Los Pánchez: Threshing Floors, Traditions and Routes

Culture

The stone threshing floors of Los Pánchez are paved with stones and rubble of different sizes and colours. The arrangement of the paving creates circular and square patterns. Los Pánchez is located in the Dehesa La Herradora. This dehesa is also known as Herradura.

The Iglesia de Santa Cruz is a small church building with a rectangular floor plan. Inside, a crucified Christ dominates the space. The old streets of Los Pánchez feature simple vernacular architecture. Their walls are whitewashed. The façades are decorated with flowers.

Religious, architectural and craft elements thus stand side by side in the townscape. The threshing floors with their geometric paving patterns, the small church building and the whitewashed façades are among the distinctive details that shape Los Pánchez in the Dehesa La Herradora.

Landscape

A natural viewpoint is located above Los Pánchez. Beside this viewpoint stand an old threshing floor, an altar and a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There are two fountains at the entrance to Los Pánchez. One of them is called El Pozo. The fountain has an old stone parapet as well as a watering trough for livestock.

The places mentioned are therefore spread from the entrance to the village up to the area above Los Pánchez. El Pozo, with its stone parapet and livestock watering trough, stands at the entrance; further up, the viewpoint, old threshing floor, altar and statue form another distinctive group.

Traditions

Life in Los Pánchez has always been connected with bread, grain and traditional crafts. Communal ovens are used during the Fiesta del Pan. The Fiesta del Pan y Muestra de Artesanía takes place every year in October. It normally falls on the third weekend.

This fiesta includes pottery workshops aimed primarily at younger participants. Participating children can make bread themselves in open private ovens during the event. They can then take the baked bread home.

Thus, the same event features both the traditional craft of pottery and work with bread and grain. The workshops are aimed primarily at younger participants, while bread-making is explicitly made possible for participating children in open private ovens.

Routes

The Sierra de Ojuelos Altos route is 100 percent accessible on foot. It is 90 percent accessible by bicycle. It is 100 percent accessible on horseback. The Los Panchez-El Arcornocal section of the Ruta de la Encomienda is 1.13 kilometres long. It runs linearly and is considered easy. This section can be travelled by bicycle.

The fourth section of Route 3 of the Ruta de la Encomienda begins in Los Pánchez. It ends in Fuente Obejuna. The Sierra de Hornachuelos route passes through Los Panchez, Ojuelos Altos and Doña Rama.

The route data therefore states both the percentage accessibility of the Sierra de Ojuelos Altos and the specific length and course of the Los Panchez-El Arcornocal section. In addition, the fourth section of Route 3 indicates a connection from Los Pánchez to Fuente Obejuna. The Sierra de Hornachuelos route passes through Los Panchez as well as Ojuelos Altos and Doña Rama.

Other Places

You can find more places here: Los Morenos, Posadilla, Cañada Del Gamo and Piconcillo.

To the higher-level travel overview: Fuente Obejuna.