Today I would like to talk to you about an abandoned village almost in the centre of Spain, named Sotillos de Caracena (Province of Soria) and located on the north slope of the Sierra de Pela.
Sierra Pela with the villages Pedro and Sotillos de Caracena
Pedro and Sotillos de Caracena
This village belongs to the municipality of Montejo de Tiermes. Twelve houses made up Sotillos de Caracena, in a harsh environment, with a cold climate and unproductive land.
This is the road that you meet, when you are close to Sotillos de Caracena.
Arriving to Sotillos de Caracena
The entrance of Sotillos de Caracena
When you go up inside the village, you meet the Main Square, where the neighbours could dance with the music of the bag-pipers from Noviales.
The uncles Justo and Nicanor´s houses in the Main Square
On the right side you can see the uncle Florentino´s house.
If you follow that Real Street, you can go down to the church, on the right side.
The Main Square going down to the church
The uncle Nicanor´s house
The uncle Agustin´s house and the church of San Miguel
San Miguel was the Patron of Sotillos and they celebrated a party, in his honor, on September 29. The party lasted two days and began with a fanfare, through the streets, in the early morning, announcing the start of the party; later, a mass and a procession with the Saint was celebrated. At noon, there was a small dance and then a meal --where it was customary to kill a lamb, in those two days, to share with family and friends, come from outside--, and, in the evening, more dance, in light of oil lamps, in the Square. The bagpipers of Noviales (the Marcotes), with two bagpipes (dulzainas) and drum, were in charge of animating, with their music, all the people, who were there (they came from other villages, for example Pedro), and where Pedro's tavern owner never lacked, who installed a stall to sell beers and soft drinks there.
Several houses on the Real Street
Another houses at the end of the street
The door of a house
Another street
Angel Barrio de la Morena was the last neighbor, who went out of Sotillos de Caracena, in 1969.
Well, I hope that you will like this article and hope that you can go there sometime.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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