The City of Valladolid, famous for speaking the purest Spanish, was found in the 11th century by the nobleman, Pero Ansurez, Valladolid is located in the middle of the Castilian plain, 190 kilometers NW of Madrid, with easy access to the mountains and beaches of Asturias and Cantabria to the north.
Valladolid, the city on the River Pisuerga, preserves an interesting Renaissance group of buildings in its old quarter, made up of houses, palaces, churches, and one of the most symbolic buildings, its Cathedral.
K-Net, an entertainment enterprise has now ventured into the business of music. Apart from this, K-Net is also the distributor of Hathway, the country’s leading Television Satellite Network in India. K-Net has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City Council of Valladolid, Spain, to promote Spain as a destination landmark for tourists and its natural elegance.
“We will shoot our first music video in this series, wherein we will capture the beautiful city. After completing the music album, we have planned to promote this album internationally to Canada, UK, the USA, or to any country we have Indians residing Indians are everywhere.
They are truly a Global Citizen. We propose the name of the Album to be “Spanish Connection” says Ms. Rupinder Ahluwalia- Senior Vice President Operations, K-Net. She also thanked Mr. Gullermo Rodrigues- Head of Cascade Inde (House of India) for his tremendous help & support to K-Net in this endeavor. K-Net thanked the City Council of Valladolid for their backing in this prestigious project.
According to Rupinder, “We also planned to shoot our first film, which will be entirely shot in the city of Valladolid. The lyrics for the songs of this film are written by an Indian Famous Lyricist: Rani Malik. She has written is a cross between “Kajra Re” and “Beedi Jalai Le” etc.,”
Valladolid boasts several important cultural and artistic sites. No visitors to Valladolid should miss the National Sculpture Museum, a unique collection of polychromatic wooden sculptures worth visiting both for the statues and altarpieces as well as for the beautiful San Gregorio College in which it is housed. Churches such as San Pablo and La Antigua are also fine examples of Gothic architecture.
One of the most significant cultural events is the International Film Festival (SEMINCI), which takes place in October~November and attracts directors and producers from around the world. The Holy Week Processions (La Semana Santa) in Valladolid are well known and also very impressive.
Other important events including the International Dance and Theater Festival (May) and the International Trade Exposition (September). The capital of Castella- Leon enjoys an intense cultural life thanks to its situation as a university as well as events like the Seminci, the International Film Week, an event not to be missed in the Spain cinema calendar.
K-Net is all set for Spanish week in Delhi in December 2007, where the highlights will be on Spanish flamenco Dancers. Famous Chef will flow in from Valladolid to promote its local cuisine. The main aim behind this Spanish week is to provide a platform top various business houses from Valladolid and Indian to meet and talk business and for cultural exchange as well.
It will be a great experience for those who travel to the ancient city of Valladolid. Valladolid is a truly historic city, Ferdinand and Isabel made it their capital in 1492, it has some of Spain’s best Renaissance art and architecture. One must visit Bodegas Matarromera and the museum of wine for sure.
Valladolid situated on the northwestern side of the Iberian Peninsula covers an approx. the surface area of 8,000 sq. km. and is cut across from east to west by the Duero River. Around the countryside are stone pines and hillocks with historical fortresses such as Urena, Fuensaldana.
Penafiel, Portillo, Torrelobaton, Montealegre, Villalba de Los Alcores, La Mota in Medina del Campo, and Simancas in which the General Archive of the country can be found. Among the province’s castles, cities and villas are the architectural styles of Romanesque, Mudejar, Gothic, and Herreriano. The many sculptured pieces which can be found there are the works of the Valladolid School of Polychrome.
Also of interest to the visitors are the Cistercian Monasteries of San Bernardo in Valbuena de Duero, Santa Espine in Villagarcia de Campos, and the Monastery-cum-Palace of Santa Clara in Tordesillas. Valladolid is also a modern city with wide avenues and modern buildings, beautiful gardens, and monuments from the past including the Plaza Mayor.
A popular tourist attraction is the Holy Week Festival with the Good Friday procession also the September Fairs, the Castile National Fair, and the International Film Week. The visitors will find particularly interesting the Sculpture Museum, Santa Cruz College, the Cathedral, Las Huelgas Convent, and the churches of San Pablo and San Benito. The local cuisine in Castilian tradition offers roast suckling lamb and sucking pig, Castilian soup, and such desserts as the cheeses of Villalon and butter cakes Portillo.
The white wine of Medina, the clarets from Pisuerga, and the red wines from the banks of the Duero are all worth tasting. Castilian cuisine in which all the specialties of the region are present, from the varied soups to the roasts, including vegetables offered in various forms. Some restaurants seek the roots of traditional cookery. Others, in contrast, offer imaginative specialties & magnificent wines.
In the 1940s, following the civil war, the city experienced spectacular growth due to industrial development, especially in the auto industry. Today Valladolid is a modern city with a population near 350,000. It is also the capital of Castile and Leon, the largest autonomous region in Europe.
Valladolid is also distinguished because of the Colonial style of its constructions; it’s important to note the detailed stonework of facades in colonial buildings. One can see the major part of its town people wearing the typical Mayan dress (hand-embroidered dresses, blouses, and handkerchiefs).
Valladolid is the perfect destination to stay in for as many days as you want, as there is much to say in and around the city. Hotels are quite reasonable, and it is close enough to Chichen Itza, which can make a base for visiting the popular site as well.
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