Medina del Campo, Historic municipality in Valladolid Province, Spain
Medina del Campo is a municipality in Valladolid Province in northwestern Spain, sitting on a gentle rise in the Castilian plain. A castle crowns the highest point and looks out over narrow streets that spread from the central square in all directions.
The town gained importance in the 15th century when the crown authorized international fairs and attracted traders from Portugal, Italy and Flanders. Isabel the Catholic died here in the early 16th century after signing her testament in a palace on the square.
The town name comes from a Moorish word and recalls the time when this area was under Muslim rule. Many buildings around the main square show construction styles from the 16th century, when merchants from across Europe conducted business here and built warehouses.
The main square offers a good starting point for exploring the area on foot, as most buildings and lanes lie nearby. Walking routes between sights are short, and a tour through the old town takes about two hours.
A building from 1500 still serves as a market hall and remains the only one in town continuously used for its original purpose. Beside the thick walls of the castle runs a wide moat that once held water and now lies dry.
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