This town in the north of the Community of Madrid has been important for almost all the different cultures that have crossed the peninsula, leaving their mark here. Thus, Talamanca del Jarama condenses in its small municipality of just over 4000 inhabitants five monuments declared of Cultural Interest.
The Romanesque is the first great Christian artistic style of the European Middle Ages, but because of its antiquity is little preserved, which makes it especially unique that in Talamanca are preserved two apses of the twelfth and eighteenth century. The one of Los Milagros, also known as Morabito and with Mudejar touches, is the only surviving remnant of the old church. The other example is in the church of San Juan Bautista, is a purer Romanesque and made of stone, as it used to be common throughout Europe.
Another great monument is a work of civil engineering, which of course has a Roman origin, although it was rebuilt in the late Middle Ages, this being a clear example of the relevance of the town in antiquity. From the tenth century the Muslims settled here and as a result it was a time of splendor for the town, leading to the construction of a defensive wall, which was also rebuilt later by the Christians. As a result there are vestiges and different gates and arches at the entrance to the city, such as the east gate or Uceda and the gate of the Villa or La Tostonera.
La Cartuja, historical setting
La Cartuja de Talamanca del Jarama is a 17th century building, which has also been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. It was originally built by the monks of the Carthusian monastery of El Paular de Rascafría and used as a pantry to store grain and wine. Its agricultural architecture, with an L-shaped courtyard and various outbuildings such as cellars, chapel and barns, makes it an ideal place for film locations. It has been the setting for numerous film and television productions such as Alatriste, Los fantasmas de Goya, ¡Ay Carmela!, Conan el Bárbaro, as well as the series Águila Roja and El Ministerio del Tiempo, among others.
Currently, the Community of Madrid is in a process of reconstruction of La Cartuja, which also continues to excavate and recover the closest aspect to the original of this building.