Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Segovia in Castile-Leon. It is situated about an hour north of Madrid. Under Roman and Moorish rule, the city was called Segovia (Σεγουβία, Ptolemy ii. 6. § 56) and Šiqūbiyyah (Arabic شقوبية) respectively. This Celtic name probably means "fortress".
Originally a town of the Arevaci, it was incorporated in the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis, on the road from Emerita (modern Mérida) to Caesaraugusta (modern Zaragoza). (Itin. Ant. p. 435; Plin. iii. 3. s. 4; Flor. iii. 22.) It minted coins in antiquity.
The hermit St. Fructus (Frutos) and his siblings, martyrs Valentine and Engratia (ca. 715 CE) are the patron saints of Segovia. In St. Michael Church, nearby the Cathedral, Isabella of Castile was crowned in 1474.
The old city is spectacularly situated atop a long, narrow promontory. It contains a wealth of monuments, including the cathedral, a famous ancient Roman aqueduct, the Alcázar, and various churches built in the Romanesque style including San Esteban, San Martin, and San Millan. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is surrounded by walls built in the 8th century AD, probably on a Roman base, and rebuilt extensively during the 15th century.
