Church and Mass - Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor - Late Gothic 16th c with chapel of Santiago. Mass May - October 19:00. Sunday 12:30.

Before the Romans arrived, there is evidence of a Celtic settlement. The Romans called the settlement Bellumfori and it provided an important link between to other local Roman settlements at Cerezo de Río Tirón and Villafranca Montes de Oca.

In the early middle ages Belorado formed an important meeting point between the arable agriculture of the Ebro valley and the Meseta where the cattle were kept and was repopulated soon after the Reconquest in the 8th century. It is thought that a stronghold or fortress was built in Belorado in the latter part of the 9th century.

The first written reference to Belorado was in the 10th century. During the 11th century El Cid made Belorado one of his strongholds. Like many successful towns in the middle ages Belorado had a vibrant Jewish community based in the “El Corro” neighbourhood but unfortunately the town and in particular the Jewish community were targeted after the death of Pedro I (Pedro the Cruel) who the town had supported. Like many wealthy towns Belorado was badly affected by the expulsion of all Jews in in 1492 but was given some relief as King Felipe’s banker Simón Ruiz Embito had been born in Belorado and he gave some protection to convert Jews from Belorado.