Saelices: Segóbriga and local history

Saelices brings together the history of the town and the archaeological heritage of Segóbriga. The Segóbriga Archaeological Park is located within the municipality of Saelices, on the southwestern edge of Cuenca province and about four kilometres south of the town centre. The landscape also gives the town its own distinctive character: Saelices sits on a hill overlooking the valley of the Cigüela River.

Segóbriga: from Celtiberian hillfort to Roman city

Segóbriga began as a Celtiberian hillfort. After the Roman conquest, it developed into a Roman city at the beginning of the 2nd century BC. Under Augustus, Segóbriga became a municipium, a settlement of Roman citizens. The city controlled a vast territory and was the capital of this part of the plateau. Its economic rise was also connected to its role as a transport hub.

Another part of its history is the mining of lapis specularis. This is a translucent gypsum used to cover windows. The combination of the city’s history, transport and this distinctive material gives your visit more than a single historical focus: you can explore the development from an early fortified settlement to a Roman city in its various contexts.

Finding your way around the Archaeological Park

The Segóbriga Interpretation Centre is located at the entrance to the Archaeological Park and serves as the starting point for your visit. Its facilities include a large car park, a reception foyer, an exhibition room and an audiovisual room. Individual visits follow a set route along paved paths. This lets you orient yourself as you follow the route, rather than viewing the site as a loose collection of individual structures.

A range of digital options are available to explore the site: the park offers an MP3 audio guide. With the free Parques XR Castilla-La Mancha app, you can take an augmented reality tour at selected points in the archaeological site. The virtual reality experience features 3D reconstructions of the site throughout its history. Each option offers a different perspective: audio accompanies your visit, while the digital reconstructions present historical views.

The Roman theatre and cultural programme

The tour of the archaeological site passes by the Roman theatre. The restored theatre is also used as a venue: every April, it hosts the Festival de Teatro de Primavera, which has been running since 1982. Classical music concerts are added to the Archaeological Park’s cultural programme in summer. If you would like to plan your trip around a performance, it is worth checking the specific dates in the cultural programme in advance.

Architecture and ancient burial sites

Saelices town centre also has an architectural attraction of its own. The Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Apóstol is located in the centre next to the town hall and can be reached via Calle de la Concepción. Its polygonal apse is a defining feature of the building; construction of the church began in 1577. A visit here adds a building whose origins lie well after the Roman history of Segóbriga.

Some tombs in the northwestern necropolis of Segóbriga are open to visitors. They belong to a burial necropolis dating from the 4th to the 7th century AD. This date range offers another perspective on how the site was used after its Roman city phase. Together with the theatre and the digital reconstructions, these features offer different ways to explore the site: architectural remains on the ground, later burials and visual depictions of its history.

Festivals and routes around Saelices

Saelices’ festival calendar includes the festival of the Virgen de los Remedios in May and the festival of the Cristo del Amparo in September. As part of the festivities, the traditional pilgrimage runs from Saelices to the hermitage of the Virgen de los Remedios, next to the Roman archaeological site of Segóbriga. Tunos, Serranas and dancers, accompanied by drums and dulzaina, are also part of the town’s living tradition.

For hikers, the linear PR-CU 63 El Hito-Segóbriga trail, 12.41 kilometres long and rated low difficulty, is listed as operational. Saelices is also one of the places listed on the GR 163 Ruta del Cristal de Hispania. These route details provide another point of reference for planning your trip, while the archaeological site, the town church and local festivals each offer their own reasons to discover Saelices and its history.

Discover more destinations: Mota Del Cuervo, Jábaga, Arcas, Cañete, Huélamo, Cañamares, Villar De Olalla, Tarancón.

For the broader travel overview: Cuenca.