El Burgo de Osma – a Historic-Artistic Site

El Burgo de Osma (officially El Burgo de Osma-Ciudad de Osma) is a city and a municipality in the province of Soria, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain.

Head of the judicial district of El Burgo de Osma, it is located in the region of Tierras del Burgo.

The City of Osma is the early medieval historical nucleus, while El Burgo de Osma is the neighboring town, declared a Town of Tourist Interest in 1962 and a Historic-Artistic Site in 1993.

Tourism and main attractions

Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption

The Cathedral of Burgo de Osma is a Roman Catholic church. It is in the Gothic architectural style, and was constructed on an area previously occupied by a Romanesque church. It is one of the best preserved medieval buildings in the country and considered one of the best examples of thirteenth-century gothic architecture in Spain. The building of the church started in 1232, and was completed in 1784. The cloister is from 1512. The tower is from 1739. The cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.

Inside it houses a blessed written by the clergyman Pedro and illuminated by Martino in 1086. The blessed contains a world map that offers data on the spiritual geography of the time. It was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in the Monument category on 3 June 1931.

Old Hospital of San Agustín

Ordered to be built by Bishop Arévalo y Torres, it is one of the buildings that presides over the Plaza Mayor, its architect was Cipriano Antonio Miguel and the master builders were Ignacio Molcancán and Pedro Portilla.

It was built between 1694 and 1699. It currently houses the Cultural Center of the city. Square-plan building with a central patio. The façade is the most interesting part of the building: it follows the model of the Casa de Austria palace, fortress-type, with two spired towers flanking the rectangular central body. It was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in the Monument category on March 11, 1999.

Main Square

It is the center of the town and is one of the best examples of a Castilian square that can be seen. It is presided over by the San Agustín Hospital and the Town Hall, a neo-Mudejar construction from 1771 with a clock. The square is the center of festive and social activities in Burgo de Osma.

University of Osma

The Pontifical and Royal University of St. Catherine or University of Osma (Spanish Pontificia y Real Universidad de Santa Catalina or Universidad de Osma) was founded in 1550 by the Portuguese bishop Pedro Alvarez de Acost. It was closed in 1841. The building that housed the university is now a hotel.

Calle Mayor and surrounding streets

The backbone of the town of Burgo de Osma is supported on its north side. In total (including the Plaza Mayor) the complex is supported by 125 columns. In the street there are important examples of popular architecture and also a section of the wall (at the height of the Arco del Cubo, where we can also see an old pylon).

A little further on is the only street in the town that has arcades on both sides: Obispo Rubio Montiel, where important examples of popular architecture can also be seen. Between the Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace, a corner of the Burgo stands out, popularly known as El Caracol (Santo Domingo Street), from where some of the most peculiar views of the Burgos can be contemplated. In the northern section through Ruiz Zorrilla street, you can access the Santo Domingo square, with arcades and where one of the symbols of Burgo de Osma is located: the Mono fountain.

Episcopal palace

It houses the Diocesan Archive and stands out especially for its facade and for the cover: an ogee arch. The palace was ordered to be built by Bishop Alfonso Enríquez in the 16th century.

Wall

The Burgo de Osma wall was built by order of Bishop Pedro de Montoya in 1458 and most of it was demolished during the 18th century. Two well-preserved sections can currently be seen: the Arco del Cubo area (Poeta Malo de Molina street) and especially the promenade that runs parallel to the La Rasa road.

Carmen Convent

The church was inaugurated in the year 1607 and is ascribed to the Carmen Reformed canon. The carving of the Virgen del Carmen inside is one of the centers of devotion in the municipality. Particularly noteworthy is the French organ built at the beginning of the 19th century for the Carmelite convent in the French city of Agen.

Seminary of Santo Domingo de Guzmán

Ordered to be built by the confessor of King Carlos III, Joaquín de Eleta, it is a neoclassicist work carried out with plans by Francesco Sabatini and Luis Bernasconi as head of work. Its interior stands out for its library with nearly 12,000 volumes, including several incunabula and the first books printed in the province of Soria in 1555.

During the Spanish civil war it was used as a concentration camp “to purge the responsibilities of the militiamen captured on the Catalonia and Levante fronts.” The complex housed more than 5,000 prisoners and operated from September 1938 to August 1939.

Osma Castle

The Osma Castle stands on a hill on the outskirts of the town. The castle sits between the Ucero and Abión rivers, near the famous Roman city of Uxama Argaela, and can be accessed from either of the two towns via the SO-160 road towards El Enebral, or along the SO-180 road towards La Rasa. In 2020 it was restored.

Hospice

Important neoclassical work ordered to be built by Carlos III at the request of Joaquín de Eleta. It is 84 meters long, 46 meters wide and 11 meters high, in addition to 365 windows.

Church of Santa Cristina de Osma

Located in the City of Osma, this example of Sorian Romanesque keeps the relics of Santa Cristina (Cristina de Osma). Next to the church, the Roman bridge over the Ucero river stands out.

How to get to?

From Soria 43 min (57.3 km) via Ctra. Soria Valladolid/N-122 and N-122

From Valladolid 1 hr 47 min (151 km) via A-11 and N-122

From Madrid 2 hr 3 min (183 km) via A-1 and N-110

Main information

Area: 289 km² (municipality)

Coordinates: 41°35′12″N 3°04′02″W

Population: 5034

Languages: Spanish

Currency: Euro

Visa: Schengen

Time: Central European UTC +1

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