A freestanding rollo with a circular ground plan and imperial eagle, a monastery on an east-facing slope, and a wine tasting give Villafufre a clearly defined theme for visitors. In the municipality, specific questions about architectural forms and history sit alongside an insight into winemaking and cellar work. For your planning, you can treat cultural sites and wine tasting as separate points of interest.

Palace, library and rollo: distinct architectural forms

The Palacio de los Escobedo in Escobedo de Villafufre dates from the period between the 17th and 18th centuries. Vega is home to the Biblioteca Lope de Vega, Lope de Vega’s family home. Its façade is made of ashlar stone; the square ground plan and two storeys give the building a clearly recognizable layout. Ashlar refers to dressed stone blocks of regular shape. Thus, the palace is chiefly notable for its period of construction and name, while the library can be described by its façade and structure.

The Rollo Heráldico in Vega de Villafufre is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the Monument category. It is freestanding, built of ashlar stone, and has a circular ground plan. An imperial eagle crowns the monument. Its compact form differs from the larger building complexes: here, the focus can be on a single stone structure and its distinctive features.

The Monasterio de La Canal: church, monastery and funerary sculptures

The Monasterio de La Canal in Vega, Villafufre, is protected as a Bien de Interés Local in the category of immovable cultural heritage. The complex includes a Franciscan church and an 18th-century monastery of the Conceptionists. In the church, in arches opening on both sides of the presbytery, are two funerary sculptures of the monastery’s founders, works by the sculptor Gabriel de Rubalcaba. The sculptures and their arrangement are therefore among the complex’s distinctive details, along with its buildings.

Its setting adds to the impression of the complex: it stands on a projecting slope halfway up an east-facing hill. La Canal can therefore be understood both through its architecture and furnishings and through its position in the landscape.

Altarpieces and Cubos in the Municipality

The church of Villafufre is also of particular interest for its folk altarpieces. Altarpieces are altar furnishings; here, the focus is therefore on the church’s interior fittings, not only on its architectural form.

Simple, round cubos, some with a solid, tower-like appearance, survive in several enclosures across the municipality. The most representative examples are in the enclosure of a manor house in Vega, at the crossroads toward Saro. The cubos are thought to date from the 18th century. Their form and place within the enclosure offer a different scale from a palace, church or monastery: they are smaller elements of the rural building stock.

Winemaking and Practical Planning

In San Martín de Villafufre, Bodega y Viñedo Señorío del Pas offers a tour of the vineyard and winery with a tasting. You can learn how the grapes are grown and how they are processed at the winery. The tasting concludes with the winery’s own wines and regional products. The visit therefore offers a different focus from the cultural buildings: it takes you from cultivation through processing to the products on offer.

If you plan to take the tour, confirm your reservation before you arrive. For Villafufre, the transport table lists departures from Vega to Santander. Check the timetable before travelling, as transport schedules may change.

Discover more destinations: Polanco, Helguera, Mazcuerras, Cabuérniga, Ruente, Luey, Bareyo, La Cueva.

For the broader travel overview: Cantabria.