Oncala

Altitude: 1.301 m
Population: 101
Municipal districts: El Collado, San Andrés y Navavellida
Area: 3.992 Has
Annual Festival: September, 8th Nativity of Our Lady.

It is probable that the name Oncala comes from the Iberian-Vasque toponymy “On”, meaning good, and from “Cala”, pasture. It has a green and rolling landscape, sculptured throughout the centuries by the grazing of Merino sheep. Its big houses with shields, its churches and landscapes as well as its economical richness have been in this land since the 16th and 18th centuries and can be explained due to its cattle tradition, the trading of wood from the Merino sheep, the Mesta and the transhumance. The shepherds from Oncala, and the ones of the whole region, used to walk with their Merino sheep to the pastures in Extramadura through the Cattle Tracks which go from the Northern Spanish Mountains up to the South of the Spain, under the Real Consejo de la Mesta which protected them. Then, in summertime, they used to come back to the fresh meadows of the North. As the cotton manufacturing began, the Mesta started to lose some of its privileges and the wood trademark began its economic decline.

San Millan of Oncala’s Church (BIC 1983) - It was built between 1780 and 1798 at the expenses of Mr. Juan Francisco Ximenez del Río, born in the village, bishop of Segovia and archbishop of Valencia. According to tradition, this new church was built over the old one, as the people from Oncala did not trust the bishop and they thought that maybe this new church would not be finished, so the old chuch remained inside the new one, and after it was finished, the old one was demolished. It has a unique nave with five lunettes among round arches over pilasters. Aisles with dome on pendentives and arms with lunettes. The retable is dedicated to San Millán de la Cogolla, shepherds´patron saint, who is shown wearing a black monk cloth, with a lamb curled up at its feet, and holding a crook. The carving dates from the 1750s.


Oncala Museum of Tapestries (BIC 1983) - The church keeps the most important artistic treasure of the region: ten Flemish tapestries Eight of them woven after Rubens’ drawings. Ximenez del Río donated them and they were manufactured by Frans Van den Hecke between 1630 and 1665. They were ordered by the Princess Isabel Clara Eugenia, daughter of Felipe II and ruler of the Netherlands who ordered Rubens the design of these series for the Monastery Descalzas Reales of Madrid. Specialists divide them in three groups:

1. Premonitions and Eucharist Prophecies including “Abraham offering the tithe to Melquisedez”, “The harvest of the manna”, “The sacrifice of the Mosaical Law” and “Elias and the Angel”
2. Apotheosis of the Eucharist with “The Victory of the Divine Love”, “The Victory of Eucharist over idolatry” and “The Victory of the church”.
3. Two tapestries from the series gallant: “A couple with a musician” and “Gallant Series”.

Oncala Museum of the Shepherds - It is located in the former Teacher’s house and within its walls the life of those shepherds who used to move their cattle from Soria to Extremadura and Andalucia is shown. “El Redil", the youngsters of the town association, created this collection of tools and instruments related to the transhumance. Millán, a lad from Oncala, guides us in his journey from the Mountain range Sierra de Alba to the Alcudia Valley in Extremadura. This is the history of our land and men, who lived for and thanks to the cattle. The work of these youngsters is remarkable as they preserve and recover the past of their land.

[http://www.oncala-trashumancia.com]

The main festival is on September, 8th and it remembers the Nativity of Our Lady. Early in the morning, all the youngsters walk from house to house to wake up the rest of the citizens offering them anisette and biscuits. Then a mass is celebrated and the Virgin and Saint Roque are carried in procession. During the day several games are played and at night a band plays in the main square.

El Collado - A small village that is being renewed. Two industries of cold meat give some work to the area during the whole year.

There is also a church (18th century) in honour of Saint Marina that has a Baroque retable, a Romanesque baptismal font and two Rococo laterals.

The Linares River flows along this town surrounded by poplars, oaks, maples, hazels and elms. In its impenetrable meadow there are hawthorns, brushes, junipers, holly trees and beeches. The river is almost dry in summertime, but it has a strong stream in winter.

Navavellida - This smal village is located on the South side of the Mountain Lutero, and the stream Alba divides it in two neighbourhoods. It used to be a transhumance based area, so nowadays there is only one family living in this village, besides the people that come in summer or at the weekends.

The architectural richness of this village is highlated. The main street preserves the original cobbling, the fountain, pelota court and Saint Barbara’s Church. The silence and the vegetation that take over the streets, give a particular and charming atmosphere to this place.

San Andrés de San Pedro - This town is designed along the Royal Path to Soria with an amazing popular architecture whose mountain style houses are really well preserved. The Saint Andrews Apostle Chapel that lies at its gate is the only temple of the town since the Asuncion Church was abandoned. It is from the 18th century. Inside the chapel there is a font placed over a Romanesque capital that talks about the ancient origin of previous temples.

At the end point of the town, two streams meet where women used to wash their clothes. A beautiful path starts from the last house of the village. It walks parallel to the stream and goes to a meadow dotted with many oak trees.

Town Council: 975 38 11 49

Museum of Tapestries: Ask for a guided tour 651 11 23 57

Museum of the Shepherds: Ask for a guided tour phoning the “Asociación el Redil”, tel. N.: 975 23 27 80
Learn more at www.oncala-trashumancia.com