With this route we invite you to discover the towns and villages of the agricultural region irrigated by the Jarama and Tajuña Rivers as they pass through the southeast of the Region.
They are small towns and villages with whitewashed streets and alleys, set over valleys, mountains and plains. The local people have their roots in the land and have managed to conserve their markedly traditional historic and artistic heritage – knowledge of this heritage is vital for anyone who wants to have a full understanding of the Region of Madrid as a whole.
Some of their squares, such as the one in Chinchón, are already widely famous; others, such as those in Colmenar de Oreja, Belmonte de Tajo, Villar del Olmo, Ciempozuelos and Villarejo de Salvanés, are no less interesting for being less well known. These squares, overlooked by their balconies, or the rustic colonnades below, are the setting for the day-to-day commercial, cultural and festive life of local residents.
Along with the squares, you will also find a rich representation of different monuments and buildings; there are town halls, churches and shrines, stately houses, museums, historic wine cellars, castles and fortresses… all these will help you get to know the history, beliefs and sentiments of these towns and villages, which, with persistence and care have managed to conserve these monuments for centuries, seeing them safely into our own times.
Don’t forget that in any of these villages it is easy to purchase fruit, vegetables and wines from the local area, which will delight any palate.
San Martín de la Vega[+]
With something of the La Mancha Region about it, this town has its roots in agriculture. The Gothic Natividad Church (15th century) is its principal monument. A large part of the municipal district falls within the Southeast Regional Reserve.
Ciempozuelos[+]
This town was re-conquered from the Moors in 1085 by Alfonso VI. Its Plaza Mayor square has a colonnade, the scene for bustling commercial activity. In the Magdalena Church (14th-18th centuries), meanwhile, you can see two canvasses attributed to Claudio Coello.
Titulcia [+]
This village has always been important for its position at a crossroads. Its Gothic Magdalena Church has a painting by El Greco’s son.
Villaconejos[+]
This village has an air of the La Mancha Region. It has benefited from its central location in the region and its proximity to the fertile plains. San Nicolás de Bari Church (16th century). The Melon Museum is a reminder of the importance this crop has in the village economy.
Colmenar de Oreja[+]
Cited by Scipio (220 BC) as a Roman town. Its castle was re-conquered from the Moors by king Alfonso VII in 1139. Its large, regular, rectangular Plaza Mayor square has a colonnade and galleries. It is built above a huge stone tunnel (Zacatín Arch, 1794). Santa María Church was built by the Order of Santiago (13th century), while its central nave and tower are attributed to Juan de Herrera. The Dieguez Theatre (1850), the magnificent Ulpiano Checa Museum, the Closed Augustine convent (1536) and the Shrine of Cristo del Humilladero (17th-18th centuries), are all worth visiting. The limestone quarries in the municipal area supplied stone for the construction of the Royal Palaces in Madrid and Aranjuez, the Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Theatre.
Chinchón[+]
It is set on a small hill, and its streets form a horseshoe shape (known as "chincho"). In the centre, the lowest part, is its Plaza Mayor square, which is irregular both in shape and height; the intense commercial life of the village takes place in the colonnade under its stone-supported galleries. The first bullfight was held here in 1502, in honour of king Philip "the beautiful" and Philip V was to give it the title of Royal Bullring. Other historic-artistic elements in Chinchón are: Los Condes Castle (15th century), La Asunción Parish Church (16th-17th centuries), home to a painting of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary by Francisco de Goya, and what was once the Augustine Convent (17th century), now a Parador Hotel.
Belmonte de Tajo
Its elegant Plaza de la Constitución square provides access to Nuestra Señora de la Estrella Parish Church (16th-18th centuries).
Villarejo de Salvanés[+]
A bustling square with a more urban than rural atmosphere. The tower of the castle that once belonged to the Military Order of Santiago (15th century) remains in good condition.
Other monuments of interest are: the Gothic church of San Andrés, the convent of Nuestra Señora de la Victoria de Lepanto and Casa de la Tercia House (16th century).
Perales de Tajuña[+]
There are excellent views of the valley from the Baroque church of Santa María del Castillo (17th century), built on the remains of an old fortress.
The "Risco de las Cuevas", on the way to Tielmes, has had the National Monument designation since 1931; it comprises seventy protohistoric caves. Isla de Taray: this is a craft centre on the road to Morata.
Tielmes[+]
There are references to this village from Roman times. The child saints Justo and Pastor were born here.
Carabaña
This was on the route of the Roman road from Mérida to Tarragona. Its purgative waters have been renowned for centuries. You can still see the stately house of the Heredia family and the residence of the Viceroy of the Indies (17th century). La Asunción Church (16th century) has a Visigoth baptismal font and a 17th century sepulchre. The old route of the Tajuña railway has recently been restored as a bike path and is an original way to explore the area.
Orusco
Set on a gypsum hillside; it has fertile fruit and vegetable gardens, cooled by luxuriant groves of poplar and willow.
Villar de Olmo
An attractive rural village at the bottom of a valley. Its Plaza Mayor square is home to the town hall and Nuestra Señora la Antigua Parish Church, which is of Romanesque origins, although its current lines date from the 16th century.
Valdilecha[+]
Known as the "valley of milk" on account of the dairy livestock that supplied the Catholic Monarchs’ armies. The apse of San Martín Obispo Church is Romanesque-Mudejar, and is home to important paintings from its earliest period, as well as ancient tombs. It also has a 16th century statue of Jesus Christ.
Arganda del Rey[+]
In the heart of the Alcarria region, the Roman road from Titulcia to Complutum passed through here. Its name is Moorish in origin: Ar-Kanda, meaning land of water. The church of San Juan Bautista (16th century) is in Herrera style, with some later details; the altarpiece of the main altar is Renaissance. Dehesa del Carrascal: a nature trail amidst gall oaks, willows, pines, and holm oaks.
Main Squares in other towns and villages
Alcalá de Henares, Brunete, Ciempozuelos, Guadarrama, Navalcarnero, Torrelaguna y Valdemoro.
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