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In northern Cáceres, there is an impressive ashlar stone building in the Historic Complex of Hervás, between the old Franciscan infirmary – now the Town Hall – the Church of St. Mary and St. John, and the Jewish Quarter. This structure with a pediment on top, which dates back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, is attributed to one of the architects who worked for the Chapter of Salamanca: Nicolás Rodríguez, García de Quiñones or Juan de Sagarbinaga. The building has housed the Pérez Comendador-Leroux Museum since 1986, featuring the sculptures and paintings of Enrique Pérez Comendador (Hervás 1900-Madrid, 1981) and Magdalena Leroux (Paris, 1902- Madrid 1985).

Both artists were trained in the classical tradition: in early 20th-century Seville, Comendador, alongside the Sevillian sculptor Joaquín Bilbao and the masters Gustavo Bacarisas, Virgilio Mattoti, and Montalbán, was associated with the School of Arts and the Museum of Fine Arts (both housed in the former Convent of La Merced). He was also connected to the Sevillian Athenaeum, which at the time enjoyed great prestige thanks to figures like José María Izquierdo

With scholarships from the Seville City Council and the Cáceres Provincial Council, he moved to Madrid in 1919 to continue his studies with Miguel Blay Fàbregas. During this time, he met José María de Winthuysen, Victorio Macho, and Enrique Barral, connecting with the Mediterranean and Catalan artistic traditions, from Aristide Maillol to Josep Clarà. In the following decade he undertakes several monumental works, travels abroad, participates in National Exhibitions, in the Venice Biennial, and the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. He meets Parisian painter Madeleine Leroux Casa Velázquez and they marry in Paris in 1931. He is awarded the First Medal at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in 1932. He receives a scholarship to Rome in 1934, becomes a Professor of Life Modelling at the Escuela Central de San Fernando (1941–1972), and is a member of Spanish and European academies: Seville, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Florence. He created remarkable sculptures that can be found throughout Spain and his artistry was introduced to the Americas by the conquistadors. He capped off a distinguished career in Rome, directing the Spanish Academy from 1969 to 1973. Particularly noteworthy are his sculptures dedicated to women, the Roman nudes in Room V: The bold volumes, serene presence and fluid, enveloping forms make the “Campesina”, “Eva”, “Veneciana”, “La siesta” or “Mujer de Cántaro” pieces comparable to his Cristo de la Buena Muerte, San Pedro de Alcántara or Pizarro and place him among the great figurative sculptors of 20th century Spain.

The museum also features Magdalena Leroux’s watercolours, oils, and drawings, from early landscapes of the Atlantic Coast, French Riviera, Venice, and Paris to later works inspired by her deep knowledge of Spanish and Extremaduran geography and long periods of time spent in Italy, Egypt, and South America.

Madeleine Leroux trained in the French classical tradition, known for its precise and exquisite drawing. She was inspired to study Arts and Crafts by the World Expositions and the Fine Arts movement, and by her father, a professor of fine arts. Auguste Leroux was a renowned portraitist. His uncle, Georges Leroux, was a member of the Academy of Fine Arts. His siblings André and Luccienne were painters.

The museum opened to the public in 1986 and has been expanding its collections in recent years with the work of artists such as the Javier Winthuysen Losada (1876-1957), the Sevillian painter, scholar and garden designer, and especially the work of the Extremaduran Ángel Duarte Jiménez (1930-2007), now owned by the Helga de Alvear Museum. Duarte, an artist immersed in geometric abstraction and the European optical and kinetic art movements, worked from Paris and Sion (Switzerland), where he lived starting in 1961. He was a founding member of one of the most influential art groups of the second half of the 20th century: TEAM 57.

Finally, the museum has added a New Artists series to its collection, featuring works from the Eduardo Capa Sacristán Temporary Exhibition Hall since 1997, with pieces donated by the artists to the museum after exhibiting in the Hall. Pilar Molinos y Rafael Ortega (Fregenal de la Sierra), Luis Costillo (Huelva), Juan Gila (Zafra)), Jorge Gil (Jaca), Ángel Sardina (Ávila), Monserrat del Valle o J.M Velasco (Córdoba), José Manuel Pérez Tapias (Sevilla), Andrés Talavero ( Cáceres), Pedro Gamonal( Navalmoral de la Mata), José Maria Larrondo (Villafranca de los Barros), César David and Paloma Pájaro (Salamanca), Chema Navares (Perales de Navas), Ignacio Villar Salamanca) Juan José Fuentes (Córdoba), Arancha Goyeneche (Santander), Tirador (Gijón) Delia Sánchez Matas and María Jesús Florén ( Madrid), Bogdan Chaikovsky (Ukraine), Annia Alonso, Reinaldo López and J.M.Delgado (Cuba), and Matilde Granados (Belvís de Monroy),among many others.

An initiative launched in 1997 to promote the arts from the western Iberian Peninsula, highlighted by key exhibitions such as “4/18 in Villafranca and Hervás” (2009) and “Miscelánea”, organised by the Castrillón City Council at the Valey Cultural Centre in Piedras Blancas, Asturias.

César Velasco Morillo

Director

Perez Comendador-Leroux Museum

Asensio Neila, 5. 10700, HERVÁS

Northern Extremadura is surrounded by an extensive mountain range. As part of the Central System, it acts as a dividing line between the northern and southern plateaus.

In the foothills of this mountain range on its southern slope, in the easternmost part of the region, lies the territory of Ambroz-Cáparra. Spanning over 90,000 hectares, this area features high mountains with elevations exceeding 2,000 metres, such as Pico Pinajarro (2,099 metres), as well as plateaus with elevations around 300 metres.

This variation in altitude is further influenced by the fact that the mountain range acts as a barrier, trapping the moisture carried by the winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The variation in humidity within the same territory means that some regions like Hervás receive up to 1,200 litres per m2 per year, whereas others like Guijo de Granadilla receive up to 680 litres per m2 per year.

Humidity levels also contribute to temperature variations which are linked to altitude and further shaped by the region’s diverse soil types. Granite soils of various origins gradually shift to slate and sandy soils within a 50-kilometre stretch from north to south.

And this is how the pillars that support the rich biodiversity of Ambroz-Cáparra are formed. Each combination of altitude, rainfall, temperature, and soil type creates to a unique natural ecosystem or one that is shaped by traditional agriculture and livestock practices.

In this blog post where we focus on birdlife, high mountain areas serve as spring habitats for the Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), host historic nesting sites for the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and provide the increasingly rare mountain meadows needed by the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio).

As we descend into areas with higher rainfall and milder temperatures dominated by dense forests, we find ideal nesting sites for the Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) and the increasingly threatened European Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus). This summer raptor relies on the lush foliage of the chestnut and Pyrenean oak groves that thrive across the northern part of the region.

Continuing our descent in altitude and latitude, we come across the two main agro-silvopastoral systems characteristic of Extremadura – the dehesa and the traditional olive grove – that feature unique adaptations to thrive with very little rainfall and endure the extreme summer heat.

The holm oak, cork oak and olive groves, in harmony with the action of our livestock and agricultural inhabitants, provide the ideal environment for the Iberian Peninsula’s largest bird, the Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) or the wintering Redwing Thrush (Turdus iliacus) to look for food.

As the journey continues, it follows the course of a series of watercourses such as rivers and reservoirs. These reservoirs, which capture and store rainfall, also sustain diverse wildlife. In the Ambroz-Cáparra region, the Gabriel y Galán Reservoir SPA is a prime example of water-related biodiversity. This Special Protection Area serves as an annual roost for over 2,000 common cranes (Grus grus), black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), and lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus). It is also a nesting site for the stunning great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) and the vulnerable black stork (Ciconia nigra). Consistent with the water theme, the fact that Ambroz-Cáparra has mountainous areas means that considerable volumes of pure water flow down its slopes where alder forests grow and where the enigmatic white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) likes to live.
And the list goes on, because there are more than 200 species of birds registered in our territory, where nature lovers and birdwatchers can explore the dehesas, mountains, forests, riparian forests and reservoirs in the company of loved ones or with an expert guide. Don’t forget the binoculars!

Daniel Alvaro Alonso Rubio

Vive Ambroz

On this occasion, we’ll be walking the first section of this road.

Our journey begins at the spot where the boundaries of Plasencia, Valdeobispo and Oliva de Plasencia coincide. The spot is marked by a fragment of milestone on the roadway. A few meters away, the pedestal of the milestone corresponding to mile CII is conserved in situ, embedded on its left side.

A few metres to the left, there is another milestone fragment in the stream and an intact milestone which has been repurposed as an animal feeder. They date back to the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Maximus. We walk in a northerly direction following the Mérida – Astorga route. About 1,500 metres ahead we’ll see several more milestones, some of them intact. One of them contains an inscription indicating who made it and for what purpose. The best ones were taken to the neighbouring town of Carcaboso and placed in the courtyard of the church where they are conserved. These milestones date back to the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius, numeral CIII. The inscription is translated in the book titled The Roman City of Cáparra by Jaime Río Miranda Alcón, available for free in pdf format.

About eight hundred metres ahead, we leave Valdeobispo and enter the municipality of Ahigal. Walking on the right side of the road we pass through the Cuarto Real dehesa. On the left side, there are small enclosures for grazing cattle, where several fragments of the milestone numbered CIV, from the time of the emperors Marcus Severus, Valerius, and Maximilian, can be found. If we have to open a gate we should be sure to close it behind us so that the cattle do not get out. Along the way we’ll see several H-2 and H-3 milestones marking the path and the towns we pass through.

Notably, a stone wall on the roadway serves as a municipal boundary between municipalities popularly known as “El Lindón”. This wall also marked the boundary of the dioceses of Coria and Plasencia, as well as the feudal lordships of the Duke of Alba and the Count of Oliva. Even older is the boundary marking the kingdoms of León and Castilla (Treaty of Sahagún from 1158 and Treaty of Tordehumos from 1194).

The next milestone is located in Las Navalleras and corresponds to number CV from the time of Tiberius. To our right is the Valtravieso dehesa and the road is flanked on both sides by a landscape rich with holm oaks and cork oaks. A few metres off the road to the left, near Del Cuervo there is a majestic centenary cork oak which is being irreparably damaged by drought.

The road climbs slightly to milestone CVI. To the right is the dehesa of Valverdejo, and to the left, Los Ventorros de Ahigal. Just before this point, we’ll witness one of the most inappropriate actions taken on the Vía de la Plata: an electric tower placed directly on the roadway, disrupting the harmony of the landscape. At this point, the road joins an alternative path of the Way of St. James coming from the Cañada Real Soriana Occidental. An unusual case in this area because the pilgrims also use the Roman road. We cross the CC-206 motorway and enter the Guijo de Granadilla area near the Venta Quemada dehesa.

We continue along the Roman road and Royal Drover’s Road until we reach the Arroyo de las Torricas, where milestone CVII from the time of Maximus, son of Maximinus Caesar, is located. Several holm oaks have grown over the road and at the foot of one of them we can clearly see the curb. A little further on, we arrive at the Arroyo de Los Charcos Blancos, where milestone CVIII once stood, though it is no longer visible here. There is something unusual here: the boundary separates from the edge of the road at this point and descends to the right towards the Los Carrones dehesa. This section is suitable for small vehicles, and since there is no vegetation the top layer of the roadway is perfectly visible.

Milestone CX from the time of Nero Claudius is preserved in three fragments, but a full reconstruction can be seen near the Cáparra Arch. We enter the city through the remains of the South Gate and leave the paved road to the right. We’re on the decumanus (main east-west street), observing the remains of the marvellous Roman City of Cáparra. We pause beneath the grandeur of the Tetrapylon Arch. This is a different story, but one we highly recommend you learn about.

Cipri Paniagua Paniagua

Thermal tourism in Baños de Montemayor dates back 2,000 years to the 1st century AD. Archaeological findings show that the Columna and Arqueta hot springs, with their sulphur and sodium-rich, oligometallic waters, were first used for their therapeutic properties during this period. With an upwelling temperature of 43°C, these waters were valued not only for their therapeutic properties but also for leisure and relaxation. And the tradition has continued to this day to the point where the thermal springs are famous in our Autonomous Community and beyond. Thanks to this long-standing tradition and vast experience, the town was honoured as an Excellent Thermal Town by the Thermal Towns Section of the FEMP in 2011 and recognised as Extremadura’s First Thermal Town in 2020. All this history is faithfully reflected in #TERMARIUM “History Comes Alive”, which has been taking place on the weekend of Palm Sunday since 2015. In Baños de Montemayor, time stood still some two thousand years ago. As you walk along the streets, don’t be surprised if you see a hotel that is now a hospitium, a store that is a taberna or a restaurant that is now a caupona. Anyone who ventures into the town will encounter magicians, haruspices, and fortune-tellers offering to reveal the future. Senators and tribunes will appear, strolling with elegance and dignity alongside artisans and matrons. This is Baños de Montemayor during Roman times, when the spa was built alongside the Vía de la Plata – the very same one that continues to bring fame to the town today. Suddenly, the traveller stumbles upon the camp of the Legio X Gemina, where the steady beat of the drum and the centurion’s commands echo through the air. The bustle of the scene blends with the lively procession, joined by Iberians and Romans, locals and visitors alike, regardless of rank or status. Together, they parade through the streets to the mercatum, where the praetor delivers the proclamation that marks the beginning of #TERMARIUM. You’ll find an assortment of unusual products on sale at the mercatum as you contemplate scenes of Roman life. As the day progresses, you’ll need to eat, and the local establishments have just the thing: the “Roman Tapas Route”, a culinary experience designed to delight even the most discerning palates. As night falls, spirits will be lifted by a mesmerising fire show, culminating in a theatrical performance of Termarium – The betrayal of Galba. It’s the perfect ending to an unforgettable day, where the townspeople of Baños are the actors and actresses who perform the comedies of Terence or Plautus .

This is #TERMARIUM, the weekend when Baños de Montemayor revives its Roman heritage. Locals and visitors dress the part, bringing to life the daily routines of a provincial Roman town from the 1st century AD. But this festival that takes place on Palm Sunday weekend wouldn’t be complete without the visitors who dress up as Claudius, Agrippina, Julius Caesar, or any other Roman character to become an essential part of the #TERMARIUM experience.

Juan José

Baños de Montemayor Tourist Office

My name is Eduardo Mostazo Gracia. I live in Hervás, in the Ambroz Valley, at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, above the Tierras de Granadilla. I work as a mountain guide and lead other outdoor activities with the company Origen, Deporte y Naturaleza. I wanted to share with you some stories about the mountains in my region and neighbourhood, although there are so many hidden corners, so much history, and so much written in the landscape that I hardly know where to begin.

I was attracted to the mountains from a young age. The feeling I would get when I was up there, admiring the landscape like a great bird of prey soaring above it all, as if the more mundane issues belonged only to the lowlands, the plains, the dehesas. Not that the lowlands aren’t spectacular, beautiful, and comforting. It’s just that everything is amplified up in the mountains – the shapes, the views, the rock formations, the gorges, and their plant and animal life – making them truly impressive.

I remember as a child having fun at summer camp in Hervás like so many others. I looked up at these peaks – what we now call the “skyline” – that line where the summit meets the horizon. Specifically, I noticed the rocky outcrops of Valdeamor and Canchal de la Gallina.

I was not even 10 years old but I still remember it fondly, just like the weekends spent along the shores of the Gabriel y Galán Reservoir or swimming in the natural pools. Who would have thought that I would one day climb up to those very peaks or that I’d eventually guide people and groups to the summit or accompany them on a canoe ride down the Alagón River?

It would still be a few years from the time of that summer camp before I would climb all the neighbouring peaks of the Montes de Tras la Sierra, which separate this region from the Jerte Valley: the demanding Pinajarro, at 2,099 metres, a towering sentinel over the Ambroz Valley; the Nijarra, which appears as Canchal de la Portilla del Arenal on maps, just over 100 metres higher but seemingly so far away; Tras la Sierra Peak, modest in name but impressive at 1,916 metres; the various Camocho peaks at an elevation of around 1,800 metres, scattered across Hervás near the Portilla de Jerte and the road to Valdeamor; or the ones to the south, near Casas del Monte and Segura de Toro, where the elevations drop to barely 1,500 metres at peaks like Cerbunal, La Gama, or Risco del Fraile; and finally descending to Pitolero, at 1,350 metres, where the Montes de Tras la Sierra abruptly give way to the vast dehesas and open lands of Cabezabellosa.

But there’s more to life than high peaks. There are also unique spots on the slopes and lower hills, such as the Cerro del Búho in Cabezabellosa, with its ancient castro (fortified settlement), hermitage, and overlook; the nearby rocky outcrops where we teach climbing; and the Piedras Labradas Plain, with the remains of a Roman temple. To the north, we find the beautiful views of the mountains, valley, and glacial features from La Muela or La Cruz de Jeromo. To the west, beyond a few Salamanca peaks, we return to Tierras de Granadilla, crowned by the remote and challenging Calama, perfect for mountain biking. And if we were to paddle across the Alagón River to the other side, we could climb up the mountain again from La Pesga to Pico Blanco, Romero, or Culebro, each one with a story behind its name. If you’ve got any energy left, the Sierra de Santa Bárbara in Marchagaz awaits – a veritable botanical island.

These are all beautiful natural vantage points that should not be overlooked, especially in the high mountains, where the silence of the now-absent goats lingers, along with the timeless stories of their herders.

Eduardo Mostazo Gracia

Origen Deporte y Naturaleza

José María Gabriel y Galán was born on the morning of 28 June in Frades de la Sierra (Salamanca) to parents Narciso and Bernarda.

He was the fourth of five siblings – Enriqueta, Carlota, Baldomero, José María and Luis – born into a comfortably off family.

He studied to be a teacher, working as one in Guijuelo (1889-1892) and Piedrahita (1892-1898).

In the summer of 1891 he was invited by his uncle, Juan Antonio Rivero Galán and his wife, Natalia García Vidal to their home in Guijo de Granadilla. Desideria, their niece and a native of the nearby town of Granadilla, lived with them.

The Riveros, who owned a large estate, were unable to have children of their own, so they devoted themselves to raising and educating Desideria.

José María proposed “a personal relationship for the future” to which the beautiful Extremaduran responded “Yes, I accept”.

The courtship lasted for several years, during which the poet returned to Extremadura frequently to see his fiancée and indulge in one of his favourite pastimes: hunting.

They married on 26 January 1898 in the Church of St. Stephen in Plasencia.

At the end of October 1898, the poet gave up teaching and settled in Guijo with his wife, where he went to work in his uncle’s business.

“I married a young woman from Extremadura. I resigned from the position I held because my hobbies were all in the countryside, where my life is devoted to the cultivation of some land and the care and affection of my people”, writes the poet to Emilia Pardo Bazán.

The family grew with the births of Jesús, Juan and Esteban.

The Madrid-based Catholic weekly, La Lectura Dominical, published Adoración in April 1899.

On 30 June of that same year, his mother Bernarda died. He won the Floral Games in Salamanca with El Ama, a poem dedicated to his mother. This triumph encouraged him to continue participating in poetry contests, going on to win in Zaragoza, Murcia, Béjar and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

His first book, Poesías, published by Father Tomás Cámara, Bishop of Salamanca, was followed by Castellanas, Extremeñas and Campesinas.

Extremeñas is a unique book written in Castúo, the Spanish dialect of the poet’s adopted land.

But time was running out for our beloved Galán.

José María died at 1:20 PM on 6 January 1905. He was 34 years old. His death certificate lists the cause of death as cerebral-gastric nervous fever.

Despite his death at a young age, he left a permanent legacy in Guijo.

The house where he lived has been converted into a House-Museum. It is open to the public with free guided tours.

The annual “Gabriel y Galán” Poetry Contest featuring poems in Spanish and Castúo is now in its 39th year.

In the month of May there is a cultural week celebration that draws people from a variety of cultural disciplines to our town. It has been attended by:

• • – Novelists such as Jesús Sánchez-Adalid, Eugenio Fuentes, Luis García Jambrina, Alonso de la Torre, etc.
  • – Poets such as Álvaro Valverde, José Manuel Regalado, Daniel Casado, Álex Chico, etc.
  • – Historians such as Enrique Moradiellos, Chaves Palacios, Miguel Ángel Melón, José Hinojosa, García Carrero, etc.
  • – Theatre
  • – Music….

This year, the 32nd edition of Cultural Week will take place from 6-12 May. In the end, the poet lives on in the memory of Guijo and its people.

In the end, the poet lives on in the memory of Guijo and its people.

Juan José Barrios Sánchez

Casa-Museo “Gabriel y Galán”

The Ambroz-Cáparra region, located in the northern part of the province of Cáceres, features a wide variety of habitats, ranging from the high peaks of the western foothills of the Gredos Mountains to the fertile river plains named after the Ambroz River. Because of these altitudinal variations and the ways in which the land is used, the region has a wide range of ecosystems that support abundant birdlife. More than 250 bird species have been recorded in the region, with at least 190 species regularly present. The area serves as an important feeding and resting place for migratory birds crossing the Central System through the western Iberian Peninsula.

At the highest elevations we find well-preserved examples of oro-Mediterranean habitats, where various species of passerines breed. Among them are regionally rare birds such as the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) and the common rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis). The region is also home to several notable birds of prey, including the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Descending in altitude, these habitats transition into lush deciduous forests composed of Pyrenean oaks (Quercus pyrenaica), sweet chestnut trees (Castanea sativa), and narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia). These forests provide shelter for a wide array of woodland species, such as the European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), the lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor), and the Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula), to name but a few.