Under the eternal gaze of Cristo del Otero, the largest in Spain, a quiet, green city full of heritage stretches out. Like the history of many other places in Castile and León, that of Palencia is dotted with moments of splendor and others of decadence, but all of them to a greater or lesser extent have left their cultural mark. Thus the city faces the Canal de Castilla, the magnum opus of the Enlightenment boasts of having one of the most important modernist legacies in Spain and boasts of its cathedral, the third largest in our country, behind Seville and Toledo.
The cathedral of San Antolín began to be built in 1321 on top of a previous Romanesque cathedral, which in turn was built on the remains of a primitive Visigoth cathedral. Initially conceived as a Gothic temple, the passage of time introduced Renaissance architectural solutions, as well as ornamental additions and baroque and neoclassical altarpieces, without forgetting the magnificent works of art by El Greco, Zurbarán and Alonso Berruguete.
The crypt of San Antolín is preserved in the basement, accessed through the choir. It is the result of the union of two primitive spaces from the 7th and 11th centuries, respectively. According to tradition, the relics of San Antolín appeared here.
Palencia is also one of the references of Spanish Modernism. The industrial development of the 19th century increased the economic and social power of the Palencia bourgeoisie. This has a direct reflection in a new architecture in which the decorative arts take center stage and in a different urban concept. The city echoes an eclectic style palpable in both public and private buildings.
Calle Mayor, where the traditional flavor of the arcaded facades and traditional commerce is preserved, was also chosen to build some of the most representative modernist buildings, most of them signed by the great Jerónimo Arroyo. In a route of almost a kilometer there is the Villanllandro school with a beautiful ceramic frieze by Daniel Zuloaga, the Council of Accounts of Castile and León, the Tourism Office building where Arroyo had his studio and in which the beautiful French stained glass windows from the renowned Maumejean House
And the Jorge Manrique institute. But perhaps Arroyo's most monumental work is the Provincial Council palace, very close to another modernist building conceived for other purposes: the food market.
Other distinguished masters left their modernist mark in magnificent buildings such as the Casino, the Post Office building, the Town Hall, the former headquarters of the Catholic Agrarian Federation or the Modesto Lafuente school.
In short, the modernist legacy in the city of Palencia is so extensive and valuable as to occupy a place of reference alongside cities such as Barcelona, Paris or Budapest.
