General introduction, geography and history

This mountain village is located on the north face of the Macizo de Allón at a height of 1,190 metres. The mountain’s tallest peaks are Pico del Lobo (2,273 m) and La Buitrera (2,046 m). The river rises in the heart of the beech forest known as La Pedrosa, continuing for about a hundred kilometres to merge with the Duero at Roa, not far from Burgos.

The oldest known document that mentions Riaza dates from 1235. It relates to an enquiry being conducted by the king’s chancellor, Gonzalo Abad, into a dispute over grazing rights between the towns of Sepúlveda and . However, the origin of the town goes back to the Castilian repopulation programme begun at the end of the 11th century after Toledo was taken (1085) in order to deter a Muslim counter-attack. In the centuries that followed, between Castilian advances and retreats, the area was gradually colonised, augmenting its value in terms of pasture and forestry resources.

Roundabout 1139 Riaza was appropriated to the archdiocese of cathedral. In 1430 it was said to form part of the domains of the King’s Constable, Álvaro de Luna.

The Manor of Riaza belonged to the Dukes of Maqueda from the 16th century until 6 August 1811, the day a the Parliament of Cadiz abolished all z manorial rights or fiefdoms, limiting a

i absolute real-estate ownership rights to

R the nation of . 2 What to see

Main Square This is divided in two parts by the Town Hall. The present layout dates from 1873 when the previous elliptical shape, dominated in the centre by the stand once used to display the heads of executed criminals, was overhauled. Around 1850 a cast-iron lamp-post with a condition and, furthermore, boasts stone base was erected to its own baroque chapel. Simpler illuminate the Riaza night life. It did Riaza houses are also present. duty for the inhabitants until the Constructed on a rectangular 1960s. The south and west foundation, they are stone-built boundaries of the square boast low and of two stories. The roofs are capped walls, supplemented by two-sided and employ the curious intricately rounded wrought-iron technique of laying tiles with the railings. The side of the square curved side upwards. under arches comprises a series of Town Hall sun-drenched summer homes, R

dating back in most cases to the Built in the eighteenth century, it i eighteenth century. Each boasts its boasts three stories above ground a original owner’s coat of arms. One and one below. Its most z house in particular conserves its conspicuous feature is the bell- a family shield in immaculate tower that crowns the building. It 3 To this initial construction were later added two chapels, a baptistery, a sacristy and, finally, a square tower to house a church bell, crowned with wooden “flameros”, adornments designed to accentuate the delicate lines of the tower. Of the contents of the church we highlight the seventeenth-century altar that was installed in the church in 1823, having previously houses the village clock, which was done service in the Monastery of acquired in Madrid and installed in La Armadilla in Cogeces del 1895. Behind the Town Hall is the Monte near Valladolid. It smallest open area pertaining to incorporates paintings attributed the main square. to the master artist Diego Valentín Díaz, representing scenes from the Church of Our Lady of the life of Saint Geronimo. Christ Robe Crucified (possibly painted in the This was built in a renaissance style fifteenth century) can be seen in

a between the last quarter of the the Chapel of the Gentle Name. A

z fifteenth and the first quarter of the polychrome Crucifixion, of the a

i sixteenth century. It comprises a 16th or 17th century, presides over rectangular floor plan distributed the Chapel of the Nobles or of the R into three naves and an apse. Gentlemen. 4 Collection of Sacred Art Inside the church visitors can see an art exhibition comprising many of the most representative works of the people of the villages of Alquité, Madriguera, Riaza, Riofrío de Riaza, , Serracín and Villacorta. Located behind the choir stalls, within part in the bell tower, the exhibition area includes three rooms, each devoted to a specific theme. • Room I. Romanesque and Gothic Art. Here we highlight the presence of the original portrait of Our Lady of the Mantle, dating from the thirteenth century. • Room II. Renaissance and Baroque Art. This room houses various sculptures, the most outstanding of which are the Virgin of the Good Milk, which dates from the seventeenth century, the Saint Joseph Holding the Child, and the Immaculate Conception, painted in the eighteenth and seventeenth centuries respectively. • Room III. Spanish silverware and liturgical objects. This room contains a variety of objects, ranging from a stuffed pelican dating back to the sixteen hundreds (from the seventeenth- century church of Saint Peter in Alquité), to a priest’s portmanteau, liturgical objects, and a seventeenth-century tenebrario, i.e., a triangular candlestick of fifteen candles lit at a certain point in the Easter rituals.

Hermitage of Saint John R

Located to the north of the town, i this building is set in a wooded a glade, enclosed by a stone wall z and iron entrance way. The stone a cross located in the centre of the 5 lawn dates from 1553. The date 1783 is engraved on one of the door lintels. It refers, so we understand, to the date of a restoration. The stone lapidaries beneath the porch (added in the 1980s at the time of a further restoration) give us to understand that the hermitage is located on a former cemetery. The hermitage houses a number of “pasos”, the box-like floats decorated with religious carvings for use in the Easter parades. Two such figures, those of St James the Apostle and John the Baptist, can also be seen in the hermitage. Hermitage of Saint Roch This was erected in execution of a vow following the plague epidemic of 1599. Built on a rectangular foundation, the façade shows the town crest, reminding onlookers of the significant contribution of the town council to the cost of its construction. It was restored in the 1980s when a porch, supported by stone pillars, was added. The building houses the wooden images of Saint Isidore and Saint Christopher. Surroundings Hermitage It is located 4.5 kilometres from Riaza on the road leading to Santibáñez de . The hermitage is located at an altitude of 1,400 metres on the so-called “Mata Serrana” ridge in the midst of a mixed forest of oak and replanted pine. It stands on the site of the church of the former hamlet

a of Hontanares, which was

z abandoned and acquired by the

a Riaza town council in the early 15th i century. Hence, the present R hermitage replaces an earlier 6 building. Its construction in the year 1606 was funded entirely by the donations of churchgoers. Alongside the hermitage is a hospice that contains an altarpiece presided over by a painting of Our Lady of Hontanares, flanked by the glorious images of Saint Lucia and Saint Blas. Viewing point of Peñas Llanas To reach the viewing point visitors take the road that runs behind the hermitage. The look-out point is located at a height of 1,440 metres and encompasses the entire Segovian plain. Four separate provinces may be decried from this vantage point: • Montejo de la Vega de la • On clear days, the Urbión Serrezuela , on the border with Mountains , in the . Soria. R i • El pico de Grado , on the frontier From the car park of the viewing a with Guadalajara. point visitors may take the road z • Somosierra , on the border with that leads to the so-called “Springs a Madrid. of the Three Drops”. 7 Route of Colour Segovia Cathedral. Of particular note is the church of Saint Martin of Taking the road SG-VIII we progress Tours, the patron saint of the village. from Riaza to Santibánez de Ayllón, the first of the eight locations The Red Villages comprising this route. In some parts of the Ayllón Hills there is a substratum of reddish The Yellow Villages rock rich in ferric nitrates. The local These outlying villages are buildings are thus constructed of recognisable by the yellow (and baked reddish clay, which takes its white) quartz of which their hue from rocks of the surrounding buildings and outlying walls are countryside. made, either exclusively or in Villacorta : a village founded at an combination with other materials altitude of 1,092 metres above sea present in the area. level, having as its centrepiece the Alquité : The name is of Arab church of Saint Catherine, notable origin, appearing in the records for for its Romanesque doorway and the first time in 1123 as “Alchité”. It sixteenth-century mudejar adopted the present spelling in the decoration. Just outside the village eighteenth century. It is located at itself can be found two pigeon an altitude of 1,280 metres on a stage-posts, a Roman bridge that hillock dominated by the Church of crosses the Vadillo river, a restored Saint Peter, whose most notable windmill and the Saint Roque feature is the portico with its three hermitage.

a magnificent archivolts. Madriguera : situated at a height

z Martín Muñoz de Ayllón : this above sea level of 1,138 metres, a

i location had slate quarries that Madriguera was an active centre of provided the roofing of the Palace of trade and services for the outlying R La Granja and the flooring of area. It had its own council house, 8 casino-cum-hotel and chemist’s slate. There is also a splendid grove shop. The church, dedicated to of holly bushes and rowans. Saint Peter, with its open bell tower Serracín : this was built on the is in keeping with the splendour of foothills of the Pizarral mountain at the town’s heyday, when it boasted a height of 1,230 metres above sea no fewer than 750 inhabitants. level. Of its church, known as the Many of its beautifully carved Nativity, only the bell tower wooden balconies survive. Near remains. On the hill known as the village is an old clay mine and a Mingohierro two silverworks were spring famed for the ferrous set up, together with a slate mine. properties of its waters. El Muyo : refrences to this hamlet Black Villages go back to 1587. Of special note is These villages of the Ayllón Hills the church, the Holy Martyrs (Saint are known for their singular Cornelius and Saint Ciprianus), architectural features, in particular, which retains in its interior a gothic the black and dark greys of the processional cross known slate employed in building the colloquially as a “ripped-off” houses and barns. (desgajo) as Christ’s arms are carved to imitate the boughs of a tree. Becerril : situated at an altitude of 1,241 metres above sea level, it is El Negredo : The curious fact about known for its church, Our Lady of this village is that the Church of the Assumption, a circular Vallehermoso (a Romanesque

Romanesque building with a foundation boasting a fine R renaissance portal) lies without the magnificently preserved interior i that includes an original altar village boundary whereas, most a painting. On the outskirts of the unusually, the hermitage, z village there are mines devoted to dedicated to Our Lady of the a iron and “ampelite”, a kind of soft Rosary, is located inside the village. 9 Other places of interest in Majaelrayo (Guadalajara) on the the area north face of the Ayllón range at an Off the route but within access via altitude of 1,430 metres and the N-110 where it diverges to occupies a total area of some 87 Fresno de Cantespino, are: hectares. Together with another two beech woods, that of the “Tejera Aldeanueva del Monte : this Negra” in the province of hamlet belonged to the Constable Guadalajara and that of the Montejo of Castile, Álvaro de Luna, before de la Sierra in the province of passing to the hands of the Count Madrid, this is a fine example of of Miranda. Its church, of what was once the humid wooded Romanesque origin, is devoted to carpet of Spain’s Central Mountain Saint Anthony. The hermitage, System, particularly that part known devoted to St John, is located on as the “Sierra of Ayllón”. the outskirts of the villaje. One of the most attractive features Barahona de Fresno : this village of this setting are the beech trees, retains some of the original clay high and broad in shape. It is houses typical of the area. Of interesting to note how the particular interest is the church of branches of these beeches start at Saint Cristopher, of Romanesque points quite low down the trunk of origin, which has a semi-circular the tree. This is because for many apse prized for the decoration on years these youngest branches the borders of the ledges and the were used to supply a chair factory rounded window. that operated up until the mid- twentieth century in the town of Beech wood of la Pedrosa

a Ríofrío de Riaza. Unadvised, the

z This is included in the trees continue to sprout them. a

i recommended Natural Sites of At the feet of these botanical Castile and León. It lies between giants, amid ferns, mosses and R Riofrío de Riaza (Segovia) and lichens, you can trace the first 10 waters of the Riaza river, which after beech are examples of oak, a course of some 100 kilometres chestnut, hawthorn and holly, as well flows into the Duero River where it as thickets of heather, blackberry crosses the Burgos town of Roa de and other fruit-bearing bushes. Duero. The breadth of the colour palate in these landscapes is well worth the effort made. Ski resort and mountain The red of the beech woods is adventure park counterpoised by bare rock faces and the quartz outcrops that La Pinilla – Riaza Valley separate the beech from the oak 365 days of mountain sport groves that clothe the foothills of and adventure the mountains. It is worth noting that beech is, on the whole, a tree La Pinilla is known by winter sports that thrives in moister, more enthusiasts as the best ski resort in northerly climates, making the Spain’s Central mountain range Pedrosa forest an exception to the thanks to the variety, quality and rule and the southernmost beech extent of the ski runs. The resort’s forest not only in Europe but in the system of artificial snow uses more world as a whole. than 184 cannons with a capacity to Despite the dramatic climatic swings cover 70% of the total runs. Its lifts these trees have to put up with – dry can cope with 12,000 skiers per summers, lack of mist or fog, and hour. It is the only resort in the minus-zero winters), these forests Central Mountain System having a cable car that takes skiers to the maintain their splendour and are R heart of the ski station. gradually expanding in size. At this i level the majority of the trees are Thanks to its privileged location, La a relatively young, with the older trees Pinilla can offer its installations and z higher up the hillside where they are ski runs to the several million people a harder to reach. Mingled among the who live less than an hour away by 11 car. It is located just 45 minutes from service that will enable you to enjoy Madrid-Barajas airport. To improve the facilities offered by Specialized visitors’ skiing experience the resort to the full. has arranged for the following Always intent on improving and novelties to be available for the growing the resort, each year the upcoming season: a specific, well station organises a growing signposted “customer attention” number of sporting events. Of zone; a Snow Garden designed for these, we may mention the various children from three to seven years of international events we have age; the start-up of the La Pinilla Ski organised such as the Maxi- and Mountain School; and the Avalanche Championship and the construction of the inn “La Pinilla La Pinilla “Teva Raid”. Of these we Albergue” located at the bottom of would highlight the various the runs and having a capacity for 50 international competitions such as persons. the European MaxiAvalanche In the summer season, “Multi- Championship and the Teva-La Adventure Time”, the station offers Pinilla Raid. This sporting a wide range of sports and outdoor background makes the station one activities for all ages: Tyrolean of the leading destinations for traverse, archery, rock-climbing, those who delight open-air sport at mountain biking and, as a special any time of the year.

a attraction, a permanent mountain- z bike park (the first in Spain) with no Other Sports a

i fewer than five dfferent descents at varying degrees of difficulty. If you All who want to make the most of R do not own a bike, there is a hire their stay in Riaza to practice their 12 favourite sports shout take into account the wide range of all-year- round activities organised by the Ski Station, as well as the ideal environment surrounding the town itself, perfect for walkers, mountain bikers and horse-riders. In addition, you can take advantage of: • A Sports Centre, complete with courts for basketball, tennis, indoor football, etc. • A spectacular municipal court for the Spanish wall-game “pelota”. There is a second court behind the main one. Both are to be found in the El Rasero council park, which also boasts a large open space for other activities. • Fully equipped football (soccer) ground, known as “Las Delicias”. R

• Various courts for different i activities (paddle, tennis, five-a- a side football, etc.) as well as a z gymnasium and a municipal located within the grounds of the a outdoor swimming pool, all Riazza Camping Bungalow park. 13 Other places worth Let’s party! visiting Local fiestas La Nevera • San Blas, 3 February. The former wash-house for the • Santa Águeda, 5 February. village, it is located opposite the • Mayday, 1 May. Celebrated with hermitage of Saint John. It employs folk dancing in the square. two cannons supplying massive amounts of water. In 1897 it was • San Gregorio, 9 May. Patron Saint given a major overhaul. of Riaza. On this day the typical dish is cod stew. El Escorial • Month of July. International This is near the exit of the village, speed-painting competition known close to the road SG-VIII. It as the “Villa de Riaza” contest. consists of a strong stone wall, a • Virgin of the Shawl, 8 September. small watersource, and a bathing Patron saint of the village. The date facility for sheep and goats. The is celebrated by a sung and danced last major reform was carried out Castilian mass, followed by dancing in 1879. and a formal procession, led by the effigy of the Virgin Mary El Rasero Park • Pilgrimages to Hontanares, which Located on the east of the town, take place from the first to the this is a large grassed area as a second Sunday following the Day of recreation park. We highlight the the Virgin of the Shawl. Throughout 18 stone crosses that come into the week the town celebrates its their own on Good Friday. The annual holiday period. oldest cross dates back to 1550, while the newest is really new, brought into to replace a How to get there breakage. Located to the north-east of the , bordering on Artesanía Soria and Guadalajara. The town Riaza is a town known for its skills in can be reached quickest via the woodworking and restoration. N.1 (Madrid-Irún) exiting at exit There are also a variety of antique point N-110. It is 75 km from shops, together with a private art Segovia and 120 km from Soria. gallery. How to eat AYUNTAMIENTO DE RIAZA The typical dish of the town is roast Plaza Mayor, 1 lamb. Of late dishes using the 40500 Riaza (Segovia) wealth of wild mushrooms in the Tel. 921 550 016 - Fax 921 551 032 region have begun to compete. We [email protected] a draw attention to the town’s www.riaza.es z strength in puddings and sweets, a

i particularly those made using a Diseño y maquetación: Juan Cabrero pastry base, as well as its luxurious R Remaquetación: Paulino Lázaro honey. Enero 2014 14 OUR PUBLICATIONS TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES

SELECTION OF PRODUCTS CAPITAL PROVINCE • Sports and adventure Provincial Tourist Board Ayllón • Walking tourism Plaza Mayor, 9 40001 Segovia Palacio de Vellosillo, 1 40520 Ayllón • Cycling Segovia Tel.: 921 466 070 / Fax: 921 460 492 Tel.: 921 553 916 www.segoviaturismo.es www.ayllon.es – Cycling through Segovia [email protected] [email protected] – Cycling through Segovia map Cuéllar • Archaeological tourism Tourist Office Plaza Mayor, 10 40001 Segovia Plaza del Castillo 40200 Cuéllar • Events tourism Tel.: 921 460 334 / Fax: 921 460 330 Tels.: 921 142 203 / 140 014 • Family tourism www.turismocastillayleon.com Fax: 921 142 076 • Industrial tourism [email protected] www.cuellar.es [email protected] • Map of craft workshops Visitors Reception Center • Eco tourism Azoguejo, 1 40001 Segovia • Gastronomic tourism Tels.: 921 466 720 / 21 / 22 Plaza de la Constitución, 1 • Industrial heritage tourism Fax: 921 466 724 40400 El Espinar • Monuments www.turismodesegovia.com Tel.: 921 181 342 / Fax: 921 182 316 [email protected] www.elespinar.es • Tourism for everybody [email protected] • Religious tourism Other tourist information points • Corporate tourism Tourist Information Point in the City Walls C/ de Arriba, 5-6 40554 Maderuelo • Rural tourism Plaza del Socorro, 2 y 3 40001 Segovia Tel.: 921 556 089 / Fax: 921 556 122 • Health and Spa tourism Tel.: 921 461 297 www.maderuelo.com • Nature watching www.redjuderias.org [email protected] • The Little Giant of the Bus station Pedraza Mountains Po Ezequiel González, s/n 40002 Segovia C/ Real, 3 40172 Pedraza • The Domesticated Forest Tel.: 921 436 569 Tel.: 921 508 666 / Fax: 921 509 944 • Witnesses of a Bygone Era [email protected] www.pedraza.info [email protected] • Lord of the Water AVE (high-speed rail) station Estación Segovia-Guiomar Real Sitio de San Ildefonso DRAWINGS AND OTHER BROCHURES Ctra. de Juarrillos, s/n 40195 Hontoria Paseo de los Dolores, 1 (Edificio del Ayto.) • Santiago trail from Madrid (Segovia) 40100 La Granja de San Ildefonso • San Frutos trail Segovia Tel.: 921 447 262 Tel. y Fax: 921 473 953 • The Isabel the Catholic route [email protected] www.turismorealsitiodesanildefonso.com [email protected] • The San Medel route Association of Official Tour Guides of Segovia • Geocaching Tel.: 691 117 197 Riaza Avda. de Madrid, 2 40500 Riaza • Heritage city www.guiasdeturismodesegovia.es [email protected] Tel.: 921 550 430 / Fax: 921 551 032 • World Segovia in the movies www.riaza.es • Map of the province Central Reservations Office of Rural Tourism [email protected] • Emotions Horizon in Castille and León Sepúlveda • Opening hours of monuments Tel.: 902 203 030 Museo de los Fueros • Tourism in Segovia www.castillayleonesvida.com C/ Santos Justo y Pastor, 8 Association of Rural Taxis in Segovia 40300 Sepúlveda TOWNS Tel.: 645 836 373 Tel.: 921 540 425 Para cualquier traslado a la provincia www.sepulveda.es Ayllón www.segotaxirural.com [email protected] Cabañas de Polendos Coca Cuéllar El Espinar Fuentidueña Maderuelo Martín Muñoz de las Posadas Navafría Pedraza Prádena Real Sitio de San Ildefonso Riaza Sepúlveda Turégano Villacastín www.dipsegovia.es 921 11 33 00

www.segoviaturismo.es 921 46 60 70

www.turismocastillayleon.com 902 20 30 30

Ayuntamiento de Riaza www.riaza.es 921 55 00 16