Can the mythical city of Petra, capital of the Nabataean kingdom, in Jordan have any architectural and historical connection with a 16th century Burgos church? At first glance it sounds like a chimera, but if we take a look at a true and distant parallelism We see that they do have something in common.
Although the differences between the two are enormous, it is well worth visiting Gumiel de Izán, a small town devoted mainly to wine in Ribera del Duero and which has become the home of a miniature Petra.
The magnet in question is none other than the façade of the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, a remnant of the Castilian classicist baroque and whose façade, marked by the spectacular nature of its columns and the altarpiece-style façade, bears certain reminiscences with the mythical Al-Khazneh entrance, perhaps the most popular image of Petra.
Also sculpted in limestone, although with a very notable difference, since Petra was sculpted on the stone itself and this Burgos church is built in ashlar masonry, the reality is that the set of columns and nichesmarked by a profuse relief, do maintain that touch in common with the Nabataean legend.
It is not the same, obviously, and it is highly unlikely that Bartolome de Herrera and Pedro Díaz de Palacios, the master stonemasons who shaped the façade of Our Lady of the Assumption, knew Petra or had heard of it. In fact, one of the mysteries of Petra is that it was not ‘rediscovered’ until the 19th century for the Western traveler, although the Arab inhabitants of the area did know those ancient Nabataean ruins.
Inside, the interior is even more surprising, housing a powerful main altarpiece —also from the 16th century—, consecrated to the Virgin Mary and made of wood and gold leaf, it is among the best preserved in Castilla y León.
What to do in Gumiel de Izan
In addition to taking a good memory of the church of Our Lady of the AssumptionGumiel de Izán —very close to Aranda de Duero, the regional capital— has some other architectural vestiges that deserve a review, such as the San Pedro and San Antonio bridges, which span the Gromejón River, and which date back to Roman times.
Along with this, Gumiel de Izán has that character of a cobbled and fortified town, typical of the Middle Ages, of which certain remains remain as part of the canvas of the old wall. Also equipped with a castle, of which today only a few ruins remain, the historical relevance of Gumiel de Izán on the northern bank of the Duero It was beyond all doubt.
Travel Guide: Castilla y León (In Spanish) (World Guides)
*Some prices may have changed since the last review
Apart from the historical legacy, Gumiel de Izán has also turned wine and wine tourism into a first-class value for the town. On its outskirts stands out the impressive work by Norman Foster for the redesign of Bodegas Portia, the biggest magnet that the town has, but there are also other wineries that can be visited and are equally notable, such as Dominio Basconcillos or Abadía San Quirce.
Images | iStock / Gumiel de Izán City Council.
In DAP | 48 hours in Aranda de Duero: what to see and what to eat in the capital of Sonorama
In DAP | Two Michelin stars in 300 meters and an El Greco museum, this is this surprising town in Toledo, half an hour from Madrid