In the Community of Madrid there are many beautiful towns, the kind that you want to escape to disconnect. While Brihuega has nothing to envy from French Provence, Rascafría hides a Nordic forest… However, only one has the charm of being the smallest. And it is that, as with perfumes, sometimes the best ones come in a small bottle. In this case, it is Madarcos, in the northern mountains of Madrid, and where only 49 people live.
In the foothills of Somosierra, 87 km from the capital, is this small municipality that stands out for its traditional architecture. And it is that its urban core has not undergone major changes throughout history and still retains different elements of its traditional activity, mainly livestock.
Although there are no documents that specify the time of Madarcos’s birth, it is very likely that it originated with the settlement of shepherds after the reconquest, in medieval times. Just as it happened with the towns around it.
The traditional building in this place is on one floor, covered with two waters and with masonry walls made of granite rock and schist. In addition, between the buildings are spaces of orchards and closed stone corrals. All this makes it a very charming town.
In addition, its heritage includes the parish church of Santa Ana, which was built in the 17th century and it is singular for its belfry. We also find the Potro de Herrar, the Sundial, and the architectural ensemble of the Town Hall (together with the Doctor’s Office, they have received a quality award from the CAM).
As for festivities, we find “Madarcos Ayer y Hoy” (October 4), a festival of rrecovery of traditional activities in which donuts and pestiños are made and traditional tools are exposed, transporting us back in time to the past.
On the other hand, Madarcos has been included in the Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve, the paradise of the north of the Community of Madrid. The so-called biosphere reserves are areas created to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere.
Made up of six towns, a total of 16,091 hectares of surface and more than 2,400 flora organisms, the reserve is made up of a mountainous territory located between the Ayllón and Somosierra massifs. A whole green lung.
Several hiking routes designed by the City Council start from the town centre. One of them is El Herrero, with its Manoliche variant (which is shorter), almost 7 km long and doable in approximately 2 hours. According to the locals, corresponds to the journey made by the blacksmith resident in Horcajuelowhich moved to the blacksmith shop located in the current Bar La Fragua.
Photos | Madarcos Town Hall
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