Another of the great landmarks of Romanesque architecture in those legendary and seemingly desolate plains of the land of Berlanga, located practically on the same ancient paths that saw the valiant Cid Campeador pass by on his way to adventure and exile, and also, some years earlier, witnessed the death of the Muslim leader Almanzor as he headed towards Medinaceli—if his tomb is ever discovered, it will undoubtedly be another of the great discoveries of Archaeology—is found near Casillas and that other marvel of 10th-century Mozarabic architecture, which, combining two seemingly antagonistic philosophies, is the unsurpassed hermitage of San Baudelio.

In this case, we're talking about a village called Caltójar and a 12th-century church dedicated to that other metaphorical celestial champion, the Archangel Saint Michael. It's another of the heritage sites in the Soria region, a community that never ceases to amaze—and this traveler can attest to that.

It's surprising, for example, to observe the likely presence, in this remote place, of stonemasons' guilds of Lombard origin, who left evidence of their art and skill in some parts of the area. This can also be seen in the neighboring village of Bordecorex—whose residents, incidentally, claim that Almanzor died there and is buried somewhere nearby—evidenced, above all, by the presence in the apse of the so-called blind arcades, a style also found, without leaving Castile, in some villages near Santo Domingo de Silos.

Therefore, speaking of a journey through the Land of Berlanga is also an invitation to adventure, where History, Art, and Legend undoubtedly offer a truly special appeal.

NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and are therefore subject to my copyright.

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