Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Villaespasa
Villaespasa is a small municipality in the Sierra de la Demanda mountains in Burgos. Its history and development have always been closely linked to that of the Alfoz de Lara and the Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza located near the town.
Like other villages in the area, Villaespasa has suffered major progressive depopulation that has left the municipality with little more than 25 inhabitants. One of the reasons for the rural exodus to large cities in the past was the decline of agriculture and livestock farming, which for centuries were among the main economic engines of this Burgos village and employed most of the local residents. In fact, the Cañada Real de las Merinas de Semprú, also known as Cañada Real Burgalesa, one of the royal cattle trails dotted across Spain, ran through the north of Villaespasa. For centuries, this route was crucial for the regional economy, as it was a route taken by many of the local inhabitants a couple of times a year, accompanied by their herds of cattle, in search of the freshest pastures.
Despite the small population, Villaespasa is a village with important cultural and historical heft, located in an area of importance for the history of the Iberian Peninsula in times such as the Christian reconquest and the later Middle Ages. Its historical heritage includes the Church of Santa Eulalia, upon which construction began in the 15th century on the ruins of an earlier Romanesque temple, although its roof was left unfinished for unknown reasons. Another important site is the Shrine of Valpeñoso, built in the 17th century over the remains of an earlier construction. Local festivities are held around both religious temples: in honour of Santa Eulalia in mid-August and in early July for Valpeñoso. One of the great attractions of this municipality is its natural surroundings, in the vicinity of the Sierra de la Demanda mountain range, and the unique landscape it offers. From Villaespasa, hikers can choose from a number of routes that cross this region offering the chance to discover this landscape dotted with hills, streams and brooks.
