Four years ago I visited Salamanca, a city that I love for how well preserved its historic buildings are, for its great youth and university atmosphere and, above all, for the art of living of the people of Salamanca, so calm, familiar and happy.
However, I confess that my trip was missing one detail, getting closer to one of the most charming towns in Spain, with a medieval architecture unique in the country. Luckily, I was able to fix it a few weeks ago and once there, my expectations were far exceeded. Photos cannot convey the old soul of La Alberca.
The medieval town of Salamanca with French origins
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The Pool Remember – whoever needs it – that above all we are Europeans to the core. Its typical houses of various heights, with sloping roofs and crisscrossing wooden beams visible on the façade, are the result of a mix of local techniques dating back to the Visigoths and the Arabs, along with Jewish and French influences.
Thanks to the peculiarity of its architecture and its good state of conservation, this town, 77 km from Salamanca, in the territory of the Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park, was the first to be declared Historical-Artistic Monument in 1940.
A little history doesn’t hurt to understand it
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The population already existed before the arrival of the Romans, but those who gave the enclave its personality were the French who followed the noble Raymond of Burgundy, which responded to the call of King Alfonso IX of León in the 11th century to repopulate the territory.
Raymond of Burgundy would end up marrying the woman who would become Queen Urraca I of León. This origin explains the name given to the Sierra de France and the French names of other nearby enclaves.
The houses have a granite base and on top of it, a wooden structure similar to those built in Normandy and Brittany. It is characteristic that each upper floor protrudes over the lower one until the eaves of the roofs of the houses facing each other almost touch.
Formerly, the ground floor housed the stables for pigs, goats and dairy cows. Above were the kitchen and bedrooms and on the highest floor, in the basement, chorizos and hams were cured. Currently, in the windows of those leftovers, many neighbors grow geraniums and other flowers that beautify the town.
Attractions of La Alberca that you cannot miss
Walking through La Alberca, a town with just over a thousand inhabitants, is the main activity that I propose. There is no rush. The plan is to let yourself go.
The Plaza Mayor, the heart of the village
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You can start in the Plaza Mayor, the nerve center of the town. It is a porticoed space where emblazoned noble houses mix with humble homes. It houses the town hall, the Doge’s House and an 18th century fountain crowned by a granite transept decorated with symbols of the Passion.
It is the meeting place, where neighbors chat and where the market is celebrated. There I sat on a terrace, ordered a coffee and simply observed.
Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
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The church of Our Lady of the Assumption is a mandatory stop. His fortress tower It dominates the town and inside it peace is absolute.
The Mirador del Santo
From the Santo viewpoint you can also admire the sea of slate roofs in the middle of the intense green of the mountains.
Natural attractions
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Lovers of nature and hiking can find numerous routes in La Alberca through oak and chestnut forests with spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding mountains.
One of the most popular routes is the path of the roots. It is a 9 km circular route that begins and ends in La Alberca and crosses beautiful enclaves such as San Marcos lagoon, the hermitage of Majadas Viejas and the Castaño fountain.
In the highest part of the town is the Natural Park House from Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia where they will offer you all the information you need.
A movie town… literally
The medieval beauty of La Alberca has conquered great directors of the seventh art. From Luis Buñuel, who filmed some shots of Las Hurdes: Land without bread in 1932, until the seriesOnce upon a time (but not anymore),directed by Manolo Caro. They were also filmed in La Alberca The Lazarillo of Tormesin 1959, and The pig, in 1992, with Antonio Resines and Alfredo Landa.
Traditions are still alive
Just as the houses have been cared for, the residents of La Alberca have maintained centuries-old traditions such as the «San Anton pig», where a pig is left to walk freely through the streets so that the neighbors can feed it.
Another surprising tradition is that of the girls of souls, which is repeated every Friday when at nightfall three women They walk the streets ringing a bell and begging for prayers for the dead.
The festivities of the Virgin of the Assumption, They are their Loa, and Corpus Christi continue to be ancestral rituals.
Authentic gastronomy
Don’t leave without trying – if you’re not a vegetarian, of course – the Iberian sausages made from pork raised in the pastures, artisan goat cheese and the famous hornazo, the essential meat empanada.
Also typical are maneás potatoes with bacon, sweet and spicy paprika, garlic and cumin. By the way, in the town there is an Iberian Museum, a must-see for fans of this food.