And another dandy road warrior tour of my beloved Spain. This time will remain in the Comunidad de Madrid, In this area or community you have several important towns of historical significanse as I am glad finally found me couple pictures of this town that should be in my blog for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on this is Colmenar Viejo !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The City of Colmenar Viejo is located in the Comunidad de Madrid region and in the kingdom of Spain, It is 42 km from Madrid, 42 km from San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 81 km from Segovia, 80 km from Guadalajara, and 82 km from Aranjuez. The main access roads to the town are the M607 from Madrid, passing through Tres Cantos, Colmenar Viejo, and Cerceda towards Navacerrada; the M609 from Colmenar Viejo, which bypasses Soto del Real and connects to the M611; and the M618 from Torrelodones, which passes through Hoyo de Manzanares and Colmenar Viejo, connecting to the M607. We came here from Madrid on our way north,getting on the inner beltway road M30 dir Badajoz but connecting on exit/salida 25 dir El Pardo/Colmenar Viejo to the outer beltway M40 passing the Tunel del Pardo tunnel then a long loop to get on the M607 dir Colmenar Viejo, get off on exit/salida 15 Hospitales Universida Autonoma de Madrid and continue on the M607 road passing on your right Tres Cantos continue then bear right onto panel Colmenar Centro exit/salida 32 To Colmenar Viejo on avenida de la Libertad go thru two roundabout still on same avenue bearing left on the 2nd roundabout onto Calle de la Soledad continue becomes Calle del Pilar bear left onto Calle del Viento to Basilica,
In my road warrior trails thru this City came in to take a peek at the Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora or Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, a Gothic church with an impressive bell tower and a magnificent main altarpiece, dating from between 1566 and 1579. This altarpiece is a characteristic example of the Plateresque Renaissance style, crafted from polychrome wood, and prominently features the figure of the Virgin Mary, depicting her Assumption into Heaven at its center. The tower, (see pic) dominates the town with its height of over 50 meters and a side length of 8.80 meters.. It is crowned by a spire. Inside you have the Museum of Sacred Art, and was inaugurated in July 2009. It occupies the upper choir and the tower rooms of the church and displays religious artifacts from all periods, as well as some of the Visigothic elements discovered during the 1969 renovation of the Hermitage of Our Lady of Remedios.
Other things to see here with more time are the Hermitage of Our Lady of Remedies is located about 5 km from the town center, on the road to Guadalix de la Sierra. It houses the image of Our Lady of Remedies, patron saint of Colmenar Viejo, which was discovered in 1914 during the restoration of the previous image. The current church dates from the 14C, with a 17C extension that was renovated in the following century, and several annexes added in 1969. It was during this last period that Visigothic archaeological remains began to appear within the hermitage grounds and the surrounding area. The Chapel of Saint Anne at Calle de Feria was built next to the now-demolished Hospital for the Poor, whose monumental entrance is currently located in front of the Hermitage of Our Lady of Remedies. The Hermitage of Saint Anne, located on the outskirts of the town on the Hoyo de Manzanares road, has existed since at least the 16C. The Hermitage of La Soledad is also located on the outskirts of the town. The first section of the building dates from the mid-16C, featuring a monumental doorway adapted to the size of the religious images of the time. Despite tradition attributing a Roman origin to the Batán Bridge, it was actually built in the Middle Ages. The Grajal Bridge spans the upper reaches of the Manzanares river, next to the M-618 road, which connects the town of Grajal with Hoyo de Manzanares and Torrelodones. It was built in the Middle Ages, during the Muslim rule of the Iberian Peninsula.
A bit of history I like tell us that according to local lore, the origins of the town’s name date back centuries. It was a stopping point for travelers on the road from Alcalá de Henares to Segovia when an old beekeeper began offering lodging to them. Some chose to settle in the area, giving rise to a village that adopted the name of the landmark for travelers, el colmenar del viejo or the old man’s apiary, which would evolve into what is now known as Colmenar Viejo. After the conquest of Madrid at the end of the 11C, Alfonso VI created a district or alfoz due to the area’s sparse population and poorly defined geographical boundaries. This district was dependent on the Community of City and Land of Segovia. It became a settlement for people from Segovia, and these ill-defined borders led to conflicts between Segovia and Madrid for over a century until Alfonso X the Wise ended these struggles, incorporating these lands into the Crown. From then on, this large territory was called “the Real de Manzanares”, which included towns such as Colmenar Viejo, Soto del Real, Hoyo de Manzanares, Miraflores, Navacerrada, San Agustín del Guadalix, etc. Colmenar Viejo, the town with the largest population in the entire Royal and County, was the first to achieve, on November 22, 1504, in the final days of Queen Isabel I the Catholic’s life, the jurisdictional separation from Manzanares; it was the town that achieved the largest municipal area, and shortly afterwards became the economic and administrative center of the Lordship and the residence of the Governor and Mayor of the County.
The official Basilica de la Asuncion de Ntra Sra : https://basilicacolmenar.com/nosotros/patrimonio/basilica-asuncion-de-ntra-senora
The official Basilica de la Asuncion de Ntra Sra on the museum : https://basilicacolmenar.com/nosotros/museo-de-arte-sacro
The City of Colmenar Viejo on its heritage : https://colmenarviejo.com/ayuntamiento/concejalias/cultura-y-turismo/turismo/patrimonio-colmenar-viejo/patrimonio-monumental
The Comunidad de Madrid region tourism on Colmenar Viejo : https://www.visitmadrid.es/en/where-to-go/metropolitan-area/colmenar-viejo
There you go folks, another gem in the off the beaten path roads to Colmenar de Oreja, an easy ride by car all worth it for a pleasant afternoon away from the city. Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Colmenar Viejo !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 