Romancos – Berral Valley, Churches and Springs

Romancos brings together a water-shaped landscape with churches, chapels and fountains. The village lies in the Berral Valley; Huerto Romero leads into a densely vegetated river bend, while the religious buildings and springs reveal other facets of the village’s history.

Location and landscape around Romancos

Romancos lies in the Berral Valley, a tributary area of the Tajuña in its middle reaches. The village is 10 km from Brihuega, on a rise on the left bank of the Tajuña. The Berral Valley and the banks of the Tajuña are distinct geographical reference points: one describes the landscape, while the other describes the village’s position by the river.

The natural surroundings include a damp woodland of oaks, walnut trees and maples. Spring water also shapes the landscape: carbonate-rich water forms tufa, while mosses and ferns mark the water- and stone-rich corners. Woodland, springs and rock formation are therefore distinct, interconnected aspects of the surroundings.

Huerto Romero offers a direct way to experience this landscape. This cool, densely vegetated spot lies downstream from the village in a meander of the Arroyo Berral. You can reach it via the cemetery path and a turnoff at the old warehouse. The short walk passes through oak trees and takes about ten minutes. The path, turnoff and approximate duration offer practical guidance for this nature outing.

Churches and chapels

The Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is dated to the final years of the 15th century and the early years of the 16th century. It is classified as a Bien de Interés Cultural for its artistic value. Its architecture is described as Late Gothic or Isabelline, with Plateresque and Mannerist details. The building has three naves; its original trefoil-shaped columns are among its defining features. Its date, style and layout offer architecture enthusiasts different ways to explore the building.

The Ermita de la Soledad and the Ermita de la Inmaculada Concepción also reflect different building histories. The Soledad is a 16th-century chapel. The Inmaculada Concepción, by contrast, reuses the ruins of a large archbishop’s residence dating from the mid-17th century. In this case, the date refers to the house whose ruins were reused.

Fountains and water in the village centre

The Fuente de la Plaza stands in the main square, in front of the distinctive Cantero stone wall. It has three spouts and a large basin; abundant clear water flows across the paved square. The fountain is also a place to appreciate the importance of water to Romancos in the village centre.

The Nacedero is also part of the history of water here: its spring water was channelled through a cellar hollowed out in the Middle Ages and distributed to three fountains in the village centre. These include the Fuente del Jardín, the Fuente Nueva and the Fuente de la Plaza. The fountains therefore represent not only individual squares, but also a historic water system. The spring, cellar and three named fountains are distinct stages in this history.

Festival tradition

The festival in honour of the Virgen de la Asunción takes place on the third weekend of the month and includes the traditional Encierro de las Aliagas. If you would like to plan your trip around this festival, check the specific dates for the relevant year in advance.

For the broader travel overview: Brihuega.