Medinaceli

Medinaceli is a municipality and town in the province of Soria, in Castile and León, Spain. Its name derives from the Arabic madīnat 'city' and the Celtic Okela 'hill': madīnaokelis. Occelis was the celtiberian name of the town.HistoryDuring the Middle Ages, Medinaceli was a town that lay between the lands of the Christians and the Muslims. Situated at the confluence of the river Jalón, Medinaceli was the site of the Celtiberian town Occilis. From the Roman era until 1994, its saltworks were exploited for commercial use.Main sightsThe Toro Jubilo annually occurs in Medinaceli, in which crowds of participants taunt a bull with balls of burning tar or turpentine attached to his horns.Medinaceli is home to the only three-gated Roman arch in Spain, built in the 1st-3rd centuries AD.The castle of Medinaceli served as the residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli until the Ducal Palace was used for this purpose.Other buildings include the Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, whose abbots fought with the bishops of Sigüenza to maintain the city's rights. The Convent of Saint Elizabeth , which lies next to the church of San Martín, also stands in good condition. The beaterio of San Román is in ruins; it may have previously been a synagogue.