Soliedra

We start this first route through Soliedra, a small town of just 20 inhabitants in the southeast of the province of Soria and at a height of  1,103 m above sea level.

Two things to highlight in the tour of its urban area:

First one, the spectacular views to the west and southwest. To the west we can see a chain of mountains. The ones on the right are the Sierra de Ayllón, in the province of Segovia, and the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara Natural Park, and the ones on the left are the Sierra de Guadarrama, about 180 km straight line from here.

On clear days, the landscapes and sunsets are amazing.

Second thing to look at, are the lintels and windows of several of the traditional town’s houses, built in stone, with diverse and well-worked figures.

On the lintels, we can also see some inscriptions. The majority, with the year of construction of the house along with some religious reference, as a way of asking for divine protection for the house and the family that lives in it.

Leaving the town on the road, we find an impressive view. On the left, the church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Romanesque in origin, and behind, separated by a kind of moat, the castle, of Muslim origin, which proves the medieval past of Soliedra.

The view of the stairs and the arch of the entrance to the church, with the semicircular apse behind and in the background the castle, is a marvel and a great gift postcard, when you leave the town, inviting you to return.

Neguillas

We continue our way to Neguillas.

1.5 Km after, we arrive at the place called «El Castillejo», where we Will visit the ruins of an Islamic watchtower.

Here, we can hardly appreciate that the external diameter will be around 6 meters, that the thickness of the wall is about 1.3 meters and that the current maximum height will be approximately 1.5 meters.

What we clearly see is that from here a very wide terrain is dominated. This watchtower could have direct visual contact with Soliedra´s Castle , of Muslim origin, and to which they could report any movement they detected.

Already in Neguillas, we visit his old public laundry, restored a few years ago.

The running water did not exist in the houses of the towns in this area until the 60s or 70s, and was here where the laundry was done, by rubbing the clothes on the stone with natural soaps , home made with lard.

With the running water in the houses and afterwards the automatic washing machines, the use of the public laundries was reduced until they were no longer used.

Thanks to the restoration done here, we can see this testimony of our past, not so far away.

Perdices

We leave Neguillas towards the top of the Sierra de Perdices and the pretty town that bears the name of this mountain range.

From here, we can see a wide area and the views are impressive.

Perdices, with a population by 15 inhabitants, is another very small town, like most of them in this area. Protected by the mountains, on all sides, except to the southeast, it hosts on the north face of the town one of the most prominent Romanesque churches in the province of Soria. It´s San Pedro´s church.

Its splendid belfry on the west side, its curious polygonal apse and the main entrance of the church, are the most remarkable elements of this church.

We also have beautiful views from here.

Moñux

We are now in Moñux, a town also with a special charm.

Its main attractions, the castle, the Virgen del Carmen small Hermitage and the main square with the roll of justice, symbol of the privileges of this town in the Middle Ages.

The castle of Moñux, which participated in the fights between the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, has also a Muslim origin, like the castle of Soliedra.

It has direct visual contact with the Torrejalba watchtower, by 7 km to the north.

These castles of Moñux and Soliedra, together with those of Serón de Nágima, Almazán, and others, formed the defense line of the accesses from this northwest zone to Medinaceli.                        

Medinaceli, at 37 km from here in a straight line, became in 946 the headquarter of the Al-Ándalus kingdom in this area.

Nepas

We´re now heading towards Nepas, which with approximately 60 inhabitants, is the largest town on this route.

To be highlighted the place of the Old Fountain, at the entrance to the town, with very fresh water.

Going up Cantarranas street, in the opposite side, next to the road, we can find a nice park, with a refreshing shade.

From an artistic point of view, the church of San Adrián at the top of the town, next to the Main Square, is the most significant building.

It still conserve some original Romanesque elements.

Perhaps the most remarkable is its semicircular apse, with two semi-columns and simple corbels on its cornice.

Escobosa de Almazán

We leave Nepas, heading to Escobosa de Almazán, another small town of less than 30 inhabitants, and we now face the last part of our route.

We cross Escobosa from the north, through the suburbs.

At the junction with the road, we find a cruise on our right, and a fountain just in front.

Very close, on our left and next to the road, we can see a dovecote built in stone and very well preserved.

To return to Soliedra, we follow the rural tack next to the fountain.