A place called Somaén

Relatively close to Montuenga and the dented ruins of its medieval castle, also framed within that surprising and at the same time spectacular Jalón Valley, another picturesque little town powerfully attracts the attention of the traveler, who, either through knowledge or letting himself be carried away by the chance that always accompanies adventure drops by there one day: Somaén.

Somaén is another of those ancient settlements, which, looking towards the neighboring Community of Guadalajara, are faithful testimony of those brave people from the north, mainly from the Basque Country, who accompanied the great medieval adventure of the Reconquista, repopulating and settling in these places, whose wild morphology produces the feeling of entering an enchanted world.

This perception is much more evident when the sight penetrates the environment and the imagination is lost in those imposing cliffs, to which time and that subjective artist, which is always erosion, seem to have given a life of their own, providing them with diverse and capricious forms, which, in some cases and out of a sense of familiarity, recall archetypal models, upon which, in times, the magical poetry of legends was poured, with all the force of its interpretation.

Part of some mysterious legend, it may also be its enigmatic name, whose origin still baffles historians, but which, at its root, coincides, curiously, with the word 'soma', which, etymologically speaking, was the phoneme with which the ancient Vedic texts of India called ambrosia or drink of the immortality of the gods.

Its conception, although it is true that it was notably affected during the War of Independence and partly devastated by the French soldiers, has recovered, with time and the prolonged effort of the neighbors, its old and notable appearance, becoming one of those unique movie habitats, which resemble a metaphorical ziggurat, whose houses are superimposed, in a staggered manner, in the shadow of a vertiginous promontory, where the vulture and other birds of prey, scan a horizon whose distance, on many occasions they are surprised by the rapid advance of a modern railway, the AVE, which connects Madrid with Zaragoza, Barcelona and France.

Of the interest that the place has had since the dawn of time, the archaeological remains found in some nearby caves and cavities offer interesting testimony, such as the one called 'Cueva de la Mora', where remains have been located, at least belonging to the Bronze Age, as well as ceramic remains, belonging, according to experts, to the Bell Beaker culture.

Like many other areas of Soria, also here, in Somaén, a strong Muslim presence was confirmed in medieval times, whose trace can be followed, although to a lesser extent, by some of the canvases of the old castle, which, however, were also greatly modified by the various Christian owners after the conquest of the place, coming to belong, among others, to the first count of Medinaceli.

Although its church, whose dedication is dedicated to Our Lady of the Visitation, does not preserve any trace of the Romanesque art that it may have had in its origins, its quadrangular floor plan dominates the town in its entirety, located below the old castle, It is also known that in the surrounding area there was a small hermitage, now disappeared, dedicated to a curious saint, with chthonic connotations and a name, Santa Quiteria, whose mysterious cult is also remembered in some interesting areas of Huesca, such as the crypt-chapel that it has in the exceptional castle of Loarre.

In the lower part and on the side of the peaceful and melancholic passage of the Jalón River, numerous orchards draw attention to that agricultural facet that characterizes that close communion that has always existed between man and the rural environment he inhabits, enlivened, furthermore, for livestock breeding, mainly sheep.

In short: a place whose peculiar charm never goes unnoticed, also equipped with numerous hostels and rural houses that can be an excellent starting point for lovers of adventure and hiking, in a region, whose exploration, I would not like. There is no doubt, it can be an unforgettable experience.

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