Patones

La antigua iglesia de San José era en 1653 una ermita con campanario hecha con piedra y cal. Un siglo después se convertiría en Iglesia (1753) y la vicaría permanente tuvo que esperar hasta principios del siglo XIX. Antes de que los vecinos bajaran a vivir a Patones de Abajo, la iglesia de San José contaba con tres retablos, el Mayor, el del Carmen y el de las Candelas. También, había imágenes de San José, Cristo de la Cruz, Virgen del Carmen, San Isidro, San Antonio y un cuadro de la Inmaculada.

It is located in an area known as Dehesa de la Oliva. It is a Romanesque-Mudejar chapel, also known as Castellano-Leonés Mujedar style, even though it displays some features of the local rural architecture. This artistic movement dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, first appearing in the current province of León, and spread to Zamora, Salamanca, Valladolid, Ávila and Segovia, until it reached the northern area of the Autonomous Region of Madrid and the province of Guadalajara. Only the apse and the first section of the nave of the old shrine remain. It was under the management of the Church of Alcalá de Henares and nowadays it belongs to the Complutensis Diocese.

All the landscape is dotted with hydraulic structures. Besides the bridges and dykes on the Cabarrús Canal and the Pontón de la Oliva and El Atazar dams, one can observe the canals, dams and siphons, beacons and aqueducts of the three hydraulic structures. The oldest is the La Parra or Lozoya canal. It carried water from the Pontón de la Oliva Reservoir to Madrid. Some parts of the wall are more than 17 metres high and it really stands out along the Vandentales ravine where it crosses over large staggered walls. Also quite impressive are the Las Cuevas aqueduct and the Patones de Abajo dam – canal. Other structures along this canal include the La Parra dam, the Navarejos waterwheel and the old Campoalbillo guard house which is now a Geology Educational Museum. The El Atazar canal can be seen high above the Lozoya canal.

Archaeological evidence of different occupations has been documented at this site, covering an extensive chronology: Recent prehistoric times, Iron Age I/II, Roman Republican era, Roman Imperial era, Early Medieval era, Late Medieval and Modern eras. Located on the Oliva hill, at the confluence of the rivers Lozoya and Jarama, and naturally enclosed by three slopes, it is a privileged geographical location that provides a natural defence, from three sides, with only one wall on the southern slope, which is the least protected side. This privileged location offered a wise visual dominion over the land and the control of the route towards the Northern plateau through the Somosierra mountain pass. This route is even mentioned in Arabic texts related to the conquering of the Iberian Peninsula.

Made of slate masonry, on the outside, and using clay as insulation mechanism, on the inside, the walls of these houses were covered with a mortar of lime and sand, to avoid humidity. Flooring is made of cobbles, covered in plaster in the kitchen. They are reinforced by means of wooden pillars inside, and wooden beams for the floor and roof. The beams were covered with retama and rockrose, and a final layer of Arabic tile. These buildings have few spans in order to protect the inside from the cold. The traditional house has three floors: the first floor is the kitchen, with its characteristic oven; the second floor is used for the bedrooms and the third floor serves as the chamber where the grain was stored.

Los tinados estaban destinados a cobijar los rebaños de ovejas y cabras. Eran cabañas ganaderas formadas por un corral con una puerta de acceso donde se elegían los animales para su ordeño y una zona cubierta con un pequeño zarzo para evitar que se escaparan. Dentro de la parte cubierta estaban los pesebres donde se echaba la comida de los animales.

Los arrenes son construcciones rectangulares realizadas a base de pizarra, de muro alto y sin cubierta ni divisiones internas. La característica peculiar de los arrenes es la ausencia de puerta, teniéndose que una parte de la pared para acceder al interior. Los cercados tenían la misma estructura pero de mayor tamaño. Los arrenes y cercados servían para sembrar el cereal y luego meter al ganado a que se lo comiera o segarlo para echarlo a los pesebres.

Dating back to the 18th century, they are covered in slates or limestone, and are divided into terraces. These retaining walls were built in order to get a horizontal surface in a hillside area. In them we can find several gaps, of different sizes and depths, which were intended to store the tools for the threshing and serve as coolers for water during summertime. Besides, they were devoted to threshing activities and the winnowing of the harvest. The results of these tasks were maximised: the grain was used to make flour and bread, and the straw was used to fed and keep the animals warm.

The wash-house was the meeting point for women, located opposite the tavern which, back in the day, was the most common meeting point for men. Water channelled from the slates flows out from the so-called Fuente Nueva (New Fountain, 1908). The traditional wash-house, in perfect preservation conditions, is clearly divided into two areas, one meant for rinsing and the other one for washing.

If you’re looking for plans, routes, restaurants or accommodation, come over to the tourism office in Patones. There you’ll find dozens of suggestions. It’s located in the Los Llanos square in Patones de Arriba (you have to leave your car outside the town).

CucuFlash, somos fotógrafos rurales, vivimos en Patones. Nos dedicamos a fotografía familiar, publicitaria, de producto, eventos y dinamización y divulgación turística. También impartimos cursos de iniciación de fotografía. En nuestra página puedes ver la muestra de nuestro trabajo y también puedes buscarnos en Facebook e Instagram. Ofrecemos: Fotopaseos por Patones de Arriba, masterclass de retrato y talleres de fotografía de paisaje.

Ofrecemos experiencias para vivenciar, sentir, conocer, disfrutar aprendiendo y contribuir a mejorar, valorar y cuidar nuestro entorno rural, las costumbres, la flora y la fauna, para distintas edades y colectivos. De Raíz surgió como proyecto de autoempleo con el objetivo de profundizar en la divulgación de los paisajes naturales y culturales de la Sierra Norte de Madrid, generando tanto actividades propias como en colaboración con organismos públicos y privados de la zona.

¿Quieres realizar un taller de cerámica en Patones? En Casa rural Melones ofrecemos fines de semana artesanos, en los que además de alojamiento y desayuno podrás disfrutar de un taller de cerámica. Relájate en contacto con el barro mientras elaboras unas preciosas macetas para cactus. Un regalo especial para compartir con tus hijos o pareja.