Park of the Alameda in Soria

The drive had been tiring and so we started the visit to Soria quietly with a walk around the Park of the Alameda in Soria. The official name is the Alameda of Cervantes, but apparently the locals also know it as ‘La Dehesa’ because in the 12th century (!) it was pasture for cattle. The park covers 10 hectares in the centre of Soria and is a wonderfully restful place.

Alameda de Cervantes

Apparently this is one of the oldest public parks in Spain. We walked here on all our previous visits to Soria, and of course we enjoyed it – after all, I was making books on green spaces in London! The land originally belonged to the monks of San Milan de Cogolla, and in the 13th century they donated the land, outside the town walls, to the Church (now Con-Catedral) of San Pedro.

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The trees

Trees were planted first in the 16th century, in the lower part of the park, closest to the town, leaving the upper, grassed area for grazing. There are still wooded areas in the park, but I didn’t recognise all the trees. The London plane trees were easy, as were the oaks and willows, but there were many more!

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Formal garden

The formal garden was still looking good – at the end of September!

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In the park

There are many corners in the park, and these are just some of the sights.

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The Hermitage of Our Lady of Solitude

The Hermitage dates back to the 16th century as a simple building, established by the Brotherhood of the True Cross, to give a Christian burial to those who had been executed in the city. Later, the Counts of Gomera facilitated a more elaborate building, and eventually it was given to the Church of La Espina.

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The Alameda de Cervantes is a beautiful park – the citizens of Soria are very lucky.