Air, which both surrounds and penetrates man; air, which exists but which may not be seen, has been traditionally, for Christians, an image of God. It reminded them of that invisible God whose goodness could be perceived, but whose beauty could be only imagined and approached by the creation of spaces, images, writings and objects of beauty in which such beauty may be reflected, albeit poorly.
Air and beauty are thus related. And the routes of the air are those which take us to the places in which beauty appears to be more concentrated, with its presence increased. Places with special historical density, such as Toro or Zamora, where time has collected the most beautiful works of art. Today, we may be witness to times in which believers dedicated the best their hands could create to God.

TORO

Located on a vantage point which controls the Duero as it flows under a Romanic bridge, it is a village of important historical and artistic significance. As a walled town it was a bastion of the Duero line of defence in times of Moslem rule. It was a royal seat and the capital of a large territory that stretched out to Carrión de los Condes and Reinosa de Cantabria. Toro saw the coronation of monarchs such as Ferdinand III the Saint, proclaimed King of León, and it was the last home of queens: Beatriz de Suabia, wife of Ferdinand III the Holy, his granddaughter, Queen Berenguela, and Queen Beatriz of Portugal. It was also seat to the Courts, such as the transcendental courts called by Ferdinand the Catholic in 1505, and place of exile of nobles such as Count Duke of Olivares. Traces of all the historical events seen by this town may be seen on its walls, palaces, churches, convents, monasteries, etc., and together with their situation in the town, they show the predominance of the aristocracy and both the ordinary and secular clergy.



The town was surrounded by two walls, one from the 10th century, whose few remains are today a part of the town; another from the 13th century, which embraced what is today known as Toro. Only two gates remain from the latter: the Corredera gate and the Santa Catalina gate. Near the latter, there stands a stone “boar”, which is a mark of the Celtiberian people who occupied large areas of Castilla y León during pre-Roman times. Toro has been declared to be of tourist interest and a Collection of Historical-Artistic Monuments and Buildings.
If we enter the town through the Corredera gate, following along the street of the same name, and then turning right towards the Plaza de la Paja, we come across the church of San Sebastián de los Caballeros. Within, we may find important 15th century sackcloth murals from the Monastery of St. Clare, whose origin was a religious and aesthetic function: to adorn the convent walls and encourage devotion. It is exceptional that they were painted by a woman; her name is known because she signed her work – “Teresa Dieç me fecit” – which was unusual at the time.
From the Plaza de la Paja, en route to the Collegiate Church, we pass by the Postigo Arch and the Torre del Reloj (Clock Tower), both of which were gates to the 10th century wall. However, the latter of the two had the tower that we see today built upon it during the 18th century.
Crossing the Clock Gate, we come on to Calle de la Puerta del Mercado, which together with the Plaza Mayor, forms the nerve centre of the town. The square contains the Town Hall and the church of the Santo Sepulcro, a Mudejar temple from the 13th century.
From the Plaza Mayor, we can see the most important building of Toro, the Collegiate Church, but it is worth our while to first take a detour to the left in order to see the church of San Lorenzo, which stands in the street of the same name. It is of Mudejar style from the 13th century and its interior contains and important altarpiece, thought to be by Fernando Gallego, and two Mudejar pieces: a multi-coloured gallery and a few sepulchres.
The Collegiate Church of Santa María is similar to a small cathedral and had an abbot and chapter. It was built in two stages between the 12th and 13th centuries, which may be seen both in the materials used and in the artistic styles employed; it was begun in the Romanic and finished in the Gothic period. Its exterior, with its triple upper end, is typical of the Romanic style in Zamora and, among the harmony of its bodies, its enormous beautiful dome of Byzantine influence stands out. This dome is similar to that of Zamora and to that of the old cathedral of Salamanca. Among its façades, the north front, of late-Romanic style, with archivolts, the first of which is poliobulada and the last of which has ancient musicians, which is most interesting for an ethnographical study of Music.
The magnificent and recently restored west front, known as the Portal de la Majestad, has preserved its multicoloured character due to the fact that it was used as an altarpiece for an adjoining chapel. Dedicated to the coronation of Our Lady, it offers the interesting detail of a terrible repertory of punishment that is given to the damned after the Last Judgement.
The interior of the church has three naves with pointed ceilings and the transept has its spectacular dome. Also of interest are the Annunciation, in stone, from the end of the 13th century, as well as the small museum in the sacristy, which exhibits as an outstanding piece a renaissance Calvary in ivory, and the especially magnificent Hispano-Flemish painting of the “Virgen de la Mosca”, which is temporarily included in the exhibition of “The Ages of Man”.
Behind the Collegiate Church, there is a splendid view over the Duero, its Romanic 22 span bridge and the fertile lands of Toro. A trip around El Espolón takes us towards its Alcazar. Somewhat further away stands the 13th century Mudejar-style hermitage of Cristo de las Batallas, whose interior holds murals that worthy of a visit.
If we go right from this viewpoint over the Duero, we may visit the church of El Salvador and the Sancti Spiritu Monastery. The church of El Salvador, 13th century Mudejar, belonged to the Temple Order. It was declared a National Monument in 1929. Its museum of medieval sculpture is well worth a visit. The Sancti Spiritu Monastery offers, of special interest, its church, cloister and, above all, the beautiful mausoleum sepulchre of Queen Beatriz of Portugal, wife to the Castilian King John I. It is made in alabaster and is of 14th century Gothic style.
From Toro, we may follow the C-519 towards Villavendimio and, after 6 km, take the road towards VILLALONSO. Until the 19th century, it was the head of the county of the same name, which fell to the powerful Ulloa de Toro family. Its main attraction is its castle, whose construction was ordered in the 15th century by Juan de Ulloa, a noble who supported the Beltraneja in its dispute with Isabel the Catholic over the throne of Castile, and who died in its defence. It has a square layout with four rounded turrets at the corners. On the north side stands the majestic battlemented tribute tower. The parish church of San Martín is from the 16th century. It has a Mudejar ceiling and has an interesting main chapel with an octagonal frame and a Romanist altarpiece of the same period.
Leaving Villalonso, we head towards VEZDEMARBÁN, 8 km away. Its harmonious church of Sta. María de la Cuesta (18th century) has a beautiful Romanic statue that lends its name to the parish. Vezdemarbán also has other attractions, such as a visit to the old serge cloth textile mills, which are still working today, or to its chocolate factory.
From Toro, and on our way to Zamora, along the N-122, we may make a detour towards CORESES and MOLACILLOS. The latter offers the chance to visit a church that surprisingly seems to have been transplanted from Valencian lands. Founded by a villager from Molacillos who became Archbishop of Valencia, the church was built in Valencian baroque style. Its interior contains altarpieces that are also baroque, paintings and rococo-style decoration, as well as a statue of its founder at prayer.