If you choose Torrejón de Velasco for a trip, you can focus on two very different periods: the late-medieval castle and the much older fossil world of Cerro de los Batallones. Churches, a pilgrimage chapel, a protected wetland and a cycling route add to the cultural and natural diversity. The themes range from architecture and religious tradition to palaeontology, hiking and birdwatching.
The castle and its changing uses
Castillo de Puñonrostro is a late-medieval castle in Torrejón de Velasco dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Its rectangular floor plan measures 37 × 21 metres; the complex has ten towers in total. In the early modern period, the castle was temporarily used as a prison. In 1775, a soap factory and a wool mill were established there. Its history of use therefore extends beyond its medieval origins as a castle.
A colony of lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) also lives in the castle; its size is estimated at around 50 breeding pairs. The Castillo’s wildlife is therefore another point of interest alongside its architectural history.
Fossils and the landscape of the Miocene
Cerro de los Batallones is considered one of the world’s most significant Miocene fossil sites because of the quantity, quality and diversity of its fossils. It is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category of a palaeontological site and is included in the Comunidad de Madrid’s Plan de Yacimientos Visitables. If you are planning a visit, check the current access arrangements in advance.
At Cerro, it is possible to reconstruct an ecosystem that existed around 10 million years ago. This included a large freshwater lake in the central part of the Madrid Basin. This connection between the fossils and the former landscape offers a distinct way to understand the site’s significance: the focus is not only on the finds themselves, but also on the environment in which the ecosystem existed.
Churches, a chapel and religious tradition
The Iglesia de San Esteban Protomártir dates from the 15th century and is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural. Its floor plan follows a Latin cross. Its features include reddish-brown brick façades, masonry panels and buttresses. The church thus combines a clear floor plan with distinctive architectural elements.
Ermita de San Nicasio is the pilgrimage chapel dedicated to the patron saint of Torrejón de Velasco; it was already in existence at the beginning of the 17th century. The San Nicasio celebrations include a procession in which the patron saint is carried from the Ermita to the Iglesia de San Esteban Protomártir. Check the current dates of the celebrations if you would like to include the procession in your travel plans.
Another religious site is Ermita de San Isidro. Fuente de la Teja is located next to it. The fountain dates from 1898 and was formerly used as a watering trough for livestock. Its date and former use provide a different historical reference point from the late-medieval castle or the town’s churches.
Wetland and cycling route
Encharcamientos del arroyo Guatén is a ten-hectare protected wetland in the natural landscape of Torrejón de Velasco. Visitors can hike and watch birds there; the area is also botanically and faunistically significant. This adds a natural area to the cultural attractions, where both activity and observation play a part.
A six-kilometre section of CiclaMadrid connects Torrejón de Velasco with Cubas de la Sagra. A cycling route between two municipalities and activities in the wetland therefore offer different options: cycling along the route, or hiking and birdwatching in the natural area.
Discover more destinations: Bustarviejo, Cadalso, San Fernando De Henares, Villanueva Del Pardillo, Piñuécar, Manjirón, Torrejón De Ardoz, Moraleja De Enmedio
For the broader travel overview: Madrid.
