Peñalba De Avila: Heritage and Landscape

Peñalba De Avila lies along the Av-804 road, 17 km from Ávila. The town is in a transition zone between the Sierra’s last higher foothills and the grain-growing plains of the Moraña. Here, the edge of the highlands meets the grain plains. Churches, a historic tower and traces of rural work add cultural points of interest to the landscape.

Landscape and Navares

The Adaja flows north along the boundaries of the municipality of Peñalba De Avila. Navares is an abandoned settlement on the banks of the same river. In Navares are the remains of the Molino del Prior, which belonged to the Monastery of La Antigua in Ávila. The former dehesa of Navares was converted into a pine forest. The mill reflects a historic connection to the monastery, while the conversion of the dehesa marks a change in the landscape. Exploring Navares therefore brings together settlement history, rural heritage and changes to the landscape.

Churches and Torreón de Garoza

The Iglesia de San Vicente Mártir is a Baroque church. Its chancel is built of rubble masonry, while the bell wall, built from granite blocks, dates to the 16th century. Rubble masonry consists of irregularly broken stones; granite blocks are dressed pieces of granite. The Ermita del Santísimo Cristo de Santa Teresa houses an image of Saint Teresa kneeling before a crucified Christ. The Torreón de Garoza probably dates to the 13th century. Only two tall brick wall corners remain; stones from the other collapsed walls lie scattered nearby.

Rural heritage and cultural connections

The potro de herrar is a traditional device used to shoe the hooves of cattle employed as draft and work animals. Its function connects it to a specific activity in rural working life. The whitewashed Palomar de barro has a different connection: it recalls a comparison made by Saint Teresa, who called her convents “palomarcitos.” Thus, a testament to working with cattle stands alongside a cultural interpretation associated with Teresa. The two objects differ not only in appearance, but also in whether a practical function or a religiously inspired comparison is central to them.

Routes and their different connections

The Ruta Teresiana de la Cuna al Sepulcro runs from Ávila through Peñalba. The Camino de Santiago en La Moraña can be travelled by car or on foot. The two routes offer different points of reference: Peñalba is part of the route of the Ruta, while the Camino is described as suitable for travel by car or on foot. If you choose one of the routes as the focus of your trip, you can keep these details in mind: one passes through Peñalba, while the other offers a choice between two ways of travelling.

Festival dates listed for 2020

For Peñalba De Avila, 22 January, the feast of San Vicente Mártir, and 15 September, the feast of the Santísimo Cristo de Santa Teresa, were listed as festival dates in 2020. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these dates, check them in advance.

Discover more destinations: Arenas De San Pedro, Arévalo, Gavilanes, Mingorría, Neila De San Miguel, Santo Tomé De Zabarcos, Bohoyo, Berrocalejo de Aragona

For the main travel overview: Avila.