Penalba de Santiago

Peñalba de Santiago is one of those towns that seem to have stopped in time. Located eleven hundred meters high in the middle of the mountains of the Bierzo region, in the province of León, its medieval appearance has earned it endless recognition.

Since 2008 is A Cultural in the category of Ethnological Ensemble and is also part of the network of Most Beautiful Villages in Spain. If you like a type of tourism different from that of the large agglomerations, we invite you to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of Peñalba de Santiago.

What to see and do in Peñalba de Santiago

The town was founded from a monastery that dates back to the XNUMXth century and no longer exists today. On the site it occupied you can still see houses for the construction of which its carved stones and marbles were used. But the entire urban complex of Peñalba is worth seeing.

Traditional houses

The main attraction of the Leonese town are its picturesque houses. They respond to traditional architecture of Bierzo. They are rectangular in plan, although their corners are sometimes rounded, and were built using the basic material slate area.

They are also usually two-story. The ground floor was used as a stable for livestock, a warehouse for farm implements and a warehouse. For its part, the first floor was the house itself. And it is classic in her a corridor or cantilevered balcony, usually made of wood and sometimes covered by planks to avoid the cold.

Penalba de Santiago

Typical houses of Peñalba de Santiago

The town stands out House of Tithes, so called because it was where the tenth part of what was harvested by the peasants was stored to be sent to the Bishopric of Astorga as a tribute.

In any case, it will be a pleasure for you to walk the narrow and winding streets of Peñalba de Santiago, in which time seems to have stopped and which could not be more picturesque.

The church of Santiago de Peñalba

However, the main monument of the Leonese town is the church of Santiago de Peñalba, built in the XNUMXth century and which responds to the so-called art of repopulation, a name that has lately been given to the mozarabic architecture.

It has a Latin cross plan with two chapels in its arms and also with two apses, one at the head and another at the foot of the cross. This curiosity of having two opposing apses is a true rarity because there is only one other case in the Iberian Peninsula: that of the church of San Cebrián de Mazote, in the province of Valladolid.

Inside the Berciano temple you can also see other curious elements such as astral symbols of Celtic origin, a small gallon dome of Arab influence and horseshoe arches Visigothic style. And you will also see stucco engravings and paintings of people and animals. Since 1931, this church is Historic Artistic Monument.

The church of Santiago de Peñalba

Church of Santiago de Peñalba

The surroundings of Peñalba de Santiago

If Peñalba de Santiago is beautiful, the surroundings of the town are even more spectacular. Very close to this is the cave of San Genadio, a XNUMXth century Benedictine who retired to her as a hermit. It lies within the call Thebaid Berciana. This area of ​​Bierzo is thus known in relation to the part of Upper Egypt where the monastic tradition was born in the East.

This privileged area, which includes different valleys from Leon and logically also Peñalba de Santiago, has been declared Picturesque landscape y Historic place.

But, in addition, the Bercian town is located in the Valley of Silence, in turn framed by the Aquilanos mountains. The name is due to a legend. This says that, while Saint Genadius was in full meditation, he heard the murmur of the river Oza and it disturbed him. Then he ordered her to be quiet and the water stopped making noise.

But, legends aside, what you want to know about the Aquilanos Mountains is that they have beautiful hiking trails. It stands out among them, the one that ascends to its main summits as snout y Mare's Head. Exits from Port of the Portillines and it has an area of ​​twenty-six kilometers so it is not affordable for everyone. But the landscapes it offers you are impressive.

The Aquilanos Mountains

Aquilanos Mountains

What to eat in the town of Bercia

After a mountain route like the previous one, you will have to recharge your batteries with a good meal. The Leonese town itself has several restaurants that offer you the typical gastronomy of El Bierzo.

Dishes such as the bottle, its sausage par excellence, which is made with different parts of the pig and is cooked with potatoes and chorizo. Also from this animal comes the androlla. On the other hand, their roasted peppers; The trout soup; The leonesa cachelada, which are potatoes with chorizo; the berciana pie, which also has chopped potato and chard, or the berciana pot, which is made with vegetables and pork sausages, including botillo.

For dessert, you have magnificent varieties of fruit such as pear conference or the reineta apple. But also pastries with the Bierzo chestnut cake, pilgrims, bercianas donuts and nutty. To drink, we do not need to advise you a good wine from the autochthonous appellation of origin, one of the most popular in Spain.

When is it better to go to Peñalba de Santiago

As we told you, the town of Bercia is about XNUMX meters high. For this reason, in winter there are frequent snowfalls that will make it difficult for you to walk around. Also, it is a very cold season.

Our recommendation is that you go to Peñalba de Santiago in spring or summer. And this not only because the weather is better, but also because the days are longer and will allow you to do more things.

The cave of San Genadio

Cave of San Genadio

How to get to Peñalba de Santiago

The only way to travel to the Leonese town is by highway. You have to go up Ponferrada and then leave this by the Boeza bridge and take the road to San Lorenzo del Bierzo but in the direction of Saint Stephen of Valdueza.

Before reaching the latter, you have to turn left onto a road that crosses valdefrancos y San Clemente. After these, take another junction to the right that indicates Valdueza Mountains and that will take you directly to Peñalba de Santiago.

In conclusion, if you want to visit a picturesque town of traditional houses of the Leonese mountains, go to Peñalba de Santiago, with its XNUMXth century church and its impressive mountain landscapes. And, after appreciating all its beauty, enjoy a good meal based on the gastronomy of El Bierzo. Isn't that a good plan?


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