Navas del Madroño – Village of the Chimneys

Navas del Madroño is known as the “Village of the Chimneys” because of the characteristic chimneys of its vernacular architecture.

Culture and History

The Centro de Interpretación Escuelas Viajeras presents the local history of Navas del Madroño, as well as the cultural, educational and historical history of the Misiones Pedagógicas of the Second Spanish Republic, which operated as Escuelas Viajeras from 1931 to 1936. The exhibition follows a historical tour from the Second Republic through the dictatorship to the disappearance of this educational and cultural project.

The parish church of Nuestra Señora de la O was rebuilt between 1737 and 1740 by Alonso González and Teodosio Magallanes. Its Baroque high altar was created in 1754 by Juan Grande de Vegas from Garrovillas. The statue of Nuestra Señora de la O is one of the few Marian images depicting the Virgin pregnant; the child is visible in her womb.

The 17th-century town hall, Casa Consistorial, has a broad portico with eight semicircular granite arches. The locally associated structures also include the Fuente de la Nacivera, one of the town’s most popular springs. It consists of an outlet and a granite basin, over which the water flows to the washhouse.

The Ermita de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is located approximately seven kilometres from the town centre in the Sierra de Santo Domingo. The 16th-century building is made of masonry and rubble stone.

Archaeological remains dating from the Neolithic to the early Middle Ages have been found in the El Barrial landscape area near Navas del Madroño. El Barrial is a scenic area worth visiting in the immediate vicinity of Navas del Madroño and lies at 518 metres above sea level.

Nature

The Rivera de Araya is an excellent refuge for endangered species such as the black stork because of its difficult accessibility. The Embalse de Vegas Altas is a wetland designated as a ZEPA, where aquatic fauna of international importance is concentrated according to the Ramsar criteria.

Festivals and Cuisine

Las Candelas on 2 February includes religious ceremonies and traditional dances such as “El Cordón”; the dancers wear the typical traditional costume. The Romería de Santo Domingo de Guzmán takes place on Easter Sunday and combines the pilgrimage to the hermitage with a traditional horse race through the town’s streets.

The Feria Agroalimentaria de la Morcilla Ventera takes place around the first half of May and offers tastings, live cooking and degustations centred on Morcilla Ventera. Morcilla Ventera is considered an outstanding product of Navas del Madroño’s cuisine.

The Jornadas de la Trashumancia take place in early October and include gastronomic activities as well as activities, routes and workshops related to pastoral farming. When comparing a holiday apartment in Navas del Madroño, you can check travel dates, accommodation category and cancellation conditions on the offer pages. When choosing a location, the different focuses on history, nature, festivals and cuisine can be considered side by side.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cáceres.