Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Muriel viejo
Muriel Viejo Soria municipality and village located in the comarca of Pinares. Although there are no archaeological sites in the area, the name Muriel is of Iberian origin, so it is thought that the first settlers in this area may have belonged to Iberian tribes who settled in the area. As early as the 11th century, the locality is mentioned in the archive at the Cathedral of El Burgo de Osma, which is why it is thought that the origins of the current village are in the Christian repopulation of the area.
For years there was an old legend in this small municipality of just over 75 inhabitants that on the nearby peak of San Vicente there were the remains of an ancient Moorish village and watchtower. In recent decades, during the installation of a mobile phone mast, this myth was proven true. the installation of the mast, an ancient necropolis was found where the tombs had been razed to the ground but where a funerary stele was still preserved and deposited in the church of the municipality.
The town's architectural heritage includes the Shrine of San Roque and the Church of La Virgen de la Asunción, built in the 17th century. Among the civil heritage of the locality, some of the adobe houses that still stand in village of Muriel are notable in reflecting the popular architectural model of the area.
The surrounding natural environment is similar to that of other neighbouring municipalities, characterised by extensive forests where the dominant species is the pine, in some cases alternating with areas of oak groves and common juniper. Along with the nearby river that shares its name with the village, these wooded areas are one the biggest of Muriel Viejo, as well as being essential to the local economy. In fact, much the area's economic development was historically linked to the exploitation of these forests, which also provide it with a unique landscape.
The residents of Muriel Viejo celebrate festivals in honour of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in late September. The feast day of San Juan is another highlight, which takes place on 24 June, as well as the Romerìa de San Roque pilgrimage, on 16 August.