mast, and the aqueduct is the anchor.
“I feel like the captain of a ship surveying the surroundings,” Arian said.
By the way, Segovia’s aqueduct is one of the most famous and best-preserved ancient Roman aqueducts. It was built in the 1st–2nd centuries AD to supply the city with water from a source 17 kilometers away. The aqueduct was constructed without cement, using only granite blocks.
“Did they fit the stones together so perfectly, or did they use egg whites to hold them together?” Arian asked.
We Googled it and discovered that, in this case, the first option was the correct one.
“Phew,” my son said. “We can breathe now. It’s hard to even imagine how many eggs chickens would have had to lay if they had used egg whites to build such a huge aqueduct.”
It is a remarkable monument to Roman engineering and a symbol of Segovia. The aqueduct, together with the old city of Segovia and its other historic landmarks, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Segovia also has several churches and cathedrals that reflect its rich history. The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Segovia is known as the “Lady of Cathedrals” because of its elegant architecture. The Romanesque Church of San Martín is also beautiful, with a tower in the Mudéjar style, which combines Christian and Muslim artistic traditions.
There is also one of the finest Romanesque churches in Castile — the Church of San Esteban, famous for its tall tower with arches.
All these churches were built from local sandstone. Despite being constructed in different periods and architectural styles, they come together to create a beautiful and harmonious cityscape.
The text was originally written in Ukrainian translated with the help of Google Translate.
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