RUTA VÍA DE LA PLATA

STAGE III: FUENTE DE CANTOS - MEDINA DE LAS TORRES - PUEBLA DE SANCHO PÉREZ-ZAFRA

Difficulty: Low

Distance: 29,5 Km.

 

CONTENTS:

• STATEMENT
• WHAT TO EAT
• SHOPPING
• WALKING, PEDALLING AND HORSE RIDING
• ALTERNATIVE ROUTES
• SURROUNDING AREA

STATEMENT OF THE ITINERARY

From the tourist Hostel in Fuente de Cantos, taking the streets called Huerta and Valencia, we arrive at a children’s playground where a yellow sign points us in the right direction, down the street called San Benito. Along this road, some 7 km further on, once we have crossed the Arroyo del Villar brook, we turn right and go through a gate where a green-yellow sign once again shows us the direction to follow, which is along the roman route which takes us to Medina de las Torres.

For almost the whole of this stretch, from the turn off next to the Arroyo del Villar until we arrive at the BA-3012 road after 5.8 km, we walk next to the wire fences and walls that are on our left. There are lots of signs to mark our way along the cattle track which crosses small streams.

When we arrive at the BA-3012 a sign shows us the direction to go in and we follow the road until reaches Medina de las Torres, a distance of approximately 3.5 km. When we arrive along Toledillo street, we turn first right and find an asphalt road and 500 m further on there is an H3 explanatory sign next to the railway line.

Medina de las Torres was capital of the pre-roman region called Baeturia. The town was originally known as Ugultuniacum but the name changed in roman times and it became known as Contributa Iulia Ugultuniacum. From the Antonine Itinerary it appears that this Roman settlement was extremely important on the route that joined Emerita Augusta with Italica. The castle in Medina de las Torres comes from the town’s era as the head of the Santiago Order encomienda (fortress community). More of a town hall than a fortress, this is located 2 km along the Valencia del Ventoso road and on the way visitors can see the Coronada and Humilladero Hermitages. The centre of the town offers visitors the chance to see some roman altars in the facade of the Town Hall. This is opposite the fourteenth century Ntra Sra del Camino parish church with its excellent sixteenth century altarpiece by Estacio de Bruselas.

The H3 sign next to the railway line provides us with some interesting information about this town and the points of interest that we can find on our route which will take us to the nearby city of Zafra. On leaving Medina de las Torres along the road towards Puebla de Sancho Pérez and Zafra, we leave behind on our right hand side the Campo Santo and follow this road for some 2.5 km before turning off to the left opposite the farm called Casa Blanca which is on the right hand side of the road we have been following.

After walking a further 2 km we reach a sign which invites us to stay at the welcoming Puebla de Sancho Pérez Tourist Hostel. This Vía de la Plata Tourist Hostel is housed in one of the wings of the Ntra. Sra. de Belén Hermitage which originally dated back to the fifteenth century but was extended in the eighteenth century and has a unique construction with a striking bullring joined to this Santiago hermitage. The bull ring has space for 3,000 seats.

Puebla de Sancho Pérez was Encomienda for the Santiago Order (fortress community) and in the centre of the town visitors can still find the old Encomienda house.
Next to the sixteenth century Santa Lucía parish church, constructed from another Mudejar style building, we find an H3 sign which provides information about this town and the route to follow.

Retracing our steps some five hundred metres from the Tourist Hostel, we retake our route along the old roman road and walk around 4 km before reaching Zafra.
1.5 km outside Puebla de Sancho Pérez we go under the railway and our route is marked out with several signs which show us the direction to go in. Points of interest include some farmhouses next to the route, the white figure of the Belén Hermitage to our right and the road that connects Zafra with Caballeros, Burguillos del Cerro and Fregenal de la Sierra.

Before reaching Zafra we cross the Rivera de Zafra brook, whose bed has been covered in cement. This is the last natural obstacle in this stage. In Zafra, at the end of Ancha street, in house number 1 on our right, we find the Vía de la Plata Tourist Hostel. This Hostel is housed in one of the wings of what was San Francisco convent founded in the eighteenth century. In the old Capilla de la Enfermería chapel an Interpretation Centre dedicated to Historical Centres in Extremadura has been opened.

 

Some say that Zafra, the roman Restituta Iulia Imperial, has one of the most beautiful historical centres in Extremadura. It has been declared a National Historic Town as a result of its cultural heritage from the Arabic and Medieval eras. Since the fourteenth century the famous San Miguel Fair has been held in the town and this currently coincides with the Regional Extremaduran Country Fair and the International Livestock Fair. The Parador in the town is housed in a fifteenth century castle owned by the Dukes of Feria. The medieval wall dates back to the same era, as do several of the entrance gates that remain including those called Jerez and Cubo.

The highlights in terms of the buildings in the town are the Santa Clara Convent, declared a National Monument and the sixteenth century Candelaria parish church where we can admire the famous altarpieces, the one by Zurbarán, the Los Remedios altarpiece and the Virgen de Valvanera altarpiece. There are two particularly striking parts of Zafra, the squares called Grande and Chica, which are surrounded by semicircular arches and connected by the popular Arquillo del pan arch.

WHAT TO EAT

Iberian hams, some of the best in Spain, are made from pigs reared in the southern mountain ranges of Extremadura and are cured in the area. The cured meats are of equally high quality and can be accompanied by wonderful revueltos (scrambled egg dishes) of asparagus or potatoes with ribs.

In this area both lamb and pork are firm favourites and two of the most typical dishes cooked are “la caldereta” and “chanfaina”, the famous lamb stew from Extremadura which forms the focus of the popular festival which takes place in Fuente de Cantos on the last Sunday in April. Also popular are dishes cooked using game and home made sweets.

SHOPPING

Highly sought after articles to buy include leather items from Zafra, Fuente de Cantos and Villagarcía de la Torre. Also recommended are ceramics which can be purchased in Zafra. Some of the best Extremaduran wines are produced in Puebla de Sancho Pérez where it is easy to discover and visit the wineries, as it is in Zafra. Hams and cured meats can be purchased in Zafra and Fuente de Cantos. The Zafra Convent pastry shop is famous and highly thought of.

WALKING, PEDALLING AND HORSE RIDING

The orography of the land crossed by this stretch of the Route offers visitors the chance to go hiking or mountain biking and there are magnificent opportunities to passing through some of the most emblematic landscapes and stretches in this area.

We recommend that you climb the Tentudía and Trasierra mountain ranges in the Campiña Sur area, either on foot or by bicycle. Horse riding fans may find it interesting to visit Fuente de Cantos when the San Isidro pilgrimage is taking place. This involves hundreds of pilgrims on horseback.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES

Through Campiña Sur

From Zafra the visitor can cover the whole of the Campiña Sur district. Here the towns offer history, art and wonderful food which are very particular to these southerly areas of Extremadura. Llerena, Azuaga, Regina and la La Jayona Mine are names to remember in relation to this area which borders onto the Andalusian Sierra Morena.

SURROUNDING AREA

The route moves through oak groves and wide areas full of livestock, vines, olive trees and cereals.

The nearby Dehesas de Jerez were in 2000 declared a Special Bird Protection Area (ZEPA) and a great number of black storks and steppe birds nest amongst its holm and cork oak trees. This area is similar to the more southerly areas discussed earlier in being the natural habitat of the Iberian Pig and therefore produces wonderful sausages and cold meats, the most important being the "Dehesa de Extremadura" Denomination of Origin ham.

The neighbouring district of Jerez-Sierra Suroeste is of interest to visitors because of its very varied and interesting historical and cultural heritage. Highlights include Fregenal de la Sierra, which in the month of August holds its “de la Sierra" International Festival, a Regional Festival of Interest to Tourists, and Jerez de los Caballeros, an authentic open air museum of Extremaduran baroque religious art. The churches, towers and streets of Jerez become a beautiful stage for the Easter Week processions which have also been declared of Interest to Tourists.

The towns in the Zafra-Río Bodión district were under the control of the Santiago Military Order from its centre in Jerez de los Caballeros, and in some cases even by the famous Señorío de Feria. This history has left its mark in the important historical and artistic heritage found in many of these towns.

Burguillos del Cerro, of Visigoth and Arab origin, was occupied by the Templers and it still retains its fifteenth century castle. Other highlights include the San Juan Bautista church and baroque tower. Also of interest is the Interpretation Centre dedicated to the vernacular architecture of the Santa María de la Encina Church.

In Valencia del Ventoso, known in earlier times as Valencia del Alba Real and Valencia del Barreal, the highlights include the castle-palace from the fifteenth century whose construction was ordered by Rodrigo de Cárdenas, Commander of the Santiago Order.

Only a few kilometres from Fuente de Cantos is the site of another recommended visit, the town of Calzadilla de los Barros. This belonged to the Santiago Order and in its Divino Salvador parish church visitors can see a gothic renaissance altarpiece with 28 paintings which is considered to be one of the best in Spain.

A few kilometres further north is the El Raposo spa which opened in the final third of the nineteenth century and became famous thanks to the curative properties of its mud and peloids which are unique in Spain. Today this thermal establishment has become a modern spa which continues to attract visitors from every corner of the country.