The Route of the Castilian Language

Discover the most significant locations, cradle of the Castilian Spanish and its evolution throughout the Spanish history. The Spanish language is now the 4th language in the world, spoken by more than 400 million people. The history of the Spanish was an inspiration for a great number of writers. We will focus our attention on the 10th to 17th century and visit; San Millán de Cogolla, Valladolid, Salamanca, Ávila and Alcalá de Henares.

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1st Day: MADRID - BILBAO (AEREO) - LAGUARDIA (117 Kms)
Arrival at Bilbao airport. Welcome of the group and departure for Laguardia. Arrival and visit to the Church of Santa Maria de los Reyes , focusing on its gothic gate. This town is especially renowned for the production of the Rioja wine. Transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, we meet the tour-director who will give us a briefing about the programme. Dinner in a prestigious wine cellar. Back to the hotel and accommodation.

2nd Day: LAGUARDIA- HARO- NAJERA SAN MILLÁN DE LA COGOLLA (YUSO) (41 Kms)
Breakfast and departure for Haro. Sightseeing tour of this town, the capital of the Rioja Alavesa: walking through the old town we will find some houses that belonged to noblemen, the Town Hall, a neoclassical styled building and the Church of Santo Tomas with its baroque tower. We continue our journey to Najera : enter the Santa Maria la Real Monastery, its cloister and the crypt of the Sta. Blanca de Navarra, are jewels of the Romanesque. Free time and lunch. Departure for San Millán de la Cogolla, Yuso. We will start the visit at the Monastery of San Millan de la Cogolla, the birthplace of our language: Castilian Spanish. Back in the 11th century a friar wrote, in the margin of a Latin text, the first written example of Romance Castilian: the text is the famous "Glosas Emilianenses". Inside the church, whose construction ended in the 16th century, we find the choir and a rococo sacristy. The monastery library contains a real treasure with more than 10.000 manuscripts in perfect conditions. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

3rd Day: SAN MILLÁN DE LA COGOLLA - SANTO DOMINGO DE SILOS- BURGOS (92 KMS)
After breakfast, we leave for Santo Domingo de Silos. This monastery was founded by count Fernan Gonzalez in the year 954, and then renovated by Domingo de Caña, a trustworthy monk sent by the monarch Fernando I to act as the abbot savior.
Santo Domingo, who restored the building, consecrated the primitive roman temple in 1073 and after the 13th century the site came to be known by the name of the Saint. In the 18th century, the primitive temple turned into Santo Domingo de Silos Monastery. The first faltering words of Castilian Spanish continued in the "Glosas Silenses", a religious poetry about the saint's life preserved in the Monastery Library. Inside the monastery, we highlight the baroque chapel containing the relics of the saint. The cloister is a masterpiece of Hispanic-Romanesque inspiration. Lunch and leaving for Burgos. Arrival and visit to the Charterhouse Monastery with sculptures of great value by Gil de Siloé. Transfer to the hotel and free time before dinner. Accommodation.

4th Day: BURGOS - PALENCIA - VALLADOLID (132 Kms)
Breakfast and sightseeing tour of the city. The 12th century epic poem, Cantar del Mío Cid, narrates the heroic deeds of Rodrigo Diaz, El Cid, the romantic hero who was exiled from Castile. We start the visit at the San Martin Archway, one of the wall gates, and continue through the Fernan Gonzalez street where, according to the tradition, the house of the hero was located. We walk to the Castle fortress and reach the Santa Ageda Square. There we will visit Santa Gadea Church, where the oath ceremony of the hero to the King Alfonso VI took place. In the stunning Cathedral, we will see the burials of the Cid and his wife Jimena. Leaving for Palencia. After lunch, we will take a walk to discover the city: In the old town we'll see the San Lázaro Church, built on the site of a hospital founded by the el Cid. Inside the Church Santa Clara, we visit the famous Cristo de la Buena Muerte, a sculpture of Christ whose serenity inspired a poem written by Miguel de Unamuno. This church was also the source of several legends, such as Margarita la tornera, a dramatic poem by Zorrilla. Departure for Valladolid. Arrival at the hotel Dinner and accommodation.

5th Day: VALLADOLID-TORDESILLAS - SALAMANCA (118 Kms)
Breakfast and visit to the city, birthplace of a great number of authors: José Zorrilla, Jorge Guillén, Rosa Chacel, Miguel Delibes y Francisco Umbral. Valladolid became home to some important writers and other characters in the Spanish history: Miguel de Cervantes, Christopher Columbus and Saint Theresa de Jesus. Visit to the Zorrilla house-museum, sited in his native house and the Cervantes Museum.
The work of Cervantes "El coloquio de los perros" was set in the Misericordia Hospital and the "El Hereje" by Miguel Delibes revives the city life in the 16th century. Finally, we will visit the Jorge Guillén Foundation, sited in Prado Monastery, to find the first printing company in Spain. Leaving for Tordesillas, a short visit to the town and after lunch we visit the Monastery of Santa Clara. We continue to Salamanca. Transfer to the hotel, dinner and accommodation.

6th Day: SALAMANCA - AVILA (105 Kms)
Breakfast and we start the visit in the old town, to discover the magnificent design of the historical ensemble. Our first stop will be at the University building, one of the oldest and most traditional in Spain. Francisco de Vitoria, creator of the International Law, Antonio de Nebrija, author of the first Spanish Grammar and Fray Luis de León, translator of the Cantar de los Cantares, were professors of the University of Salamanca. Others atended as students: Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, San Juan de la Cruz, Lope de Vega, Luis de Góngora and Miguel de Cervantes dedicated the novel "El licenciado vidriera" to the city of Salamanca. Juan de la Encina wrote most of his works in this town, which is also the setting of the "El Lazarillo de Tormes" and the famous "la Celestina" one of the best novels of the Spanish Golden Age. To end the visit we will go to the native home of the poet Miguel Unamuno, writer and University rector. Lunch and free time.
We continue the journey to Avila, the city with impressive medieval walls. Transfer to the hotel, dinner and accommodation.

7th Day: AVILA - MADRID - ALCALA DE HENARES (141 Kms)
Breakfast and visit to the city of Avila, birthplace of Saint Theresa of Jesus. We will visit the San Juan Church and the Monastery of the Encarnación . Leaving for Madrid. Lunch. Walking tour of this city, discovering all those places with a literary flavour: Santa Ana Square, formerly called "The Muses Square". The Benavente Square, often frequented by Jardiel Poncela. The San Sebastián Church, mentioned in many books, is where important literary authors celebrated their weddings: Bécquer, Larra and Valle Inclán, while some others had their funerals, Cervantes and Lope de Vega.
The Trinity Order Convent, situated in Lope de Vega street, contains the burial monument of Miguel de Cervantes and in the Lope de Vega Museum, located in Cervantes street is where we find the house where Lope de Vega lived. We continue to the Recoletos Walk, to find the Café Gijón, a famous literary circle. Finally, we visit the state library Biblioteca Nacional. Departure for Alcalá de Henares. Arrival at the hotel. Free time before dinner and accommodation.

8th Day: ALCALÁ - MADRID - SALIDA
Breakfast. Visit to the University, founded in 1498 by Cardinal Cisneros, where we will see the magnificent Plateresque façade, the Patio Mayor and the Auditorium, Alcalá de Henares was the birthplace of important men of literature, one of them, Miguel de Cervantes bestowed universal status on the Spanish Language. Departure for Madrid airport. Arrival and end of the trip