Torregalindo

Torregalindo is located 12 km from Aranda de Duero, in the fertile plain of the Riaza, a tributary of the Duero. Its origins may date back to around the 10th century, during the repopulation carried out by Count Gonzalo Fernández in what was then ‘no man’s land’, the Castilian Extremadura. However, the first written record dates back to 1110, when Pope Paschal II urged the Bishop of Osma, under penalty of excommunication, to clear several villages assigned to the newly created bishopric of Burgos. Torregalindo was then one of the villages of the Community of Villa y Tierra de Aza, from which it soon separated to form a lordship together with Campillo and Fuentenebro. This lordship belonged to several nobles over time until, in the 15th century, it passed into the hands of the Duke of Alburquerque, Beltrán de la Cueva, who in 1479 allocated 20,000 maravedíes to the repair of the castle fortress, the remains of which are still preserved today.

Its main festivals are San Juan Bautista in June, San Andrés in November, the chicharrillo gastronomic festival during Holy Week, the cultural summer in August and, most importantly and for which this village is best known, the dramatised living nativity scene and Three Kings Parade on 5 January, the day when this small village is transformed into a giant Christmas nativity scene and which has been declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest by the Regional Government of Castile and León.

Visitors to Torregalindo should not miss its castle fortress, at the foot of which are the cave houses that were inhabited until 1963, among which you can visit a restored cave wine press, the early medieval chapel of San Andrés and the Church of San Juan, which features a beautiful Romanesque portico, an imposing baptismal font with carved faces and a polychrome wooden choir decorated with ram’s heads.

All this and more can be visited with the ADRI programme “Te enseño mi pueblo” (I’ll show you my village), in which Torregalindo plays an active role.

It is also part of the Association of Villa y Tierra de Aza, Heritage and Territory, made up of 13 villages of the former Community of Villa y Tierra, which aims to be a driving force for the whole area.

Hiking enthusiasts may be interested in the Riaza Riverbank Trail, the PRC BU-165, a circular route between Torregalindo and Milagros, going back and forth along both sides of the riverbank, which can be done on foot or by bike and allows you to contemplate the beautiful landscape, flora and fauna.

In summer, the people of Torregalindo enjoy a small natural beach on the river where they can swim surrounded by a rich river landscape.