The beautiful astronomical museum, known as San Pedro Cultural, is an old 12th century Romesque church, located in Becerril de Campos in Palencia and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Palencia.
The recovery of this San Pedro church allows the perfect fusion between the ancient and the modern, the traditional and the scientific. Inside, we will find different ornaments and scientific elements that help us understand the Universe.
The museum also allows multiple cultural uses such as conferences, concerts, theatres, projections, etc.
HISTORY
The Church of San Pedro in Bercerril de Campos, Palencia, dates back to the 12th century, but began its decline at the beginning of the 18th century. The church was used as a school and as a granary, so the pressure of the grain seriously damaged the structure of its walls. The demolition of the tower, for reasons of proximity to houses, caused the general loss of stability of the building, which in less than 40 years was in a state of total ruin.
The architects in charge of its rehabilitation like to call it an “open sky building,” both literally, due to its state before the works; and metaphorically, due to the magic of the interesting astronomical instruments included.
RESTORATION
The reconstruction work began in 2010, with the original idea of three architects from Palencia, to rebuild the church in a peculiar way in order to make it different from all the others. Thus, the work has made it possible to convert the ruins of the temple of San Pedro, by respecting the existing ruin and focusing on astronomy.
In 2012, the astronomical museum opened its doors to the public and has since attracted a lot of tourists.
BEAUTIFUL SAN PEDRO CULTURAL MUSEUM
In the remains of the historic building, you can appreciate the many styles that shaped it throughout its life. Traces of the passage of time. From the corbels and the doorway of the first Romanesque church to the slender Gothic apse, or from the Renaissance arches and traces to the chapels of the 17th and 18th centuries together with their Baroque cornice of flattened bricks, all accompanied by the very interesting intervention of the 21st century.
RECOGNITION AND AWARD
In 2019, San Pedro Cultural was chosen by the Starlight Foundation as the First Starlight Astronomical Monument in Spain. Likewise, in 2020, the foundation was awarded the task of disseminating and promoting this science through education.
ROMANESQUE DOORWAY FROM THE 12TH CENTURY
The Romanesque doorway has delicate archivolts, loops, bocel, nacelle fleurons, garlands, acanthus leaves, diamond points, and a double knotted garland; an example of 12th century sculpture. It combines and contrasts with the carpentry used: a door with one leaf in a wooden copy of the Baroque one it once had, and the other in an elegant bas-relief in Corten steel.
AN IMAGE DEDICATED TO KIDS
With your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars.
This image is the most loved images at San Pedro Cultural Museum. The astronomical museum has dedicated this image to children.
Their aim is to pay tribute to the little ones, promoting their rights and encouraging their welfare. They want children to be children, to let them be able to dream without limits, to enjoy themselves, and to let their imagination fly in a place full of possibilities for their little heads, where they can imagine that they are astronauts, that they are in space, that they are in a spaceship.
PAINTINGS AND ENGRAVINGS
As many architectural elements as possible have been preserved, while maintaining the romantic spirit of the “ruin found”. Evocative of 19th century paintings or the engravings of G.B. Piranesi.
THE FOUCAULT PENDULUM
A Foucault Pendulum that you can see in the background is hanging down from the ceiling, it was chosen for the apse. Its slow clockwise drift shows the earth’s rotation—the period of oscillation as a function of length and gravity.
Named after its inventor, Léon Foucault, who in 1851 proposed this experiment in the dome of the Pantheon in Paris to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. As the hours go by, we see how the pendulum changes direction, although in reality it continues to oscillate on the same plane. What happens is that we see it change due to the rotational motion of the Earth, which takes us around it.
SUNDIAL
What you see in the middle of the picture in white is a double-sided sundial. The south face shows the morning hours, and the west face shows the sunset hours.
STELLAR FOUNTAIN
Outside of the museum building, is a fountain that has a sphere with small holes placed as if they were the constellations. The sphere looks like a giant crystal ball that seems to float on the water.
At night, it lights up, and we can also observe the constellations represented through small halos of light that come out from inside it.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Due to the high demand for visits, I suggest making a reservation in advance by either calling their mobile phone number, which is 618 50 97 23. Alternatively, you could contact them via email at [email protected]
Before visiting, please check the general opening times and the timetable for guided tours.
OPENING HOURS SAN PEDRO CULTURAL
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Morning opening hours: 9:30h – 15:00h
Guided tours: 12:00h and 13:30h , by prior reservation.
Wednesday: Morning timetable: 9:30h – 15:00h
Guided tours: 12:00h and 13:30h, by prior reservation.
Thursday: Morning timetable: 9:30h – 15:00h
Guided tours: 12:00h and 13:30h, by prior reservation.
Friday: Morning timetable: 9:30h – 15:00h
Guided tours: 12:00h and 13:30h, by prior reservation.
Saturday: Morning opening hours: 9:30h – 15:00h
Guided tours: 12:00h, 13:30h, by prior reservation.
Same day (Saturday), additional guided tour 17;45h.
Sunday: Morning opening hours: 9:30h – 15:00h
Guided tours: 12:00h and 13:30h, by prior reservation.
It’s a dog-friendly museum, which is a good thing as many museums do not allow pets.
SAN PEDRO CULTURAL ADDRESS
Calle San Pedro (note: they don’t have any street numbers) 34310
Becerril de Campos, Palencia
The street is small, and since it’s by the same name, it’s very easy to find; you won’t miss it.
And here’s their website, just in case you need to look something up, although it’s only in Spanish.
https://www.sanpedrocultural.es/
CONCLUSION
San Pedro Cultural is another must-see in Becerril de Campos. It is undoubtedly a firm commitment to the full recovery of a great temple, which was in a state of ruin, with the incorporation of one of the universal disciplines, such as the science of astronomy; since inside we can find an interesting collection of astronomical elements.
The town has other sights of interest as well that I’ve visited, and which I shall be covering very soon, so stay tuned for me.
By the way, before exploring this town, Becerril de Campos, I visited another place, further up in the north of Palencia, about an hour away from this San Pedro Cultural Museum. The place is called Los Chozos de Villafría, Just click on the name I’ve just written, and it’ll lead to my blog post. Basically, it’s an open-air museum where you’ll see lots of woodwork art and replicas of small sights of interest close to the village. I quite enjoyed exploring that museum as well, and I would highly recommend visiting it. Going by car would be the best option, I think.
