Very near Palencia, Ampudia is a vision- an image of silhouettes. The well aligned wooden porticos along the streets give a perspective illusion of the "Colegiata de San Miguel", and the castle whose prominence encircles the village like a spectacular amphitheatre.
 

Its history dates form the Middle Ages to the 18th centuary, form wich nothing is left but one small village of around 1.000 inhabitants whose economy is derived from agriculture and grain.
 

The Castle: Is a military museum of the Middle Ages, and one of the most prestigious Castellean fortresses. Its interior and exterior outlines are cone shaped. The building is square and is 35 meters on each side with rounded fortified corners. It belonged to Don Juan de Alburquerque (1280).
It was restored some years ago by Don Eduardo Fontaneda converting it into a dignified museum worthy of admiration. It can be visited by hotel guests on request.

La Torre de San Miguel.This is made up many different pillars. The second stage of the tower is octogonal and its finished with spires and pinnacles, in gothic renaissance style. It was build for the Duke of Lerma, commonly known as the "Novia de Campos".
The parrocial church is made up of three vast cone shaped naves. Here one can find the tombs of the grand people of the village like Herrera and Ayala together with the heraldic belongings of the houses of Lerme, Medinacelli, Sandoval and Rojas.

The biggest altarpiece was manufactured in renaissance style by an artist from Valladolid, Diego de Blasco. One can also see the Chapel of Santa Ana with its iron grate signed by another renaissance artist Lorenzo de Avila, as well as the stations of the cross made in terracota and attributed to Vasco de Zarza.

If there is anything to distinguish the town of Ampudia from other villages, it has to be its arcades. The wooden pillars serve to support the upper parts of the houses and are a wonderful example of popular castellan architecture. Apart from these one can see numerous doorways wich open onto the interior covered in patios making way for carriages to enter.

This popular architecture has been preserved throughtout time, and recently its stonework and woodwork have been treated against parasites, thus protecting a characteristic wich forms a main part of the identity of the village.