That the Alcarria is the Spanish Provence is already assumed, but in addition to being dyed purple with its lavender fields every July, here hides Civica, a small nearby hamlet carved into the rock. On a white stone wall stands a magnificent construction with tumid arches, grottoes, stairs and natural waterfalls that fall into the Tajuña River .
The uninhabited urban Suite is called Civica and is located on the cm-2011 road, halfway between Brihuega and Masegoso de Tajuña, in the Alcarria region of Guadalajara. To this day, the village remains closed to the public because it is private property and many of its stairways and caves are not in a good state of preservation. However, it is possible to admire its beauty from the outside.
The writer Camilo José Cela in his book Viaje a la Alcarria -in which he makes a naturalistic portrait of the area- says of Cívica that “it resembles a Tibetan village or the set of a Wagner opera”. For many others, however, this enclave bears a striking resemblance to the Bronze Age caves of Cappadocia, an arid region located in the heart of Turkey.
The history of the Civic Village
According to archaeological discoveries that have been made in the Zone, it was inhabited in the Middle Ages by Sephardic Jews and monks of the temperance order. These took advantage of the waterfalls on the site to build a small paper mill. However, the Civica we know today was built between the 1950s and 1970s by the priest Aurelio Perez, heir to these lands.
According to the Brihuega City Council pérez dedicated more than 20 years of his life to the construction of the village, with the aspiration of turning it into an authentic sanctuary. He himself was responsible for the excavation, carving and engraving of the stone that can be seen today. The clergyman imagined the space as he wished, creating a unique building in Spain. A construction that seems to be taken from Cappadocia, being Aurelio Perez a total ignorant of the Turkish caves.
But this is not the only visit that can be made in the hamlet of Civica, a few meters from the picturesque building there is a waterfall that, especially during the rainy season, is worth visiting as well. To complete the route, the next hamlet, Yela, has a Romanesque church that was destroyed during the Civil War and rebuilt in 1950.
how to get to Cívica from Madrid?
The hamlet of Cívica is located on the cm-2011 road towards Masegoso de Tajuña – GPS coordinates are 40º45’27 “n 2º47’9 “w- and it is recommended to go early to avoid traffic jams on the A2. From Madrid the distance is about 100 kilometers, so the drive takes about an hour and a half.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Cívica is private property and is not in a good state of conservation, so access is prohibited.
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