Atanzón: Heritage and Trails in the Ungría Valley

Atanzón lies above the Ungría Valley and is part of the Valle del Río Ungría protected landscape, designated by Castilla-La Mancha in 2022. The town offers two distinct perspectives for your trip: the landscape of the Alcarria and a historic townscape of churches, chapels and the Rollo. A marked circular route also takes you along a stretch with a spring, washhouse and views over the valley.

Landscape above the Ungría Valley

The Ungría is a tributary of the Henares, and Atanzón lies above its valley. Olive groves, grain fields and scrubland shape the landscape typical of the Alcarria. From its elevated position, views extend over the Ungría floodplain to the surrounding hills. The protected landscape includes narrow valleys, tight meanders and ravines, as well as deciduous oak and riverside forests and evergreen holm oak stands. Open areas shaped by agriculture meet wooded sections of the valley.

Churches, chapels and historic landmarks

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Zarza is a 16th-century limestone church. Its south-facing Renaissance portal is designed in the Mannerist style and based on an architectural treatise by Sebastiano Serlio. A star-shaped Mudéjar wooden ceiling covers the apse and the presbytery of the central nave. The church’s different architectural features offer several points of interest for visitors.

The chapels also tell distinct stories of construction. The Ermita de San Roque preserves the apse of Atanzón’s former Romanesque church. The original structure of the Ermita de la Soledad contains a Gothic rib-vaulted ceiling; the chapel stands at the edge of town, at the crossroads of the roads to Lupiana and Centenera. The Ermita de la Concepción, at the entrance to town, has a porch with two columns in the Alcarreño style and a Baroque interior.

The Rollo de Atanzón was erected in 1335 as a symbol of jurisdiction on a hill at the entrance to town. The municipal description calls it a distinctive medieval example and considers it likely to be the oldest of its kind in the province. At the site of San Marcos, two walls of the apse of a former church dedicated to Saint Mark remain on a hill. Other traces of the town’s history include the ruins of the cloth workshops in El Cantón, which were already established in the 17th century. A recording from 2015 documents the Zambombada de Atanzón, also known as Ronda de Atanzón, featuring twenty Christmas songs.

Circular route and trails through the landscape

The Fuentes y Lavaderos del Ungría route is a 12.6-kilometre circular trail linking Caspueñas, Valdeavellano and Atanzón. It can be started in any of these three towns. The Atanzón section follows white-and-blue markings, passes Fuente Alonso and its washhouse, then continues through low holm oak scrub with views over the valley. The length and circular format refer to the entire route; the described sequence with the spring and washhouse is part of the section near Atanzón. Rural roads around the town connect other settlements and pass through traditional agricultural landscapes.

Festivals and events throughout the year

The Fiesta de la Matanza is a food festival held on the first weekend in February and dedicated to reviving an old tradition. Dates and format may change. At a 2016 edition, the food served included Migas with egg, potatoes with meat, grilled pork, Gachas and Cocido madrileño; dishes may vary from one edition to the next. On the second weekend in March, the Fiesta del Día del Árbol involves planting trees and shrubs to restore the town’s green spaces. Its date may also change.

At the Fiesta de Los Mayos on 1 May, May songs are sung to the Virgins of Soledad and Concepción. A procession then carries the image of the Inmaculada to the church; at night, the May tree is erected in the Plaza Mayor. On the last Sunday in May, during La Romería, the image of the Purísima is carried to the Ungría riverside, where an open-air Mass and a communal meal follow. The patron saint festivities in honour of Saint Augustine include traditional running-of-the-bulls events in the countryside on 29 and 30 August, followed by a communal Caldereta meal on 31 August; dates and programme may change.

The Rally Fotográfico Villa de Atanzón also combines a specific date with the townscape: participants photograph different corners of the town. The municipal calendar schedules the event for the first Sunday in October; check the date before your trip, as it may change.

Discover more destinations: Megina, Fontanar, Azuqueca De Henares, El Olivar, Mondéjar, Alcoroches, Matarrubia, Algar De Mesa

For the main travel overview: Guadalajara.