Puntos de Interés
Culture
Torregamones
One of the most popular tourist attractions in the town of Torregamones is undoubtedly its chiviteros. The enclosure, characterised by round huts with broom roofs, is sheltered among holm oaks (Quercus ilex) a few metres from the path, just after Palla Valcuevo. This location is significant as it is the site of a cave inhabited in prehistoric times by the first settlers of the region, after they had left the gorges of the Duero River and continued towards Torregamones.
Although the structure may appear to be a corral used by livestock farmers in ancient times, it is, in fact, a relatively recent construction. Indeed, its use was discontinued as recently as the 1990s.
The pastoral complex was constructed by Manuel San Antonio, a local goatherd, using the materials at his disposal. It is an accurate representation of traditional Sayago architecture. Manuel, armed with the resources at his disposal and the accumulated knowledge of his ancestors, constructed a shelter for his flock using materials such as dried broom (Cytisus scoparius) and granite rocks. This structure was designed to protect the animals from predators, particularly the vulnerable newborns and their mothers, from the threat of the wolf (Canis lupus signatus).
The life of the goatherd was one of dedication to and for the herd, with long days spent with the goats and even instances of sleeping with them when he was far from home. This enabled the herders to gain extensive knowledge of their environment, including the ability to identify a wide range of medicinal plants, to predict changes in the weather based on the behaviour of animals, and to understand the terrain and its geographical features due to their experience of protecting their goats. As was to be expected, they acted as veterinarians, tanned the skins to make bags and garments to protect themselves from the harsh winters, but, above all, they made the cheeses that their neighbours appreciated so much.
In the past, there were as many chiviteros in the Arribes del Duero as there were shepherds, which gradually disappeared with the arrival of new livestock farming models and more sophisticated equipment. Nevertheless, none of the traditional stone huts are as well preserved as those of the Torregamones chivitero complex, which has been proposed for inclusion in the list of monuments of cultural interest in the province of Zamora.