Church of Santa María in Villalcázar de Sirga (Palencia, Castilla y León)

Villalcázar de Sirga

Palencia

Villalcázar de Sirga sits on the Pilgrim's Road to Santiago de Compostela as it passes through the territory of Palencia. The town owes part of its fame to the miracles which pilgrims attributed to the image of Santa María la Blanca.

The monumental 13th-century church, described as the “Sistine Chapel of the ogival Romanesque style”, is named after her. As well as the wonders inside, like the image of the Virgen de las Cántigas (13th century), the polychrome stone tombs of the infante Don Felipe and his wife, and the magnificent Spanish-Flemish reredos dating from around 1500, there is a remarkable double frieze on its main front. The higher frieze features a central Panthocrator and the lower one the Annunciation and the Epiphany, all resting below a perfect series of castled arches. Also on the Pilgrim's Road to Santiago de Compostela is the neighbouring Frómista, the capital of Palencia's Romanesque legacy, with churches such as San Martín (11th century), a true gem of this architectural style because of the purity of its lines.

Don’t miss it

What to visit


Select from the list or hover over the map to find out about points of interest.

Don’t miss it

What to visit


Select from the list or hover over the map to find out about points of interest.