Anchuela Del Pedregal lies on a hillside at the foot of the Sierra de Caldereros. In the wider Molina–Alto Tajo area, the Sierra is designated a natural monument. Alongside this landscape, religious buildings and traces of earlier settlement shape the village.

Village Layout and Earlier Settlement

The streets of Anchuela Del Pedregal are mostly laid out as terraces running east to west. In the upper part of the village, the remains of an earlier settlement, with sunken houses, have been preserved. An old cemetery is also located there. These two features represent different aspects of the village’s history: traces of settlement and an earlier burial ground.

Churches and Hermitages

The Iglesia de San Andrés Apóstol is a single-nave church with a narrow, tall Baroque main altarpiece. “Single-nave” describes a church interior with one main nave; the tall altarpiece adds a vertical accent.

The Ermita de San José is located at the entrance to the village. It was built by an Indiano, a son of the village who had returned from the Americas. Its richly decorated portal features design elements in the pre-Columbian style; geometric shapes can be found on the exterior and interior walls. The portal and wall surfaces thus display different decorative motifs. Check the site’s current condition before visiting.

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Gavilán has medieval origins and was extensively enlarged and altered in the 18th century. The reconstructed almizate of the roof structure is above the choir. Its 25 square panels alternate between eight-pointed stars and slanted crosses as Mudéjar decoration. The reconstruction work took place in 2010. The chapel therefore has three distinguishable building phases: its medieval origins, the alterations of the 18th century, and the reconstruction of 2010.

A historical account also mentions the washhouse, with two basins and a wall fountain with two spouts. This adds another detail of the village’s appearance to the religious buildings.

Routes to Specific Sights

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Gavilán is about two kilometres from the village. A path leads to it, branching off opposite the road that runs from the N-211 to the village entrance. The distance is approximate; check local path conditions before planning the detour.

A pairón dating from 1900 stands beside a path near Anchuela Del Pedregal. Its four niches probably include depictions of San José, San Vicente and the souls in purgatory, among others. As the figures have not been identified with certainty, their attribution remains provisional. Ask about the pairón’s current condition before making a special trip to see it.

Discover more destinations: Chillarón Del Rey, Ciruelas, Loranca de Tajuña, Trillo, Villares de Jadraque, Saúca, Ventosa, Salmerón.

For the wider travel guide: Guadalajara.