The best traffic-free bike rides around Armenteros

Also known as the Dávila Castle, it is one of the most important constructions found along the route of the Cañada Real Soriana Occidental. The Castle cannot be understood without the medieval bridge over the river Tormes. Together, they functioned as a control point for the passage of people and goods. According to documentation, Queen Isabella I and Emperor Charles V stayed overnight in the fortress.

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption was built in the 14th century on the site of the old fortress and rebuilt in the 16th century. Of considerable size, its polygonal sanctuary and transept stand out, towering above the rest of the church and displaying magnificent ashlar masonry and stepped prismatic buttresses. The apse and the central section of the transept are covered with star-shaped ribbed vaults. They are the work of Lucas Giraldo and Juan Gutiérrez, two of the finest architects of the 16th century. The body of the church, with three naves formed by wide semicircular arches rising from octagonal pillars, resembles a large hall. It is entered through two doorways with pointed and splayed arches on pilasters, sheltered by simple alfices. The very simple, rectangular tower features ashlar masonry in the lower section, granite ashlar in the upper section, and balls in the cornice. Inside, the main altarpiece, dating from the early 18th century, is Churrigueresque in the main section and Rococo in the shell to match the shape of the apse vault, the sacristy altarpiece, and other altarpieces distributed throughout the naves of the church.

La Horcajada is located in the southwest triangle of the province of Ávila. It is practically the space between the foothills of Gredos and the mountain ranges of Malpartida and Collado del Mirón, on the one hand, and the port of Villatoro and the confluence of the Corneja and Tormes rivers, on the other. This surface has been called "Valdecorneja" for centuries. The Cancionero de Baeza, from 1445, for example, records this. The four most important towns in the Valley are, possibly since Vetton times or before, El Mirón, Piedrahíta, La Horcajada and El Barco de Ávila. La Horcajada is located about 75 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital, Ávila, about 82 kilometers from Salamanca and 185 kilometers from Madrid. The town is located at 1033 m above sea level. n. m. between the towns of Piedrahíta and Barco de Ávila on the slopes of the Sierra de la Horcajada.

Well-preserved castle and medieval bridge

Old bridge, currently misnamed La Fonseca, its real historical name is La Ponseca. It belongs to the municipality of La Horcajada, which has also recently been rehabilitated because its rock was detaching and its stability was beginning to be endangered. It crosses the river Corneja and as a curiosity, Emperor Carlos V passed over this bridge on his retirement journey to the Yuste monastery.

Right at the top of the town of El Mirón there is a hill with an old tower/castle from past times that offers impressive views of the town and the area as a whole.

At this point I come across the parish church of the town of La Horcajada. I took advantage of my visit to this beautiful town to fill up the bottle at the fountain that we will find in the center.

While riding my bike near Villar de Corneja, I come across this beautiful medieval bridge that allows us to cross the Corneja river. This river was really useful for irrigating the orchards and using the mills.