Atanzón: Ungría Valley, Trails and Historic Buildings

Atanzón lies above the Ungría Valley, a tributary of the Henares, in a landscape typical of La Alcarria, with olive groves, grain fields, and scrubland. Its elevated location offers extensive views of the Ungría floodplain and the surrounding hills.

Nature and Rural Trails

Atanzón is part of the protected Valle del Río Ungría landscape area, designated by Castilla-La Mancha in 2022. The area combines narrow valleys, enclosed meanders, and gorges with deciduous oak and riparian forests, as well as evergreen holm oak stands. Around Atanzón, rural paths connect the town with other settlements and pass through a traditional agricultural landscape.

A notable route through this landscape is the Fuentes y Lavaderos del Ungría trail. The 12.6-kilometre circular route connects Caspueñas, Valdeavellano, and Atanzón; it can be started in any of these three towns. The Atanzón section follows white-and-blue markings, passes the Fuente Alonso and its washhouse, and then continues through low holm oak vegetation with views of the valley.

Culture and Architectural History

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Zarza in Atanzón is a limestone church built in the 16th century. Its south-facing Renaissance portal is designed in the Mannerist style and is based on an architectural treatise by Sebastiano Serlio. Above the apse and the chancel of the nave, the church also has a star-patterned Mudéjar wooden ceiling.

In the Ermita de San Roque, the apse of Atanzón’s former Romanesque church has been preserved. At the entrance to the town, on a hill, stands the Rollo de Atanzón, a symbol of jurisdiction erected in 1335 and dating from the 14th century. The Rollo is also an independent medieval example and is probably the oldest of its kind in the province.

Atanzón’s historic cloth workshops had already been established in the 17th century; their ruins are still preserved in El Cantón. The Ermita de la Soledad is located at the edge of the town, at the crossroads of the roads to Lupiana and Centenera. Its original structure has a Gothic interior with a ribbed vault.

At the entrance to Atanzón stands the Ermita de la Concepción, with a porch consisting of two columns in the Alcarrian style and a Baroque interior. On a hill, the hamlet of San Marcos preserves two walls of the apse of a former church dedicated to Saint Mark. The Zambombada of Atanzón, also called the Ronda de Atanzón, has likewise been passed down: one recording preserves twenty Christmas pieces.

Festivals and Local Traditions

The Fiesta de la Matanza is a culinary celebration held in Atanzón on the first weekend of February and dedicated to reviving an old tradition. At one edition, migas with egg, potatoes with meat, grilled pork, gachas, and cocido madrileño were served.

The Fiesta del Día del Árbol takes place on the second weekend of March and includes planting trees and shrubs to restore the town’s green spaces. During 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, before the maypole is erected in the Plaza Mayor at night.

During La Romería, the image of the Purísima is carried to the Ungría floodplain, followed by an outdoor Mass and a communal meal. The patron-saint festivities in honour of Saint Augustine include traditional field encierros on 29 and 30 August, as well as a communal caldereta meal on 31 August.

The Rally Fotográfico Villa de Atanzón is scheduled for the first Sunday in October. At this autumn event, participants photograph various parts of the town.

More Destinations

Sigüenza, Anchuela Del Pedregal, Ablanque, Puebla De Valles, Ruguilla, Megina, Berninches and Torrejón del Rey

For the higher-level travel overview: Guadalajara.