Discover Villar Del Maestre

Villar del Maestre offers visitors interested in culture specific architectural and historical points of interest: the parish church of San Gil Abad, the Ermita de la Resurrección, and the history of the church organ. The landscape includes forests of Portuguese oaks and the fertile Vega. When choosing your destination, you can therefore take account of both historic architectural styles and the surroundings of the Río Mayor.

San Gil Abad: Church and Organ History

The parish church of San Gil Abad has three naves and a Neoclassical portal. Inside the church, different types of vaulting are described: the main chapel is covered by a ribbed vault with tracery, while a side chapel has a late Gothic cross-ribbed vault. A Gothic inscription has been preserved on the exterior of the south wall. These details offer different points of interest: the Neoclassical style of the portal, and the Gothic forms of the chapel vaults and inscription.

The church organ also has a complex history. It was built in the second half of the 18th century. The year 1760 appears on its crown, while the wind chest bears an inscription dated 1809. Most of the pipework disappeared during the Spanish Civil War. Restoration began in January 2014, after the organ had been out of service for almost 80 years.

In reconstructing the nearly 600 pipes, surviving materials and contemporary instruments from the same region were taken into account. At the same time, all the original mechanisms were preserved during restoration; only parts damaged or severely affected by woodworm were replaced. For travelers interested in historic instruments, the organ thus combines a long construction history with tangible traces of its restoration.

Ermita de la Resurrección and Local History

The Ermita de la Resurrección is built of rubble masonry. Its rectangular floor plan, stone cornice, and three-sided roof define its exterior form. A bell gable with two round-arched openings sits above the building. Inside, a round triumphal arch divides the nave. Alongside the parish church’s varied vaults, the focus here is therefore on the masonry, floor plan, and layout of the interior.

The name Villar del Maestre is explained by the fact that the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago resided there for a time.

The Vega and Río Mayor Valley

The surroundings of Villar del Maestre include forests of Portuguese oaks and a fertile Vega. The Río Mayor Valley is notable above all for its landscape; the vegetation changes as the elevation decreases. The river stretch from Villar y Maestre to Cuevas de Velasco is called the Río Mayor de Cuevas. These landscape and waterway names help distinguish the different local references.

The nearby Sagrado Corazón monument offers expansive views over the Vega of the Río Mayor. Another regional point of interest is the Camino Natural del Río Mayor: this 63-kilometer route runs from the Altos de Cabrejas to the Buendía Reservoir and passes through large parts of the Alcarria conquense.

Road Access to the Río Mayor Valley

The Río Mayor Valley runs parallel to the CM-2019. From Cuenca, it can be reached via the A-40, the Huete exit, and then the CM-2019 to Valdecolmenas de Abajo. Check road conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Solán De Cabras, Motilla Del Palancar, Ribatajada, Villar de Cañas, Las Zomas, Los Eustaquios, Mota Del Cuervo, Chillarón De Cuenca.

For the main travel overview: Cuenca.