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Culture
Chiviteros de Somaero
The chiviteros are a type of traditional architecture that is particularly prevalent in Los Arribes del Duero. In the past, small circular huts of stone and a broom roof were common in the region, as they were used to protect newborn goats from attack by one of the three large carnivores of the Iberian Peninsula: the Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus).
These rudimentary structures also served as temporary residences for shepherds, who frequently did not return home before sunset and were compelled to spend the night in the wild. In this manner, the chiviteros served a dual purpose: they were employed to facilitate the birth of livestock and as occasional shelters for the goatherds.
The two chiviteros of Somaero are named after the Somaero spring, a nearby spring from which the goats used to drink. This is probably why the chiviteros were built here. The chiviteros are currently unoccupied and no longer serve the purpose for which they were originally constructed. Following the restoration, the two structures have become a tourist attraction in the area and a monument to pastoral life. They serve as a reminder to visitors of the simpler but more sacrificial lives led by rural inhabitants in the past.
Furthermore, on the same road that leads to the chiviteros, there is a granite complex of three crags arranged one on top of the other. The identity of the architect, the construction method and the rationale behind the design remain unknown. However, the tower represents a significant contribution to the recreation of a bucolic landscape, crowning this high point on the left bank of the river Tormes.