Pedraza is a small Spanish town in Segovia an hour and 30 minutes from the center of Madrid. Quaint little town of less than 400 habitants and 11/km2. Main attraction is the Pedraza Castle and the main town square. Perfect for a quick half day get away.
Pedraza Castle – rebuilt ontop of Roman and Arabic ruins in the 15th century. Little is known about the fortress until it belonged to the Dukes of Friías and Constables of Castilla who had reformed it giving its look and feel that you can see today.
The castle and walled town is built on the edge of a hill looking out over kilometers of land. It features a moat and corner towers. Fun fact: Legend has it that the castle is the place of the imprisonment of the children King Francisco I of France as they were handed over as hostages to ensure the Treaty of Madrid with King Carlos I went forward.
In 1926, an influential painter at the time Ignacio Zuloaga had bought the wore down castle and set up his workshop in one of the reformed towers. Nowadays you can find a Zuloaga museum in one of the towers where you can see his work from XVII as well as a painting from El Greco and Goya.
Main Square – In Plaza Mayor, you can find a few restaurants that offer typical Segovian food. We ourselves chose Restaurante El Soportal Pedraza and had shared suckling pig cochinillo.
