Fountain of the Hermitages

Located on the Cañada Real Segoviana, the Fountain of the Hermitages was built as a water supply for the livestock in the area and for the cattle that travelled along the cattle track. The local livestock had to take advantage of the high pastures by going up La Pedriza, and were taken back at night to La Dehesa and El Ejido, close to this fountain. The large herds of the Council of La Mesta also passed by the fountain as they travelled along the glen on their transhumance route from the north to Extremadura. The fountain also played its role as a service for the locals and passers-by.

As a whole, we can see in the background the spring house, which is reached by two underground channels that carry the water from a natural spring located in the north. The interior of its cubic structure, made of enormous granite ashlars bonded with lime mortar and sand, is cleaned through an arched doorway closed by a grille.

The water supplied to the fountain by the natural spring all year round for more than 500 years flows from the spring house to the trough through a millrace lined with granite pieces.

On the front, the monumental trough made of monolithic granite blocks, up to a metre high, is crowned by a pediment of ashlars with a triangular lintel on which we find the coat of arms of the Mendoza and Luna families, which is much deteriorated. This coat of arms was created after the union of Don Íñigo López de Mendoza, Second Duke of the Infantado, and Doña María de Luna, heiress of the Constable Don Álvaro de Luna. The fountain dates from the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the 16th century, the period of greatest splendour of the town of Manzanares.

In the restoration undertaken at the source by the D.G. of Cultural Heritage of the Community of Madrid, in 2021, it was discovered that the watering hole was accessed by a 4-meter-long road, made with large slabs of carved granite, which allowed the collection of water saving the land permanently irrigated by the spring. Currently we can see a section of this road that continues, below the wall that closes the complex, under our feet. Thanks to the archaeological studies carried out, it was also discovered that the fountain was modified at some point between the 16th and 19th centuries when the rear part of the pediment and the gutter that supplied the trough were altered.

The construction of this great fountain is related to the great noble houses investments in the lucrative livestock market, and in the agreements with the Honrado Concejo de La Mesta (Honoured Council of La Mesta). In fact, the House of the Infantado was for centuries one of the key powers in the livestock association, which made this town a rich territory, thanks to the use of the Manzanares toll bridge and the control of good rented pastures for the cattle on their journey through the Real.

The hermitages were often located next to the glens, as they were the place chosen for the meetings of the Mesta Council. In fact, the hermitages of San Sebastián and the Virgen de la Soledad were located around the fountain and gave it its name.