A 12th-century Romanesque cloister and the banks of the Arlanzón offer two distinct themes in Castrillo Del Val: architectural history and the natural landscape. There are also churches with different floor plans, historical route connections and a fossil site with snail fossils. This gives you clearly distinct focal points for planning your trip: culture, landscape and geological history.
Monastery and literary tradition
The Monasterio de San Pedro de Cardeña is part of the village of Castrillo Del Val. Its Romanesque remains include the tower and the Martyrs' Cloister, dating from the 12th century. The monastery church dates from the 16th century, and the Capilla del Cid adjoins it. The monastery thus brings together architectural elements from different periods. According to the tradition of the Cantar, the monastery is associated with Jimena and was once the burial place of El Cid and his wife. Their remains were transferred to Burgos Cathedral in the 20th century.
Comparing the architecture of two churches
The Iglesia de Santa Eugenia is neoclassical and has a basilica-style floor plan. Arches divide its interior into three sections. Its square tower was built in the early 17th century and consists of three sections separated by cornices. By contrast, the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista is a 16th-century Renaissance church with a Latin cross floor plan. It stands outside the village center on Alto Castillejo. Their styles, interior layouts and locations offer specific points of comparison between the two churches.
Routes and local connections
In Castilla y León, the Camino de Santiago passes through the municipality and the village center of Castrillo Del Val. The Camino del Cid leads to the Monasterio de San Pedro de Cardeña; its road route runs from Burgos via Cardeñajimeno to the monastery. Your trip planning can therefore take account of different route connections: the route through the municipality and village center, and the monastery as the destination of the road route.
River, woodland and geological traces
A footpath leads to caves in the Cuevas de Castrillo del Val area, including one formed in a collapse doline. The stretch of the Arlanzón near Castrillo Del Val is home to protected otters and European mink and lies within the LIC de las riberas del Arlanzón. The banks of the Arlanzón near Cardeñajimeno and Castrillo Del Val are also in very good condition, with the riverside forest well preserved. The undergrowth of Monte de Castrillo is home to kermes oak, gorse, wild madder, blackthorn and hawthorn; Pyrenean oaks (Quejigos) grow there in scattered groups.
The paleontological site DU034 near Castrillo Del Val offers a glimpse into a different time period: it contains snail fossils from the middle to upper Miocene. Its primary interest is paleontological, with secondary mineralogical and stratigraphic-geological interest. The fossils are the main focus, while mineralogy and stratigraphy add to the geological perspective. The chronology also provides a point of comparison: the Romanesque monastery remains of the 12th century are followed by the monastery church and San Juan Bautista from the 16th century, and Santa Eugenia's tower from the early 17th century. The snail fossils reach far back beyond architectural history into the history of the Earth.
Discover more destinations: Cogollos, Palazuelos De La Sierra, Santa Inés, Medianas, Zuzones, Miñón, Quintanilla del Agua, Espinosa De Cervera
For the overview of the wider region: Burgos.
