Portal de Turismo de Castilla y León

Dates

15 September 2026 to 8 January 2027

When?

Soon

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The fourth lecture series, "Once Upon a Time, Segovia," will be held between September 15 and October 13 at the Provincial Historical Archive. This year's theme is "Segovia, City of Power: From the Caesars to the Kings."

Segovia explores its history as a city of power in a series of lectures spanning from Roman times to the Bourbon dynasty. The series will bring together five specialists to analyze, through history and heritage, the evolution of power in Segovia over more than 1,500 years.

Throughout its history, Segovia has been much more than just a stage for various political events. Its strategic location, wealth, institutions, and especially its close relationship with the Crown made the city a privileged space for the exercise and representation of power. From the Roman presence to the Bourbon monarchy, different political and social structures left a profound mark on Segovia that can still be recognized today in its monuments, its urban landscape, and the preserved documentary and archaeological evidence.

Power has also taken on very different forms throughout history. It manifested itself in the great engineering works and territorial organization during the Roman era; in the new political and social structures of the Visigothic and medieval periods; in the presence of the monarchy and in buildings such as the Alcázar; and, later, in the transformations driven by new dynasties and the gradual construction of a more centralized state. Segovia , therefore, offers an exceptional vantage point from which to analyze the evolution of the relationships between territory, institutions, society, and power.

This premise gave rise to the lecture series "SEGOVIA, CITY OF POWER: FROM THE CAESARS TO THE KINGS," which offers a chronological journey through some of the main periods of Segovia's history. Five specialists will address different historical moments , all from the same perspective: to discover how power was exercised, organized, and represented in Segovia , and how its traces have reached the present day.

The exhibition will take visitors through more than 1,500 years of history , from Segovia 's integration into the Roman world to the Bourbon dynasty's presence in the region. Through written sources, architecture, and heritage, the series aims to bring the public closer to both major historical events and specific examples that allow us to reconstruct them.

The lectures will take place on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., with free admission until capacity is reached .

The cycle will open on September 15 with the lecture "Rome in Segovia: the imperial power and its legacy" , by Víctor Cabañero Martín (University of Valladolid), which will address the Roman presence and the incorporation of Segovia into the political, economic and territorial system of the Empire.

On September 22 , David Sánchez Serrano (Rey Juan Carlos I University) will analyze "The Visigothic era in Segovia: slates as testimony of power," bringing the public closer to one of the most unique documentary testimonies of this period and what these materials allow us to know about the organization and exercise of power.

The third lecture, scheduled for September 29 , will be given by Francisco de Paula Cañas Gálvez (Complutense University of Madrid), under the title "The Middle Ages and the Trastámara Dynasty in Segovia." The session will explore the role of Segovia during the Middle Ages and, in particular, its relationship with the Trastámara dynasty and the Castilian monarchy.

On October 6 , the spotlight will fall on one of the city's great symbols of power: the Alcázar. José Antonio Ruiz Hernando (Royal Academy of History and Art of San Quirce) will give a lecture entitled "The Alcázar as a Symbol of Power and the Hispanic Monarchy," in which he will analyze the evolution of the monument and its connection to the Crown.

The cycle will conclude on October 13 with "The Bourbons and their presence in the lands of Segovia," by Concha Herrero Carretero , curator of the Alcázar of Segovia, who will address the presence and actions of the new dynasty in the Segovian territory.

With this proposal, the series aims to offer a comprehensive view of Segovia 's history through its spaces, monuments, testimonies, and key figures , showing how different forms of power have left their mark on the city and its surroundings. This journey will allow visitors to understand Segovia not only as a stage for history, but also as a city where power was made visible, exercised, and represented throughout the centuries .

As in previous years, the series will be complemented by an exhibition of historical documents related to the topics covered in the various sessions, allowing the public to directly access documentary sources concerning the history of power in Segovia. The exhibition will be open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. , and closed on public holidays . It will run from September 15, 2026, to January 8, 2027 .