HERRERA DEL DUQUE

Description

This population, framed in the very center of Siberia Extremeña, has medieval origins and was an ancient feud of the Dukes of Osuna , hence its name. And it is that, after the reconquest, it depended in the first place on the Order of Alcántara , to later depend on different manors.

Located to the south of Castilblanco, this town is surrounded by ancient mountains of ferruginous waters. In it we find a castle from the Almohad era, devoid of walls and decoration and built on an octagonal floor on a high boulder to the south of the village, on a difficult access peak . This castle does not count with a keep, nor with cubes or exterior defenses , perhaps as a result of its reconstruction during the Christian era, which only kept the wall bypassing any other defensive element beyond the rugged terrain on which it sits . The bastion still has a vaulted cistern, as well as some remains of the exterior and interior rooms, such as dungeons or the parade ground . Another enclave of interest in the immediate vicinity is the so-called Palace of Cíjara , located between the municipality of Castilblanco and Herrera del Duque, establishing itself as a kind of border between both towns. Built on an elevation of the left bank of the Guadiana River, it is close to the Cíjara Reservoir , hence its name. It is a fortification with a square plan, with circular towers on its corners crowned with defensive battlements. Continuing in the surroundings of the town, it is possible to emphasize the places of great natural beauty that surround the area, such as the preserve of Las Navas , ideal for hunting. The natural importance of the enclave is also reflected in the fact of having special areas for the protection of birds such as the so-called "Special Bird Protection Area" Sierra de los Golondrinos - Puerto Peña , which has numerous meadows, ponds and forests , as well as various types of birds. The town is also integrated into the Cíjara Regional Reserve - which in turn includes the towns of Castilblanco , Fuenlabrada de los Montes,Villarta de los Montes and Helechosa de los Montes - a vast natural area that stands out for its great variety of flora and fauna, and that offers a wide range of possibilities for the visitor, covering options such as hunting, hiking, cycling routes and even by horse. The reserve also has viewpoints, such as the Berrea Observatory, ideal for observing the deer and their hauls. It should be noted that not only the environment of Herrera del Duque is characterized by its fauna and its forest, but also by its richness of spring , to the point of having an extraction and bottling plant owned by the Nestlé company.

Leaving aside the surrounding areas and focusing on the urban core of Herrera del Duque, inside the town we find other points of interest such as the church of San Juan Bautista , the sixteenth century, a temple that stands out for its bell tower. Built in stone, it is equipped with stirrups and cylindrical towers, in the manner of a structure that is more defensive than religious in nature. It has two doors, which are called "Puerta del Sol" and "Puerta de los Pecos ". Already inside the temple , although this was damaged by a fire in 1936, some artistic works are still preserved, among which stands out a Renaissance altarpiece by Gregorio Prado with paintings by Correa del Vivar. We also find some other piece of goldsmith work, highlighting in this regard a silver custody of the sixteenth century, the work of Gregorio Borja and Franco Morales , whose weight is around 40 kg. Other buildings of religious character are the Franciscan Convent of San Jerónimo, from the 16th century, founded by Antonio de Sotomayor. The church is conserved in this temple , although not in an optimal state. Currently the building is in the process of rehabilitation and rehabilitation, for its reconversion into hospedería with a view to enhance rural tourism. Outside the village, about 4 -5 kilometers away, we also find another temple, called Ermita de la Consolación . On the way to it, we can take a break and enjoy the contemplation of the landscape thanks to the Mirador del Puerto de la Consolación. This will not be the only viewpoint available in these places, because there are also others that throw various panoramas, such as the so-called Mirador de "Las Víboras", Puerto de las Navas , or the so - called Puerto del Castillo . Arrived at last to the chapel, the first thing that should be noted is that it has an image of the fifteenth century venerated by the people of this town. Around it it is celebrated annually - onSeptember 8 , coinciding with the day of Extremadura - a pilgrimage. The hermitage forms a single nave, with a surface area of ​​170 m. The choir receives light through two holes, one upper and circular and the other lower and rectangular. It also has a baroque pulpit of limestone. The chapel of the chapel, rectangular in shape, has four scallops -representing the four evangelists - and a circular vault whose dome is an engraving representing the coronation of the Virgin. The altarpiece of the chapel presents a frieze on its lower part. It consists of three vertical streets: The image of San José on the left, the venerated image of the Virgin of Consolation in the center and the image of San Joaquin on the right. Behind the altarpiece we find the dressing room, with a mosaic floor and a dome in which we can see the heads of angels and a circular dome with colorful skylights. In this dressing room, in front, we find a parchment, framed in wood, which is the Coronation of the Virgin Act, an event that took place in 1980 by the then Primate of Spain and other ecclesiastical authorities. The crown of the image is silver plated in gold, with stones set, resulting from donations made by local residents and individuals, as also happens with the mantle. The rest of donations and offerings of all kinds are arranged around the corridor that gives access to the dressing room.

Returning to the town, we can focus our attention on the Plaza Mayor , around which the streets of the town are articulated. Square rectangular and porticoed, with many portals along its entire perimeter, with semicircular arches under wrought iron balconies. In the center of it, an eighteenth-century ochavada fountain of black jasper , with three tiers and endowed with great beauty, element without doubt remarkable in this square central axis of the daily life of the town .

Another place to visit in the center of the town is the so-called Casa del Conco belonging in antiquity to the so-called Encomienda de Alcántara. It is this building - dating from the seventeenth century and is very close to the Church of San Juan - an example of the many manors of impressive facades that are preserved in optimal condition in the town.Primitive grills characterize the Casa del Conco, which include the fleur-de-lys symbol of the Encomienda de Alcántara.

The gastronomy of the area stands out for typical dishes of the region, such as migas de pastor , ajoblanco - which is only a cold soup based on garlic and almonds - , various dishes related to hunting, as well as other dishes based on fish such as the so-called escarapuche , a dish originally from the town of Peloche , next to the García Sola reservoir and very close to Herrera del Duque, west of it , settling in the hamlet .

Points of interest

• Castillo.
• Iglesia de San Juan Bautista.
• Convento Franciscano de San Jerónimo.
• Casas Solariegas:
  • Casa de la Encomienda de Alcántara (popularmente conocida como Casa del Conco).
• Plaza Mayor (Plaza de España) / Fuente ochavada.
• Ayuntamiento.
• Ermita de La Consolación.
  • Mirador del Puerto de Consolación.
• Fuentes manantiales.
• Puente Medieval de Herrera del Duque (Conocido popularmente como “Puente Viejo”)
• Palacio de Cíjara.
• Reserva regional de Cíjara.
  • Observatorio de La Berrea.
• Sierra de los Golondrinos.
• Puerto Peña.
• Miradores:
  • Mirador de “Las Víboras”.
  • Puerto de las Navas.
  • Puerto del Castillo.
  • Mirador del Puerto de Consolación.