Navamorcuende: Heritage and Nature

Navamorcuende combines historic buildings and archaeological connections with trails through the Sierra de San Vicente landscape. Highlights for your trip include the Renaissance church of Santa María de la Nava, chapels from different centuries, the prehistoric Cueva del Boquique site, and forest trails by the reservoir. The town offers a range of ways to balance culture and time outdoors. The Christmas season is also key for the Belén Viviente.

Buildings and Archaeological Heritage

The Iglesia de Santa María de la Nava is a Renaissance church dating from the mid-16th century and is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural. Its protected status and the date it was built are two distinct aspects of its significance: one describes its officially recognized heritage status, while the other places its architecture in time.

The chapels also have their own historical connections. The Ermita del Santo Cristo de los Remedios was built in 1792 and is located on the road towards El Piélago. The rectangular Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, also known as the Ermita del Guadyerbas, dates from the 16th century. It is privately owned and can be seen from the adjoining path.

The Palacio de los Marqueses is a Baroque building dating from 1697, built on the foundations of a medieval fortress. The Fuente de la plaza stands in Plaza Comandante Rodrigo; this 18th-century fountain has an octagonal basin and a parapet made of large stone blocks. An inscription from the time of Charles IV provides its date. Four watermills are located along the road from Navamorcuende towards El Real de San Vicente. Their state of preservation varies.

The buildings mentioned span the period from the mid-16th century to 1792. The Palacio brings together Baroque design and medieval foundations, while the chapels and fountain stand out for their different forms and dates.

The Cueva del Boquique is a prehistoric archaeological site in Navamorcuende. The remains found there gave the well-known Boquique pottery its name. The town is therefore associated not only with buildings from later centuries, but also with an archaeological discovery that gave its name to a type of pottery.

Woodland Landscapes and Trails

The Sierra de San Vicente surroundings near Navamorcuende offer hiking trails, natural viewpoints, and Mediterranean woodland landscapes for outdoor activities. The Mirador de los Molinos provides views of the reservoir and the region’s natural scenery, offering distinct perspectives on the landscape and the water.

The Melojar de la Sierra de San Vicente includes a woodland area in Navamorcuende. It is home to oaks, chestnut trees, holm oaks, Pyrenean oaks, hawthorns, and ash trees. The trees can live for up to 600 years and grow to diameters of up to two metres.

The PR-TO 58 Ruta del Pantano starts in the south of Navamorcuende, on Calle Cambija, and runs through the countryside. It passes through dense oak and pine forests before reaching the Piélago dam at the Guadyerbas reservoir. Interpretive signs accompany the route. Check the trail conditions locally before setting out.

Another way to combine nature and archaeological heritage is the Ruta del Boquique. It connects Navamorcuende with the surrounding countryside and the Cueva del Boquique site. Check local conditions for this trail as well.

The Belén Viviente at Christmas

The Belén Viviente de Navamorcuende takes place annually in three performances around Christmas. The exact dates may vary from year to year, so if the event is important to your trip, check the dates for that year. The performances recreate more than fifty traditional trades and activities, including flour and oil mills, washerwomen, looms, blacksmithing, and basketry. The event also involves a large number of participants, with 150 to 200 volunteers. These recreated activities make the Belén Viviente a distinctive cultural highlight alongside the town’s permanent landmarks and landscape attractions.

Discover more destinations: Villafranca De Los Caballeros, Mazarambroz, Hormigos, La Torre De Esteban Hambrán, La Puebla De Almoradiel, Malpica De Tajo, Urda, Torrico.

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