Villares Del Saz: Heritage and Local Traditions
Accommodation in Villares Del Saz
Villares Del Saz offers different ways to explore the town’s history: religious buildings, traces of optical telegraphy, museums and inherited customs. These topics differ both in their historical periods and in what you can discover locally. For your stay, you can therefore focus on architectural history, collections or a particular date in the annual calendar.
Buildings and historical connections
The Iglesia de Santa Eulalia de MĂ©rida was built in the 15th century on the ruins of a former Templar fortress. It was first rebuilt in the 16th century. The Ermita de JesĂşs Nazareno also dates from the 15th century and features traditional architecture. The two religious buildings thus offer different starting points for exploring architectural history: the church is associated with the former fortress and its later rebuilding, while traditional architecture is a defining feature of the ermita.
Tower No. 14 of the optical telegraph system in Villares Del Saz is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC). The telegraph station in Villares Del Saz was part of the Madrid–Valencia optical telegraph line, established in 1844. This connection places the local telegraph station within a line linking Madrid and Valencia; the BIC classification of Tower No. 14 also gives its protected status a distinct designation.
The Torre del Monje is located at a place called El Congosto, on the River Záncara, within the municipality of Villares Del Saz. Two different window shapes can be seen on the structure: an elongated window with a wedge-shaped arch and a smaller, square window in the upper section. The elongated window and the smaller opening can thus be viewed as specific architectural details, without requiring a visit to other parts of the structure.
The Cueva de los Altillos preserves remains of the medieval Castillo de Moses, a castle dating from the 13th century that probably belonged to the Templar Order. The cave can be visited while its galleries are being restored and cleaned. Check locally whether visits are possible before travelling there.
Museums and different perspectives
The Museo Etnográfico displays its collection in four rooms. It includes photographs, agricultural equipment, furniture, school materials, and objects and tools from the former everyday life of local residents. The collection thus brings together images and school materials with items from work and daily life. Visitors interested in the lives of earlier generations will find various kinds of objects here, not just agricultural equipment.
The open-air museum is 2 km from Villares Del Saz, among almond trees and cultivated fields. It features sculptures carved from stone. In contrast to the ethnographic museum, the focus here is on outdoor sculptures and their surroundings, while the four rooms of the Museo Etnográfico display photographs, equipment, furniture and other objects from the former life of the local community.
Customs and dates in the annual calendar
On the night before Easter Sunday, “Macollas” are traditionally placed on doors and windows. These are bundles of newly growing wheat. The custom is therefore tied both to a particular date and to a specific symbol: the wheat bundles on doors and windows.
Fire traditions are also associated with set dates. On 9 December, the eve of the feast of Saint Eulalia of MĂ©rida, a local fire tradition takes place: groups of friends grill meat and fish over the embers and eat together there. On 2 February, the eve of San Blas, another local fire tradition is observed; sardines or other food are grilled over the embers. The customs therefore differ both in their dates and in the foods traditionally prepared, as well as in the communal meal on the eve of the feast of Saint Eulalia of MĂ©rida.
The annual celebrations in honour of N. P. JesĂşs Nazareno take place from 30 April to 5 May. Local celebrations are also listed for 13 to 16 September. The current programme may vary; check the dates and programme before your trip.
Getting there
Villares Del Saz can be reached via the A-3 and exit 132. Check the route before you set off.
Discover more destinations: Villamayor De Santiago, La Peraleja, Villar Del Maestre, Villanueva de Guadamejud, Bascuñana de San Pedro, Cañada Del Hoyo, Iniesta, Chillarón De Cuenca.
For the broader travel overview: Cuenca.
