Pedraza, Spain: One of the best-preserved medieval settlement

It is a cold November morning with a cloud sheathed sky and light drizzle. The wind hasn’t been particularly kind and slaps me across the face once again. Villas from 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th centuries border the cobblestone road as I climb uphill. Rock-cut washbasins inspired from the classical times stand intact in the façades of some houses. I see tiny windows, placed extremely low on the walls, almost touching the road. I am in Pedraza, a medieval village in Spain.

My one-week itinerary in Spain includes only Madrid and Segovia. Pedraza features here as a short half day trip from Segovia. I always knew in my heart that Pedraza, sitting at the intersection of natural beauty, history and culture, is going to be the most special of all the experiences that I will have in Spain. The place doesn’t let me down.

The story of Pedraza, Spain

Pedraza is a walled village, 127 kilometres from Madrid, sitting on a hilltop. Only one non-illustrious narrow gate allows entry and exit. The villagers regularly open the gates in the morning and close it at 10 o’ clock at night. As few as even two vehicles can sometimes create bottlenecks in the village. Almost all the outsiders here are tourists or people catering to the tourism industry, mostly domestic.

The Celtics, Romans, Moors and finally the Catholic Christians inhabited it throughout history. In Pedraza, most of these historical fragments are lost except those of the Catholic Christians of the medieval times. In 1951, the village was declared a national monumental complex. Pedraza is one of the best-preserved medieval villages of Europe.

Nowadays, Australia and New Zealand are some of world’s biggest merino wool exporters. However, during the 16^th and 17^th century, Pedraza was the Merino capital of the world. Rearing of Merino sheep for its high quality wool made this village extremely prosperous. In the 18^th century however, the situation turned for the worse. As Spain’s social and financial status took a nosedive, the unsustainable process of Merino sheep husbandry left Pedraza with little grazing land and too much competition. Subsequently, the Merino wool industry of the region collapsed and the thriving village was abandoned.

A village walk

The simple, yet characterful gate of the village is also an erstwhile prison. It was built along the boundary of the wall to make sure that in case of an assault, the prisoners are the first to die. Tourists can go inside for a fee, but I opt out. Inside are torture chambers for inmates. Clusters of prisoners, numbering as much as 30, were kept inside one cell; sometimes they didn’t have enough space to lie down. The dungeons or the lower quarters are basically the excretion storage chambers for the prisoners of the upper quarters—the worst offenders were put into these dungeons.

I continue my uphill walk into the main square of the village. Sometimes when cars honk and pass by, I tuck myself against the medieval walls of the houses. The roads are almost empty. The odd shops here and there disturb the peace of the otherwise silent alleys. They sell grocery and antiques. I find La Granja beans(Judion beans), a delicacy here. These beans are put into chorizo soups (a delicacy in Segovia province) and eaten.

The antiques deal with metals and silverware. In one shop, I even see a Viking armour! There are wooden furniture shops that sell craft pieces. I see a small wheelbarrow loaded with bread, parked against a house. Potted plants in the balconies of these houses brighten the drab hue of stones. These houses were mostly dwellings of the noble families of medieval Europe. Their gateways are engraved with their respective coat of arms.

Some Game of Thrones talk

To me the concept of ‘Coat of Arms’ is very foreign. I didn’t know what it was until I visited Spain. The closest I came to it was during watching Game of Thrones where every ‘house’ had a ‘banner’, which was just a symbol on a flag. The Coat of Arms is just that, it denotes the heredity, ancestry, family and social status of a family. It is an identity builder.

Pedraza is like a set from Game of Thrones. Infact it looks sounds and feels exactly like ‘Winterfell’. I am not surprised much of the series was shot in Spain, though Winterfell was actually shot in Scotland and Ireland.

Plaza Mayor

I walk to Plaza Mayor, a village square with a church, city hall, many ‘noble’ houses and a handful of bars and restaurants. Of the very few tourists strolling here, some have settled in the outdoor seating area of a bar. The square used to host bullfights in old times. My guide points to the columns of a portico and states that those have been brought from the Pedraza castle and re-instated here. The city hall often arranges cultural exhibition in its premises, sometimes free of cost.

As the churchtower’s bell tolls, I leave the sunny square and enter another shorter square. The building forming its perimeter is pleasantly covered with ivy. This is where old Pedraza hosted its meat and fish market. Just a few metres ahead is a point where three paths converge. My guide points to a house there and says, “This is where I spent my childhood summers. It was all labyrinthine inside. Now this house belongs to the mayor of the city”.

Restaurants and houses on rent

Tourists looking to spend a night in Segovia, or may be a few days, could rent these houses and stay. There are hotels too. While many houses in this village had changed hands and were re-inhabited by outsiders, there still are people living in Pedraza for generations. They run hotels, shops and restaurants. This obscure village even has a Michelin Star restaurant! In fact its right in this convergence point itself—Restaurante La Olma.

The restaurant is extremely picturesque even from the outside with a beautiful balcony, creeping flowers and a garden. Every morning, trucks enter Pedraza carrying wooden logs. These are used in baking lambs, a specialty of the region.

After taking a photo, I move ahead. Even a small cistern by the laneside has a story of its own. Pedraza is perched on a high rock; hence, the place has no access to underground water. To solve the water problem, a hollow was dug into the village floor. The water from snow and rain accumulated here and was used by the noble communities of the village.

The end of Pedraza with the castle

I arrive at the last point of the village, the cliff. It drops sharply thousands of feet below into a river that runs by the foot of the mountains. Precariously perched along the edges of this cliff is the Pedraza Castle. Though originally built in the 13^th century, most of the present structure is from the 16^th century. Later, painter Ignacio Zuloaga acquired the castle.

The castle also conducts tours at certain time of the day. Though I didn’t attend this tour, I hear it’s mostly a display of the late painter’s life and work, and may be a bit overpriced too. The green open space around the castle is also Pedraza’s car parking. The view of the mountains is stunning from here. A perfect place to conclude the trip.

If you are looking for a quiet hamlet to slow down and do nothing, Pedraza is your place.

Funfact: A fairytale festivity and the busiest nights of Pedraza

My guide informs me about a nighttime spectacle that happens every first and second Saturday of July. On these two nights of the year, after dark, electrical lights of Pedraza are shut off and every villager lights candles in their windows, balconies and patios. The public square and streets swarm with crowds. Tourists flock in thousands, though there is an upper capping. Since these are the busiest two days of Pedraza, tickets for the event must be reserved in advance.

Did you enjoy reading about Pedraza, Spain? Have you been to Pedraza? Comment below to share with me your experiences.

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Disclaimer: Tania was hosted by Spain Tourism Board. All thoughts and opinions expressed in the post are of her own.

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