The austere mountain town of Avila is set on a windswept plateau, surrounded by the chilly granite peaks of the Sierra de Gredos. The reddish-brown tangle of medieval mansions and Romanesque churches is completely enclosed by magnificent medieval walls, studded with towers and crenellations. This ‘city of saints and stones’ is also the birthplace of Santa Teresa, the 16th-century mystic, visionary and writer, and is still a major pilgrimage centre. It remains a hushed and contemplative city, but if it all gets too much, escape to the surrounding mountains which are a haven for hikers and climbers. While you are here, try some yemas, a delicious sticky sweet made of egg yolk and sugar, traditionally made by Avila’s nuns. Buses take1 hour 45 minutes and leave every 2 hours from Estación Sur with Larrear. Frequent trains (1 hour 30 minutes) go across the mountains from Chamartín and Atocha stations. Muralla de Avila Entrance at the Puerta de Catedral, T 92 010 21 21. Tue-Sun 1100-2000 (last entrance at 1915). Guided visits in Spanish only at 1115, 1215, 1315, 1715, 1815, 1915. €3.50/2 concessions. Constructed in the wake of Alfonso VI’s victory in Toledo, these massive walls were erected to ensure that the Muslim forces could not reconquer the city. Twelve metres high, 3 m thick, and studded with nine gates and 88 towers, they became legendary even as they were being built. A short section has been made into a panoramic walkway, with views out over the old city, and up to the peaks of the Sierra de Gredos. For the best views of the walls themselves, head to the little shrine at Cuatro Postes just outside town on the Salamanca road. Catedral Plaza de Catedral, T 92 021 16 41. Apr-May, Mon-Fri 1000-1900, Sat 1000-1900, Sun and holidays 1200-1900; Jun-Oct Mon-Sat 1000-2000, Sun and holidays 1200-2000; Nov-Mar Mon-Fri 1030-1330 and 1530-1730, Sat 1000-1730. €2.50. As the massive city walls were being erected to defend the city from the Moors, the cathedral was engaged in the struggle for souls. It was incorporated into the walls to become a literal and metaphorical bastion and the austere façade betrays its dual function as a fortress and place of worship. The interior is surprisingly lovely, with its lofty Gothic nave made of rosy stone and magnificent Plateresque stalls and retrochoir. The cloister, attractively rumpled and overgrown, is home to several storks’ nests; just off it is the cathedral museum, with a disappointing collection of paintings and religious ornaments. Monasterio Real de Santo Tomás Plaza de Granada 1, T 92 022 04 00. 1000-1300, 1600-2000. Free; €1 for cloisters. From Plaza de Santa Teresa it’s a 15-min walk downhill. This Dominican monastery is set around three cloisters and was established at the end of the 15th century by the Catholic Kings. It did service as their summer residence, and was also the seat of Avila’s university. But its glory days have long gone, and grass sprouts through the cracks in the paving stones. The second cloister, the Cloister of Silence, is handsomely decorated with engravings on the upper gallery and a small staircase leads up to an exquisitely carved Gothic choir which gives a beautiful birds’-eye-view of the elegant Gothic church. The sumptuous alabaster tomb behind the main altar belongs to Don Juan, the only son of the Catholic Kings, whose premature death opened the door to the Habsburg dynasty. Museo de Santa Teresa C La Dama. T 92 021 10 30. Apr-Oct 1000-1400 and 1600-1900; Nov-Mar 1000-1330 and 1530-1730. €2. The Convento de Santa Teresa, also known as the Convento de la Santa, was built on the site where Teresa of Avila was born. A new museum devoted to the life of the saint has been established around the corner on Calle La Dama. The setting, a stone cellar, is attractive, but the exhibits are extremely dull. The most interesting section is at the end, where photographs of more recent Carmelite saints are displayed, including one of Edith Stein (Santa Teresa Benedicta de la Cruz) who died at Auschwitz.
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Madrid - £5.99
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