What to see in Becerril de Campos (Palencia), from the Renaissance to Astronomy

When preparing a tourism trip through the province of Palencia we will probably think about visiting the romanesque churches or follow some section of the the Camino de Santiago.

They are two very attractive options for the patrimonial wealth that we can find in those destinations.

But as always, there are many very interesting places that are not so well known but that do deserve a visit. weekend getaway or a bridge.

We recently returned from a trip to the Tierra de Campos region following the route of Renaissance Fields.

Becerril de Campos on the Renaissance Fields Route

It is a route that unites the five headquarters of the Campos del Renacimiento Territorial Museum.

It is an itinerary that allows you to discover some of the many renaissance treasures that guards this province. But, along the way, other discoveries are always made in places about which we knew almost nothing.

Thus we come to Becerril de Campos, where is the church of Santa Maria, converted into a museum and one of the headquarters of Renaissance Fields.

And so we discovered that in addition to this really interesting church, in Becerril de Campos There is much more to see and learn about, including a visit to a truly unique and amazing cultural center.

Where is Becerril de Campos

Becerril de Campos is about 15 kilometers from Palencia capital where you will find several very comfortable rural accommodations and some pretty good restaurants.

Therefore, it can be a good basis for a tourism trip through the Tierra de Campos region in the Palencia province.

Although now Becerril de Campos It is a small town of about 750 inhabitants, throughout its long history it has experienced moments of splendor.

Curiosities of the history of Becerril de Campos

There are remains of settlements that date back to the Bronze Age and Iron age, and in pre-Roman times the area was inhabited by the Vacceos.

After Romanization came the Visigoth presence, depopulation after the Muslim conquest and repopulation after the reconquest by Alfonso III of Asturias in the 9th century.

Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the region of Farmland lived his particular Golden age and became one of the cradles in the Iberian Peninsula of that cultural and artistic revolution that was the Renaissance.

In fact, Becerril de Campos It was, more than the capital itself, one of the centers of economic, political and cultural power in the region.

The number of churches, in their time parishes, are testimony to its power. Over time some have disappeared and others have completely ruined.

This is the experience of visiting Becerril de Campos, the best thing to see

But today, the preserved urban complex, along with two exceptional visits, make Becerril de Campos an excellent destination for a getaway to Palencia.

Specifically, these visits are the church of Santa Maria, within the set Renaissance Fields, and San Pedro Cultural.

In addition, one of the branches of the Castile Canal, which passes through the town, is another attraction of this town.

With the experience of our visit, we advise you that once you arrive at Becerril de Campos, it is best to explore the entire town on foot since the distances are very short.

Plus, this way we can better enjoy the discoveries we make.

Church of Santa María, Renaissance portico in Becerril de Campos

La church of Santa Maria It can be a good place to start the tour. It is located at one end of the town.

As you get closer, what stands out the most is the Renaissance porch that appears on one of the sides and creates a very characteristic image.

In reality, this portico represents one of the extensions that this building has had over the centuries.

Curiously, despite all the changes carried out between the 12th and 16th centuries, the whole is very harmonious.

Upon entering we found the ticket office with a small shop with some books and souvenirs, but, above all, we marveled at the extraordinary sotacoro alfarje, highly decorated with anthropomorphic, vegetal and heraldic motifs.

The church has been converted into a splendid museum that is part of the Campos del Renacimiento Territorial Museum and shows some masterpieces of Juan de Juni, Francisco Giralte y Alejo de Vahia.

The latter was a resident of the town and his are several sculptures and carvings such as Eternal Father that welcomes us at the beginning of the tour of the museum.

Among the paintings you have to pay attention to the Pedro Berruguete.

Curiously, these works were designed to be placed on altarpieces and seen from a certain distance, but now we can see them much better as they are located at our height.

Stroll along the Canal de Castilla

When leaving Santa María we can take advantage of the fact that the Castile Canal Pass a few meters away to take a walk along its banks.

El Castile Canal It is one of the most important civil works carried out in Spain between the 18th and 19th centuries.

The aim was to facilitate the transportation of wheat from Castilla to the ports of the Cantabrian Sea for export. However, the appearance of the railway made it obsolete.

This branch of the canal passes through the outskirts of Becerril de Campos and you can walk along the shore for a long time, observing the vegetation and perhaps the birds that are around you.

San Pedro Cultural, Astronomy Center in Becerril de Campos

Back in the urban area of ​​Becerril, we can go to San Pedro Cultural, which is probably one of the most surprising visits we can make in the entire city. Palencia province.

In this Cultural center dedicated to astronomy but located in a 12th century church.

Esta St. Peter's Church It was in a state of absolute ruin, and has been rehabilitated, maintaining the elements that were preserved such as the Romanesque doorway and a couple of tombstones.

But what makes unique San Pedro Cultural is that it is a center dedicated to astronomy.

Inside we can see a Foucault pendulum, and finally understand how it works and how it demonstrates the rotation of the Earth.

Here we also find the only functional meridian line from all over Spain.

There are many other important details such as a solar analemma, an meteorite and some objects donated by the European Space Agency who have participated in space missions.

Solar System, guide to monuments in Becerril de Campos

Besides, the astronomy is a good guide to know other monuments of Becerril de Campos.

Just outside San Pedro we see the beginning of a representation of the Solar system reduced ten billion times.

Here they are, each one at its own size and proportional distance, Sun and the four closest planets. Jupiter It's further away, on the other side of the church.

And if we continue the search for the planets, we can take a tour of the most important monuments of Becerril.

Plaza Mayor of Becerril de Campos

Thus we find Saturn on the street that goes to Town Hall and Uranus in the Plaza Mayor, where the building of the Town Hall.

One of the most curious details, which can be seen when surrounding it and observing the facades, is the series of inscriptions with moralizing maxims.

In the square there is also the immense mass of the church of Saint Eugenia, Renaissance, from the 16th and 17th centuries.

It is surprising that this large stone building has a brick tower, which is because the original tower collapsed half a century ago and they could only rebuild it with this material.

The baroque details of the interior contrast with the Renaissance austerity of the building.

If we continue the search for the planets, we will find Neptuno adjacent to arch of the old wall.

Y Pluto appears next to the church of San Martín, of which only his remains Mudejar tower.

To get an idea of ​​the dimensions of the Solar system It must be calculated that each meter traveled corresponds to 10 million kilometers.

And with this same scale we can imagine that Alfa Centauri, the closest star, would be found in none other than Rovaniemi, in the north of Finland, next to the santa claus cabin.

Map: how to get to Becerril de Campos in Palencia

Becerril de Campos It is located just 15 kilometers from the city of Palencia, and one hour west of Burgos y one hour north of Valladolid.