The origins of the town are Celtiberian. By that time there was already a settlement on the high slopes of Monte Villavieja on the right-hand bank of the River Henares; hence the etiological meaning of the name: “the town dominating the valley”. The town’s later development was bound up with the power of the church. For that reason the roseate-toned cathedral is the city’s outstanding building. Construction began in 1123, shortly after the fortified town had been won back from the Arabs. Its pride and joy, one of Sigueza’s major works of art, is the Tomb of the Doncel (Squire) Martín Vázquez de Arce, carved with great realism. Opposite the cathedral stands the Museo Diocesano, a museum exhibiting a wide range of religious art. Next to the cathedral is the Plaza Mayor, surrounded by buildings from the fifteenth century and early sixteenth century, pride of place going to the Town Hall, with a two-storey arcaded main front. From this square we climb up a steep street towards the Calle Mayor, ending at the castle, today turned into a Parador de Turismo. In the middle of this street stands the Romanesque Iglesia de Santiago. To set off these buildings there is a very pleasant green area called La Alameda near the River Henares.

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