Castilfrío de la Sierra

Altitude: 1.250 metros
Population: 29
Area: 1.170 Has
Annual Festival:Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

It is located within the mountain range of Sierra de Oncala. Its steep cobbled paving streets come down onto small squares. It is remarkable the architectural collection of its houses, as they are well preserved; both the mountain houses and stately houses owned by rich farmers from the Mesta, some of them with shields on their walls. Nowadays some houses are being rebuilt, so there are only two abandoned houses. Close to the town the river Merdancho is born

Dos ermitas - One of them is in ruins, the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Nave from the Sixteenth century, the rest of the building is from the Eighteenth century. It is remarkable the big Romanesque Reredos (Seventeenth century) with a bench, a pediment and a chambranle of the Eighteenth century. Very rich reredos and canvas (Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries) and a Baroque organ (Eighteenth century). on the fence of the church there is a big Roman funeral stele with the image of some women and some swastikas. Iron age brooch of El Castillejo. Round ground plant, mota and walls, that rose up to 4,5m high but that nowadays are demolished. In the upper area, the most accessible chevaux de frise, slabs of stone, embedded on the ground, to break the horses legs and therefore avoid the attacks. A 350m path made of pebbles, leads to the site. Big mountain houses with shields from the farmers of the Mesta date to the Eighteenth century. Way to the dolmen Tejera, that belongs to the town of Carrascosa.

The 30th April, during the festivity called Ecce-Homo, the youngsters used to go to the mountains where they cut and collected some firewood that the young girls brought back into the village. There, a bonfire was lighted and they danced around it singing songs like this one:

"Al Cristo del Ecce-Homo/le he pedido que me quieras/si es que me engañas te corro/te lo digo muy de veras" (I have asked the Ecce-Homo Christ /for you to love me/ if you cheat on me, I will hit you / I really mean it)

Celebration of San Isidro, with a popular lunch in the countryside, popular games and card tournaments, with a dancing at the end:

"San Isidro, juergas, vino/cantares, tragos en bota/entusiasmo en el camino y en la plaza con la JOTA" (San Isidro, parties, wine/songs, drinks/fun on the way and on the square dancing JOTAS)

The young boys go to the young girls´ houses during the night of San Juan to fix some branches on the walls (enramadas), after going around the town and drinking some anisette:

"Ya le he puesto la enramada/a la moza que prefiero/si alguno quiere rondarla/pida permiso primero" (I have already fixed a branch on the house of the girl I like the most/ if anybody wants to woo her / he should ask for permission first)

They celebrated the festivity of the Madonna of August and San Roque, when the young boys tried to become men. In the town council, while drinking some anisette, they used to ask the mayor:

"Señor alcalde, qué pasa, hay toros este año?" (Will there be any bullfighting this year, Mr Mayor?”) and he used to answer: "Llamar a los mozos a ver si están dispuestos" (“Go ask the youngsters and see if they are ready!”).

They were in charge of going to the field called Fuente de la Hoya, to select the bulls and then bring them down into the town. That day, the married women manufactured the *Judas who was tossed once and again by the bulls. Nowadays, we keep a small song from this ancient festivity. We can enjoy it thanks to Fortunato Romero, from Castilfrío:

"San Roque, fiesta de toros, anís, tortas y canciones las hemos pasado todos con muy grandes ilusiones (San Roque, a party of bulls, anisette, cakes and songs, that all of us have enjoyed with great excitement). Se preparaban con ganase toreaba con brío y allí hacían su fama los mozos de Castilfrío" (They trained hard to fight the bull and the youngsters of Castilfrío became famous).

They paid their rent. They danced sword dances. The shearing was famous as it took from seven to ten days: over seventy thousand transhumance sheep were brought up there.

Tradition of rounds:

"La ronda va por la calle con mucha serenidad nadie se meta con ella que ella no se meterá" (The round goes along the streets, if nobody picks on it, it will not pick on anybody). Or this other one: "Qué alegría da en mi pueblo respetar sus tradiciones y organizar los festejos con sus grandes ilusiones. (It is so nice to follow the tradition of my town and organize all the festivities with such big excitement) Rondar y bailar la jota con salero e ilusión beber buen trago en la bota lucirse en la procesión llevando al santo a la ermita o desplegado el pendón" (Rounding and dancing the jota with excitement and style, drinking from the bota, excelling yourself while carrying the saint to the chapel and unfolding the standard).

They used to sing albadas as follows:

"Salga la novia al balcón bien compuesta y preparada si nos quiere dar permiso para cantarle la albada" (May the bride lean out of the window, well dressed and ready if she wants us to sing her a song).

And if the tradition was not followed, they used to sing cencerradas:

"Por negarte a la costumbre te hemos dado cencerrada y con lo que ahora has pagado haremos chocolatada" (As you refused to follow the tradition, we will give you a cencerrada and with the money you have paid we will have some hot chocolate)

Procession to the church of Nuestra Señora del Carrascal, with an auction to raise the image of the Virgin to the throne and the banzos.

(Isabel and Luisa Goig Soler)

Town Council: Plaza Felipe las Heras, s/n 42171. Tfno: 975 25 11 00