The Sierra de Montanchez lies in the heart of the golden triangle of three world heritage towns,Caceres, Merida and Trujillo, 40kms to all, within easy reach of marvellous historical centres,good shops, restaurants and varied cultural and night life.
Although the sierra is not an extensive area it holds a wealth of character , tradition and history while nowadays it has become notable through the range and quality of its natural products, the best jamon iberico de bellota, chocolate coated fig bonbons, pitarra wine , ewe and goat cheese.
The town of Montanchez, dominated by its Moorish castle, lies at one of the highest parts of the sierra with the pueblos of the sierra scattered around the lower slopes, pueblos with wonderfully evocative names, Arroyomolinos de Montanchez, Zarza de Montanchèz, Almoharin, Albala, Alcuescar, Salvatierra de Santiago. The sierra has been settled since ancient time, Roman, Moorish and the Conquistador era have all left traces in the sierra. At the beginning of the 19th century, in 1811, during the peninsula wars there was a decisive battle fought between the French and British/Spanish armies on the olive grove plains around Arroyomolinos , the French were vanquished which helped to turn the tide of the war and stop the Napoleonic invasion of Spain and Portugal.
Walking through the centuries
The sierra has areas of wild beauty and tranquil terraces of olive groves and vineyards all connected by the most wonderful system of callejas (paths) paved in huge granite slabs , some laid in Roman times and maintained through centuries for donkey, horse and foot traffic. Nowadays the farmers use these callejas to reach their land and at harvest time to bring the laden donkeys into town to their own bodegas for making the local wine, pitarra and to the olive mill, almazara, for pressing the olives into the rich local olive oil. How fortunate we are to have inherited these ancient , fascinating paths taking us through the sierra past some spectacular scenery and miracles of ancient ingenuity such as the marvellous Garganta de Molinos (Gorge of the water mills).
This is a wild , steep gorge sliced into the sierra by a turbulent stream fed by hundreds of springs. The water mills have been built over centuries on the Roman design of a tall stone tower fed by a canal from the stream, the water crashes down to work the mill stones and then continues down the gorge to the next mill. This is a unique situation and as usual is served by the faithful, winding calleja which continues up the gorge and all the way over the sierra to Montanchèz. While exploring the sierra one can’t help noticing the enormous variety of bird life, a bird watchers paradise. Also the variety of wild flowers and trees is outstanding and adds to the pleasures of hiking or riding.
The town of Montanchèz
Montanchèz is a small town originally built around the Moorish castle and gradually extending through the centuries with many fine houses from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, some are quiet impressive , embellished with coats of arms carved in stone . There are many small plazas with spring fed fountains within the winding streets The Plaza de España is the centre of the town with a couple of typical bars, jamon hanging from hooks in the valulted ceilings and serving pitarra, the local wine. There are many small hermitages, dedicated to local saints, each one having its own special day and procession. The castle church is the home of the Virgen de Montanchèz , she stays up in the castle all year but for one week in September she is brought down to the church in the town in a wonderfully atmospheric night procession with candles and flowers. This is the time of the most lively fiestas in the plazas of the town. Montanchèz retains many traditional customs and fiestas, often centred around horse riding skills when everyone dresses up in the traditional riding habit of the Extremadura and some splendid saddles and bridles adorn the horses. The Montanchegos are hard working people but know how to enjoy themselves and are extremely hospitable and welcoming to foreigners.
Renovation and building possibilities in Montanchèz, surrounding villages and countryside
Besides the grander houses which sometimes come on the market most houses are smaller , family houses built on traditional lines, large store room upstairs , bodega /cellar underground for wine making and jamon curing, sleeping rooms on ground floor under thick vaulted ceilings which keep the rooms cool even on the most scorching day. Some have an interior patio or roof terrace, originally for practical purposes but which now make charming spaces, the roof terraces often have spectacular views down into the valley or to the castle. Usually the original stone entrance corridor and stone lintels exist. This type of house would be in nearly original condition with maybe basic bathroom and kitchen added, it would need new plumbing and electrics and possibly some building work to rearrange rooms.There are some houses which have been completely modernized and are ready to move into, usually they retain some original features but may need superficial building work to suit individual tastes.
It is rare to find a family house in the countryside of the sierra, possibly an old barn. It was traditional to work on the land but to live in the town or village.
Building outside the town is possible on any land area of more than 1.5 hectares, this includes many beautiful olive groves with good access and spectacular views, if the land is outside the town limits the licenses take somewhat longer , at least 6 months, if inside the town limits it takes about 1 month.
Building and renovation work is not a problem, the rules and regulations are clear and we can help with all necessary permits, recommendation of builders and if necessary supervision of work in progress. For example of building a new cortijo and barn in the sierra you can take a look at our own finca http://www.finca-al-manzil.com/
There are fine builders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and decorators who will make a good job of renovations and new building.
We also have excellent contacts with experienced firms for bore hole drilling, road building and solar power systems if these should be necessary.
