Image via Lavender Festival
Just over 45 minutes from Madrid is Brihuega, a town from Alcarria that during the month of July could well seem like just another town in French Provence.
During the summer season the moment of maximum flowering occurs for the almost a thousand hectares of lavender plantations that surround the town and its region, which offers a unique landscape of purplish and bluish tones in the heart of Guadalajara.
Brihuega is not Provence but in some way this French region has had a lot to do with it. this town has turned lavender into a symbol that has even led to a cultural festival.
Origin of Alcarreña lavender
Image via Guadalajara Diario
Brihuega was for a long time a town of farmers and ranchers that also had some industry as it was the headquarters of the Royal Cloth Factory, active until after the Spanish Civil War. Over the years, the economic situation began to decline and many Alcarrians began to leave in search of better job opportunities.
It was then that a local farmer named Andrés Corral made a trip to French Provence and discovered the lavender fields and their enormous possibilities. Given its characteristics, he understood that the plant was perfect to grow in Brihuega and together with his brothers and a perfumer they embarked on the adventure of growing lavender in more than 600 hectares. They also built a lavender essence distiller plant that produces 10% of world production and is considered the best equipped in Europe.
This project employed nearly 200 farmers in the region and resulted in the revitalization of a region that was beginning to enter depression.
Lavender festival
The Lavender Festival celebrates the beginning of the lavender harvest and lasts for two days. What began as an event between friends today becomes an exclusive event, reserved for a select few who can enjoy a unique gastronomic and musical experience in an incomparable setting.
Once the Lavender Festival is over, millions of flowers are cut and then passed through the stills, extracting their essence and becoming part of the most delicate perfumes in the world.
What to see in Brihuega?
Image via Brihuega.es
Brihuega is nestled in the valley of the Tajuña river where the greenness of the plain has earned it the nickname of Jardín de la Alcarria thanks to its rich orchards and beautiful gardens. The walled town of Brihuega was declared a Historic-Artistic Site thanks to its interesting cultural heritage.
Its wall dates from the XNUMXth century and centuries ago it was completely walled. Its current enclosure is huge, almost two kilometers long, and can be easily followed in its entirety, although it is best seen today on its northwestern side. Its doors, that of the Ball Court, that of the Chain or the Arch of Cozagón, open up to its secrets and the history of the town.
The Castillo de la Piedra Bermeja is located in the south of the town on a rocky eminence. On top of the original Arab fortress, Romanesque-style rooms were added in the XNUMXth century and later the transitional Gothic-style chapel was built.
Its religious monuments take us into the details of the late Romanesque and the distinctions of the Gothic throughout its journey: Santa María de la Peña, San Miguel or San Felipe illustrate it. The remains of San Simón are a Mudejar jewel that lay hidden behind buildings and houses.
Among the civil buildings are the town hall and the prison, Renaissance houses such as those of the Gómez and others in the new neighborhoods and San Juan. But without a doubt, the civil monument par excellence is the Real Fabrica de Paños, the hub of Brihuega's industrial activity and whose gardens from 1810 honor the nickname of this town.
Gastronomy of La Alcarria
The Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela pointed out the interest of this region for travelers in his work 'Viaje a la Alcarria'. Gastronomy is also one of the reasons why you should know Brihuega.
This village offers visitors traditional products made according to the oldest customs. The tasty roasts of lamb and kid, garlic soups, migas, porridge or beans with syrup stand out. Special mention should be made of the tasty products of the pig slaughter, such as black pudding, sausages or hams. As for desserts, the star product is drunken sponge cakes, honey, as well as Yemas del Doncel de Sigüenza or the popular sequillos, roscas and alajús.
How to get to Brihuega?
Brihuega is located in the western part of the province of Guadalajara, located on the lower slope from the Alcarreña plain to the Tajuña river valley. It is located 33 km from Guadalajara, 90 km. from Madrid and 12 km from Highway N-II. To the southwest of the province of Guadalajara and on the left bank of the river Henares, the region of La Alcarria is located, with Brihuega being its capital for many.