On a promontory next to the reservoir of Linares del Arroyo stands Maderuelo, with one of the best preserved medieval profiles of the province of Segovia. Upon arrival, the first thing that catches the eye is the compact silhouette of walls and stone houses hugging the hill, an enclave that during the Middle Ages was essential in the Castilian repopulation and defensive frontier against the Muslim kingdoms. Its cobblestone streets and monuments summarize centuries of history: from the Puerta de la Villa and the castle -rests of its powerful defensive architecture- to the Romanesque church of San Miguel or the church of Santa María del Castillo, which finish off the irregular layout of the town.
But if there is a jewel that makes Maderuelo unique is the Ermita de la Vera Cruz, known as the “Romanesque Sistine Chapel” for the impressive twelfth century frescoes that covered its walls. This small hermitage, linked to the Order of the Temple, housed a relic of the Lignum Crucis and was decorated with an exceptional mural cycle, with representations of angels, the Pantocrator, the Creation, apostles and scenes from the life of Christ.
Its value was such that in 1947, due to the threat of the waters after the construction of the reservoir, the frescoes were transferred to the Prado Museum, where they can be admired today. In the chapel, however, there remains a detailed replica and the aura of mystery and art emanating from its stones.
Maderuelo: much more than a medieval village
The surroundings further embellish the experience: the Linares del Arroyo reservoir, with its more than 470 hectares of water, partially surrounds the village and offers easy hiking trails (such as the PR-SG 10 marked 10km), nautical activities and spectacular views of nature and architecture fused together. The reservoir, built in the mid-twentieth century, floods part of the ancient lands and shelters under its waters the remains of the village of Linares del Arroyo, whose church’s belfry and apse still emerge when the water level drops.
Beyond its emblematic hermitage, Maderuelo also has jewels such as the square of San Miguel, the medieval streets, bridges -one of them Roman-medieval and submerged part of the year- and direct access to the Riaza River Sickles, a natural park of great faunistic value. Its few hundred inhabitants keep a quiet rural life, but culturally very rich.