Iglesia de la Vera Cruz
A 30-minute stop on the walk to the Alcázar. The twelve-sided interior and the Templar legend are the draw. Rare and atmospheric.
A 13th-century Templar twelve-sided church — modeled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, on the path to the Alcázar. The most unusual Romanesque building in Segovia.
Segovia Cathedral · Roman Aqueduct of Segovia · Alcázar de Segovia
At a Glance
- — You don't do Knights Templar churches
Modeled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, this twelve-sided Romanesque church stands as an atmospheric, Templar-guarded anomaly on the path toward the Alcázar. The interior is sparse and mysterious, carrying the weight of ancient knightly legends and monastic seclusion. It is a quick, essential stop for those who appreciate the austere beauty of medieval stone and the lingering, quiet history of the Crusades.
How it got here
Construction began in the early thirteenth century when the Knights Templar established their presence in Segovia. The twelve-sided plan aligns with the architectural traditions of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, intending to evoke the central rotunda in Jerusalem. Following the dissolution of the Templar order in the fourteenth century, the church passed into the care of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. It sits outside the city walls on a site historically linked to the defensive and religious expansion of the Castilian frontier. The masonry preserves the transition from Romanesque forms to early Gothic sensibilities, marking the religious influence of monastic military orders in the Meseta.
Where it sits
The church occupies a quiet valley floor below the high stone walls of Segovia. The Eresma river carves a narrow course through the landscape here, separating the church from the towering silhouette of the Alcázar. Steep slopes of pine and rocky outcroppings flank the site, keeping the grounds shaded during the heat of the central Spanish summer. Winter brings thin air and biting frost from the nearby Sierra de Guadarrama. Footpaths connect the church to the city, drawing visitors away from the central plazas into the solitude of the riverbank where the stone structure holds the silence of the countryside.
What to eat and drink
Segovia defines itself through the roast suckling pig known as cochinillo asado, cooked in clay vessels until the skin shatters under pressure. The province produces judiones de La Granja, large white beans stewed with chorizo and morcilla, a blood sausage spiced with paprika. High-altitude meadows sustain the cattle, yielding robust beef dishes across the nearby mountain villages. To drink, the local red wines from the Ribera del Duero provide a heavy, dark counterpoint to the salt and fat of the roast. For dessert, the ponche segoviano balances custard with a marzipan glaze, a local tradition served at the end of meals.
Castilla y León: the whole region
The largest region in Spain, and the one that most rewards a car: a plateau of walled cities, Romanesque churches and vineyards, with Salamanca, León, Burgos and Segovia as four genuine anchors spread across four hundred kilometres. There…
Minimum 5 days · better 8-10 days · deep 2 weeks
Pair It With
In Castilla y León
In Castilla y León
In Castilla y León
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Experiences worth booking ahead
- Three Cities in One Day: Segovia, Avila and Toledo from Madrid4.8 (11,350)12 hrsFrom €81
- Avila & Segovia Tour with Tickets to Monuments from Madrid4.8 (12,152)9 hrsFrom €63
- From Madrid: Toledo & Segovia Day Tour with Lunch & Tickets4.6 (5,949)11 hrsFrom €38
- Madrid to Avila & Segovia: Full-Day Highlights Tour4.6 (712)9 hrsFrom €45
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