To the east of the province of Cáceres, separated from Toledo by the Tagus River, there is a town of just over 550 inhabitants where the charm of traditional inland Spain blends with the legacy left by the passage of time, which has left a mark in the form of buildings, archaeological remains, and traditions that build a unique image of this town. We are talking about Villar del Pedroso, one of those hidden rural gems worth visiting.
To learn the history of Villar del Pedroso we have to go back to before the Roman era, specifically to the Vetón people, who left the famous stone verracos as evidence of their presence there. For a time the Vetones and the Romans coexisted in this space until the arrival of the Visigoths, whose main imprint is found in Burguilla, a place that over time came to be dedicated to the cult of the Virgin Mary.
Subsequently, it was the Arabs who joined this melting pot of cultures that was adding charisma to the unique essence of this locality. But it is not until 1249, when the official foundation is dated for Villar del Pedroso, and it was in this year that Ferdinand III the Saint granted the Catholic settlers who arrived in this area the right to repopulate it, which would pave the way for the following periods of splendor where its past is not hidden, but there is a clear protagonism of Christian culture.
Church of Saint Peter, Villar del Pedroso
Everything You Need to See in Villar del Pedroso
Among the most emblematic buildings in Villar del Pedroso is the Church of Saint Peter, a 15th-century edifice that holds the distinction of a Bien de Interés Cultural. Erected in granite ashlar, the origins of this church date back to the era of the town’s greatest splendor, although its completion was finished between the 17th and 18th centuries.
Inside stand out two spectacular 17th-century altarpieces decorated with Talavera tiles, although all interior decoration from the same period boasts great artistic and patrimonial value. On the central wall rises a bell tower which, despite not being very tall, is considered one of the town’s most recognizable icons.
Another of the most important religious buildings in Villar del Pedroso is the Hermitage of the Oliva. Built in Gothic style, this hermitage houses Our Lady of the Oliva, one of the Marian sculptures that arouse the most devotion in the region. Near the Hermitage of the Oliva one can find several Iberian verracos made of stone, which are one of the most important heritage testimonies in the area.
Iberian Verraco, Villar del Pedroso, Cáceres
The place that was once a place of worship for barbarians is today another one of Villar del Pedroso’s most popular hermitages. The Hermitage of Our Lady of Burguilla was built, as we know it now, in the 18th century in Baroque style. Inside it houses a image of the Virgin of Guadalupe to whom the neighbors have much devotion (it is also known as the “Virgin of Burguilla” due to the place where it is located).
But not all the architecture in Villar del Pedroso is religious. Among the most important civil constructions stands out the Castle of Castros, a defensive building from the 12th century that was raised on a promontory in order to watch over the surrounding area given the strategic position it boasted since the Middle Ages.
Beyond the architectural heritage, Villar del Pedroso also features centennial traditions that enrich its legacy and bring to the present all these centuries of history that precede them. One of the most curious and popular festivals in Villar del Pedroso is the Carnival of the Souls, a festival in honor of the Blessed Souls of Purgatory that was declared a Regional Tourist Interest Festival in 2020.
According to legend, the devotion of the villagers of Villar del Pedroso to the Blessed Souls of Purgatory dates back to the 17th century, but the fact that these festivities exist today is due to a general who found himself in danger in a battle and entrusted himself to them and vowed that, if victory was granted, he would hold a feast in their honor. These festivities are so ingrained in the life of Villar del Pedroso and so involved by the locals that they did not stop being celebrated even in times as harsh as the War of Independence or the Civil War.
