Peñafiel, Spain

Flag

Seal

Population (200)

• Total

5,500

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Wing of the castle overlooking the town of Peñafiel and the Duero valley lined with pinewoods

Peñafiel is a town in Valladolid Province, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain, best known for the Peñafiel Castle and for its medieval square used for bullfights and named "Plaza del Coso" (English: "El Coso Square"). The square is surrounded by private homes, but since medieval times the rights to use their windows, balconies and doorways during bullfights are owned by the town (see easement), which auctions them to the highest bidders.

The town is full of deep excavated underground caves which were traditionally used to store the wine because of the constant temperature they kept all year around. These caves have chimney vents for ventilation and to evacuate the gases generated by the fermentation of the wine. These chimney vents dot the landscape in and around the town and the castle.

In 2006 Peñafiel had a population of about 5,500.

Peñafiel as seen from the castle. The Plaza del Coso can be seen at about 1/3 from the left and just a bit more than 1/2 from the bottom.

Peñafiel was a very important centre in the Middle Ages, as evidenced by the fact that it had up to 19 churches.

The town witnessed a clear expansion when the Spanish Rail System reached it, and this also profited the surrounding region. Rail facilitated distribution of goods, of which wheat was the most important. Three factories were established dedicated to the production of flour. This expansion did not, however, serve to develop animal husbandry in the region.

The name of Peñafiel derives from the Latin Pinna Fidelis (the loyal Rock or Mountain). The name is not casual: the "Peña" served as protection through the years, as the Castle at its top attests. The castle can be seen from kilometers away, and it is a typical postcard of the town. The castle now hosts the Wine Museum of Valladolid, and offers an impressive view of the town and the surrounding region. Below the castle, but above the town, many of wine caves were built. The mountain contains tens of such caves, some of which are as large as 200 metres (660 ft). Peñafiel's castle and beautiful Plaza del Coso are worth a visit. Many wineries are located near Peñafiel: the town is at the heart of the Wine Region of Ribera del Duero. Guided winery visits in La Ribera del Duero ^[1] are a growing tourist activity.

Twin towns

Peñafiel is twinned with:

Villena, Spain
Escalona, Spain

Monuments

Peñafiel Castle

Castle of Peñafiel, view from Plaza del Coso

Notes

↑ Winery guided visits in La Ribera del Duero

Coordinates: 41°36′N 4°07′W / 41.600°N 4.117°W / 41.600; -4.117

Municipalities in the province of Valladolid
Adalia Aguasal Aguilar de Campos Alaejos Alcazarén Aldea de San Miguel Aldeamayor de San Martín Almenara de Adaja Amusquillo Arroyo de la Encomienda Ataquines Bahabón Barcial de la Loma Barruelo del Valle Becilla de Valderaduey Benafarces Bercero Berceruelo Berrueces Bobadilla del Campo Bocigas Bocos de Duero Boecillo Bolaños de Campos Brahojos de Medina Bustillo de Chaves Cabezón de Pisuerga Cabezón de Valderaduey Cabreros del Monte Campaspero Camporredondo Canalejas de Peñafiel Canillas de Esgueva Carpio Casasola de Arión Castrejón de Trabancos Castrillo de Duero Castrillo-Tejeriego Castrobol Castrodeza Castromembibre Castromonte Castronuevo de Esgueva Castronuño Castroponce Castroverde de Cerrato Ceinos de Campos Cervillego de la Cruz Cigales Ciguñuela Cistérniga Cogeces de Íscar Cogeces del Monte Corcos Corrales de Duero Cubillas de Santa Marta Cuenca de Campos Curiel de Duero El Campillo Encinas de Esgueva Esguevillas de Esgueva Fombellida Fompedraza Fontihoyuelo Fresno el Viejo Fuensaldaña Fuente el Sol Fuente-Olmedo Gallegos de Hornija Gatón de Campos Geria Herrín de Campos Hornillos de Eresma Íscar La Mudarra La Parrilla La Pedraja de Portillo La Seca La Unión de Campos La Zarza Laguna de Duero Langayo Llano de Olmedo Lomoviejo Manzanillo Marzales Matapozuelos Matilla de los Caños Mayorga Medina de Rioseco Medina del Campo Megeces Melgar de Abajo Melgar de Arriba Mojados Monasterio de Vega Montealegre de Campos Montemayor de Pililla Moral de la Reina Moraleja de las Panaderas Morales de Campos Mota del Marqués Mucientes Muriel de Zapardiel Nava del Rey Nueva Villa de las Torres Olivares de Duero Olmedo Olmos de Esgueva Olmos de Peñafiel Palazuelo de Vedija Pedrajas de San Esteban Pedrosa del Rey Pesquera de Duero Peñafiel Peñaflor de Hornija Piña de Esgueva Piñel de Abajo Piñel de Arriba Pollos Portillo Pozal de Gallinas Pozaldez Pozuelo de la Orden Puras Quintanilla de Arriba Quintanilla de Onésimo Quintanilla de Trigueros Quintanilla del Molar Ramiro Renedo de Esgueva Roales de Campos Robladillo Roturas Rubí de Bracamonte Rueda Rábano Saelices de Mayorga Salvador de Zapardiel San Cebrián de Mazote San Llorente San Martín de Valvení San Miguel del Arroyo San Miguel del Pino San Pablo de la Moraleja San Pedro de Latarce San Pelayo San Román de Hornija San Salvador San Vicente del Palacio Santa Eufemia del Arroyo Santervás de Campos Santibáñez de Valcorba Santovenia de Pisuerga Sardón de Duero Serrada Siete Iglesias de Trabancos Simancas Tamariz de Campos Tiedra Tordehumos Tordesillas Torre de Esgueva Torre de Peñafiel Torrecilla de la Abadesa Torrecilla de la Orden Torrecilla de la Torre Torrelobatón Torrescárcela Traspinedo Trigueros del Valle Tudela de Duero Urones de Castroponce Urueña Valbuena de Duero Valdearcos de la Vega Valdenebro de los Valles Valdestillas Valdunquillo Valladolid Valoria la Buena Valverde de Campos Vega de Ruiponce Vega de Valdetronco Velascálvaro Velilla Velliza Ventosa de la Cuesta Viana de Cega Villabaruz de Campos Villabrágima Villabáñez Villacarralón Villacid de Campos Villaco Villafrades de Campos Villafranca de Duero Villafrechós Villafuerte de Esgueva Villagarcía de Campos Villagómez la Nueva Villalar de los Comuneros Villalba de la Loma Villalba de los Alcores Villalbarba Villalán de Campos Villalón de Campos Villamuriel de Campos Villanubla Villanueva de Duero Villanueva de San Mancio Villanueva de la Condesa Villanueva de los Caballeros Villanueva de los Infantes Villardefrades Villarmentero de Esgueva Villasexmir Villavaquerín Villavellid Villaverde de Medina Villavicencio de los Caballeros Villán de Tordesillas Viloria Wamba Zaratán

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