Peñalba de Ávila – Churches, Pilgrimage Routes and Landscape

Peñalba de Ávila lies between the last higher foothills of the Sierra and the grain-covered plains of La Moraña. The town combines ecclesiastical heritage, historical traces and a landscape that extends to the Adaja and into the area of La Moraña.

Culture and History

The Iglesia de San Vicente Mártir in Peñalba de Ávila is a Baroque church. It has a rubble-masonry chancel and a bell gable built from granite blocks in the 16th century.

The Ermita del Santísimo Cristo de Santa Teresa houses an image of Saint Teresa kneeling before a crucified Christ. The Potro de herrar is a traditional device for shoeing the hooves of cattle used as draft and working animals.

The whitewashed Palomar de barro recalls the comparison made by Saint Teresa, who referred to her convents as “palomarcitos”.

Only two high brick-built corners of the Torreón de Garoza remain; the stones from the other collapsed walls lie scattered throughout the surrounding area. The Torreón de Garoza probably dates from the 13th century.

In 2020, 22 January, the feast of San Vicente Mártir, and 15 September, the feast of the Santísimo Cristo de Santa Teresa, were observed as feast days in Peñalba de Ávila.

The historical heritage therefore ranges from a Baroque church and a chapel with an image, through the Palomar de barro and the Potro de herrar, to the remains of the medieval Torreón de Garoza. Their different architectural forms and functions make the history of the town visible at several specific sites.

Other places:Vega De Santa María, Navalguijo, Casavieja, Muñogalindo, Riofrío, Nava Del Barco, Umbrías and Pozanco.

Landscape and Surroundings

The Adaja runs northwards along the boundaries of the municipal area of Peñalba de Ávila. Navares is an abandoned settlement on the banks of the Adaja.

The remains of the Molino del Prior are located in Navares and belonged to the La Antigua monastery in Ávila. The former dehesa of Navares was transformed into a pine forest.

The river course, the abandoned settlement, the former dehesa and the present-day pine forest bring together several historical and landscape references in Navares. These places are not all located in Peñalba itself, but they provide a broader view of the immediate surroundings along the Adaja.

Geographical Location

Peñalba de Ávila is located on the Av-804 road, 17 km from Ávila. The site of the Torreón de Garoza lies at a junction with an unpaved farm track connecting Peñalba with Gotarrendura.

Routes and Pilgrimage Traditions

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 walked.

The two routes mentioned represent different forms of movement and orientation: the Ruta Teresiana connects Ávila and Peñalba along its course, while the Camino de Santiago en La Moraña can explicitly be travelled both by car and on foot. This makes it possible to distinguish the route information by route and means of transport.

For the higher-level travel overview: Avila.