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Sierra Morena - An ancestral journey along the Cañada Real de la Vizana Silver or

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The Blog "Flying Over It" would like to echo the recent publication of the book: "From Babies to Sierra Morena. An ancestral journey along the Cañada Real de la Plata Vizana or other cattle trails. "Texts are Manuel Rodriguez Pascual, well acquainted with all things related to transhumance in León, while the photographs are the work of Fernando Fernández. This is a very careful edition, large format, excellent layout and very successful selection of photographs.
This book describes a long journey of over 700 km along the Cañada Real de la Vizana or de la Plata and other cattle trails that from the Babia Leon bring us closer to the heart of Sierra Morena west through the provinces of León, Zamora, Salamanca, Cáceres and Badajoz.

Along the route, in which text and photographs keep a copy overlap, combine well the authors' own experiences with the landscapes and architecture of towns and cities (some World Heritage Site) , the milestones and Roman bridges with pastoral huts, the twin mountains of the north with southern pastures, cereal with grapes and olives, and the urban world with the loneliness of living nature.

unknown in the western Spain, are threaded continuously outstanding places with numerous protected natural spaces, shaped by the passage of many civilizations and cultures have left their specific signature. Without doubt, this is a nature trail leading cultural and nomadic shepherds who have traveled for more than seven centuries in their annual migrations.
The following is an excerpt from the chapter on livestock routes pass through the lands of Benavente:

"La Cañada de la Plata Vizana or, after crossing the bridge over the river Órbigo, says goodbye Leon and Zamora comes into land. After leaving his right hand Teso Grande, crossing the village of Castroponce Maire its wide street Real. In the center of town, resting on the old livestock, have built schools, town hall and even a sports complex with gardens. At the end of Maire, La Vizana cross the bridge over the river of Canada, runs down a path paved until Villabrázaro concentration, and then flows through the town also for his long and wide street Real, where the church of Santa Maria Magdalena , XVIII century. Next, begin to ascend to the Mount of Mosteruelo, populated by oaks [...]

the Vizana La Cañada, Real Berciana or Zamorano, as it is described in this section, enter Benavente by the so-called Water Tower Road or Way of manganese, which leads to the modern and steep street named and Cañada de la Vizana, bordering the town to the north. At the end of it, on top, next to a place where today stands a National College, were the eras of San Anton, the former resting place of cattle. Next, it locates the Plaza Virgen de la Vega, at the confluence of the Lane Vizana the Maragatos now Maragatos Avenue, approaching the city near the old N-VI.

From this hill, La Vizana down the street Cuesta del Hospital, past the rear facade of the old Hospital of Our Lady of Mercy. Glen reached after the Plaza de la Soledad, the confluence of the Bribe Trail, which subsequently Zamorano Cañada name reaches Gordoncillo and Mayorga de Campos, and also the String of Tera, which comes from the pastures of Porto and Puebla de Sanabria in the vicinity of the N-525. The latter, were torn off in the same Benavente:

La Vereda de Cuatro Caminos, the fair, the Milles Trail, the Trail Wash Zamorano and Vado de Santiago.

The Benavente Vizana away from the Avenida Federico Silva Muñoz and outside, beyond the confines of the old NIV, it loses track of this canyon for several miles. Is converted into a narrow path between a knot of roads and highways.

In Benavente must stop and climb the hill where the old city is located on a primitive fortified hill that overlooks a wide valley watered by the River This and its tributaries, the river Cea East and Órbigo, Eria and Tera in the west.

Benavente's strategic location has made has always has been a crossroads of major transport routes from the Peninsula, such as the Via de la Plata, or the national road from Madrid and Extremadura target to Galicia or Asturias. But also, as mentioned above, is an important junction of roads pastoral, articulated around the Glen of the Vizana and other strings and paths converge here by migratory flocks that traveled from the mountains of north and west of León and Zamora, to Extremadura. This meant that for long periods to settle in the city court of the Kings of Leon [...].

After leaving Benavente, into the bridge of Santa Marina de Castrogonzalo, where cattle fairs were held, he joined The Vizana on the left the line from León, the capital that comes from the plain of Esla river. And together, cross the bridge over Castrogonzalo, where the corresponding charged or right pontazgo step. Beside him lie Paradores of Castrogonzalo, antique sales to stop for hikers and horsemen, it was a strategic place between the plateau, Leon, Asturias and Galicia. The chronicles Napoleon himself spent a night on the town of Castrogonzalo his way to Astorga.

After passing The House, The Vizana makes an abrupt turn at right angles to the south. But first, a branch of the ravine, called in this section Cañada de Madrid and La Coruna, continues straight along the vicinity of the N-VI to Medina del Campo. After the previous turn sends another string to the left to Castronuevo y Toro, which runs through the Nature Reserve Villafáfila lagoons or salt, where they accumulate in winter thousands of geese, herons, cranes and other birds European
Contin [...] ú Vizana and passes to the Castropepe the edge of a street named for Vereda Zamorano. Approaches the N-630 (Gij or n-Sevilla) and it runs through the town of Ship-quiz Barcial to s there a boat to wade through the Esla with people and cattle, where the church of Santa Marina, the eighteenth century, stands a curious tower with a square body and topped with an octagonal shape to continue on Water and Santovenia Villaveza Esla. T pass through such Terms é, ñ the ca ada is converted, in most í to cases in a way or concentration n. In a blanching or nm to s low, opens to the right of the wide traveler é f rTIL Esla the river valley.

Text
Manuel Rodriguez Pascual
1. Images: 1 . Cover of book, 2. A herd of sheep in the Ages of Castrogonzalo Above [Photo Rafael González], 3. signaling pathway Castrotorafe Silver [Photo Rafael González] and 4. Castrogonzalo Bridge [Photo Rafael González].

Chronica Minora