Spain is a country of contrasts, of ancestral traditions, of myths, of fervent beliefs and, above all, of towns that surprise, perhaps not so much, due to the friendliness of its inhabitants -who are generally patient and generous with visitors. - As for the picturesque beauty that characterizes its architecture, not exempt, in its design and functionality, from a complex and remarkable constitution.

So, taking into account the very special dates in which we find ourselves, I will make a brief stop by the Gothic monuments and the surprising places of Cantabria, in order to invite you to discover, now, at Christmas, a delicious town of Madrid, which surely will not leave you indifferent: Chinchón.

I would be committing an omission if I said that Chinchón, located approximately thirty kilometers from the capital Madrid and well connected to that artery of the Mediterranean, which is the A3 Dual carriageway or Dual carriageway of Valencia, is not one of those curious and perhaps lucky ones. towns, where, far from being a cliché, the feeling that time, like any weary pilgrim, has made a stop on its way, is very true, deciding to stop precisely here.

In fact, I can assure you that every day there are more film directors who understand it this way, deciding that its architectural ensemble is ideal for making any period film, a claim that you will understand immediately, when we arrive at the place and have the opportunity to Check it out for yourself and of course, draw your own conclusions.

But first, it would be a good idea to pay attention to the landscape that awaits you, once you leave the motorway behind, made up of scrubland, avoiding slopes and ravines, where, on the banks of the rockrose and thyme, hares and partridges share a burrow and nest , seeking relief in the shelter of the vineyards or the innumerable olive trees that surround the surroundings and that, in part, hide elements of unfortunate memory of our History, which can also be visited, as an added incentive: the trenches, casemates and bunkers of the Civil War of 1936.

As we continue, the landscape becomes more rugged, especially in the last few kilometres, with the mountains being higher and more rugged and by default the ravines being more pronounced, which means that the road goes through curves as tight as the horseshoe of a horse, not exempt, it is good to warn, of danger.

Once in the upper part of Chinchón and leaving the vehicle in a parking area set up for visitors -an opportune measure, since the influx is usually considerable during a good part of the year- we go down Calle del Teniente Ortiz de Zárate -name of one of the many officers and troops of the Parachute Brigade who fell during the bloody combats in Sidi Ifni- until reaching, allowing ourselves to be carried away by the charm of its houses and alleyways -some, true period palaces, run down, where the old heraldic coats of arms suffer from oblivion- its inns and taverns, with small but beautiful patios -such as the Mesón el Duende (Inn the Goblin)- to end up in the nerve center, in the true heart of Chinchón: its Main Square.

A square, located in what seems, comparatively speaking, a deep natural moat or trough, on which also rises, like a gigantic millennium falcon -and not exactly the one from George Lucas's Star Wars- which is the magnificent Gothic building of its church, dedicated to the Marian figure of the Assumption.

The Main Square, with its arcades, its perfect wooden framework and its sovereign elegance, constitutes, without a doubt, one of the greatest treasures of Spanish civil architecture, which also deserves the most fervent praise.

As the soul of the town, in it, or rather, in its ancestral arcades, the most traditional catering establishments of the place come together, with their artisan menus and bakeries with their old ovens, so it is not surprising that in on the very special dates in which we are, in its period fountain, in addition, the traditional Bethlehem is admired and in the square the majestic Christmas tree stands, as a symbol of union, harmony, expectations and hope.

NOTICE: Both the text and the photographs that accompany it, as well as the video that illustrates it, are my exclusive intellectual property and, therefore, are subject to my Copyright.

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