We love Madrid in all its forms. Its museums, its streets, its restaurants… We like it when it rains, when it’s sunny and when we go by subway. when we walk by its coolest street and when we get lost in their ghost stories.
But we also like to get away from traffic, noise and the crowd to spend the day in a quiet town like the one we bring you today, and without leaving the Community of Madrid. We are talking about a town in the Middle Valley of Jarama, northeast of the Community of Madrid and bordering Guadalajara, which is less than an hour from the capital.
Torrelaguna, a town in which to get lost
On January 23, 1974, the historical-artistic complex of the town of Torrelaguna was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. It was the first headquarters of the Canal de Isabel II, birthplace of Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros and place of residence of María Toribia, who would later become Santa María de la Cabeza.
If we walk through its historic center we come across a 15th century church, the Iglesia Parroquial de Santa María Magdalena, which is a example of gothic architecture in Madrid. El Pósito, the Hospital de San Bartolomé and the Franciscan Convent of the Madre de Dios, in addition to the Hermitage of San Sebastián also from the s. XV, and the Palacio Arteaga or del Infantado (from the XVII-XVIII centuries) complete a unique historical ensemble that falls in love.
The Plaza Mayor, with the Town Hall founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1514 to serve as a grain store, the Convent of the Franciscan Sisters and the Cruz de Cisneros erected in 1802, is a must-see.
If you want to complete your getaway with a visit to the surroundings, don’t miss the Canal de Cabarrús, built at the end of the 18th century and the seat of what was once the Canal de Isabel II. And save energy for a route of hiking in the natural environment of the Middle Valley of Jarama because it is very worthwhile.
The films in which Torrelaguna is also the protagonist
In fact here Cary Grant and sophia loren they recorded the movie Pride and Passion along with Frank Sinatra and they have not been the only ones. It has been a filming location for the series Isabel Y Penélope Cruz has walked its streets with Javier Bardem in Everybody knowsAsghar Farhadi’s thriller.
Where to eat and sleep in Torrelaguna
It’s time to eat, and if we visit Torrelaguna we can’t stop trying the Castilian roast suckling lamb, the migas with grapes, the Castilian soup and the Jews, all typical dishes of the town. To eat them we can visit the restaurant Salt Storehouse or the grill Old Potato Houseboth specialists in traditional cuisine.
For accommodation, we suggest a rural house on the outskirts, such as La casita de la prairie with three bedrooms and capacity for five people, which has a price of €475 for two nights on a weekend, or the Casa Rural Antigua Botica, for two people and a price of 214 euros for a week end.
The little house on the prairie. House with three bedrooms and capacity for five people from 475 euros for two nights on a weekend
Casa Rural Antigua Botica for two people from 214 euros for two nights on a weekend
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Photos | IStock, Pride and passion
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