The final chapter of The Ages of Man talks of the 19th century a decadent time in these lands as indeed it was in many others.
Last century opened with the War of Independence against the French, in which most of the province was plundered and devastated by Marshal Ney. There was certainly no lack of warriors such as Durßn who tried their best to defend it even at the expense of destroying castles to prevent the enemy from seeking shelter. These indeed were difficult times marked by great conflict and confusion, times which included the war against French occupation, the Carlist wars and the process of ecclesiastical disentailment which, although it brought about the sale of church lands, was to prove to be of no benefit whatsoever to the Sorian peasants. Despite the fact that the diocese had by now become radically impoverished, having lost its traditional financial basis, the bishops did their very best to maintain their services in both Burgo de Osma and in the town of Soria. Moreover, the Soria area was to remain divorced from the sources of development industry and above all the new railway lines that in the near future were to revitalise other parts of the country. The region was indeed fast becoming one characterized by a high level of emigration.
The landscape of the Soria area, or perhaps one should say the variety of its landscapes since one thing that certainly does characterize this diocese is its great diversity , has in time taken on an even more desolate nature. It has been said that much of the local scenery is of such overwhelming beauty that in order to appreciate it we need hardly call upon our senses. Such beauty and solitude, along with the frequent presence of ruins from more glorious times towers, fortresses, old monasteries has led Romantic painters and poets to seek inspiration in these lands. Thus, despite his illness, BΘcquer was to choose this area to write his legends. This he did at the Monastery of La Veruela which nowadays is part of Aragon but in those times belonged to the diocese of Osma.
Even today as we travel through the province, there are occasions when we rediscover a certain feeling, a Romantic vision that transports us back to the 19th century. This occurs when we catch sight of those at times beautiful, practically deserted villages the so called silent villages , when our imagination is stirred by the ruins of a castle or when we stumble across the mysterious charm of some hidden corner.
The Sorian countryside also reminds us of more recent times when Antonio Machado, the author who has most closely identified with this region, took it to be a symbol of a Spain that was beset by crisis and was struggling to find its way towards life.
And finally, our modern day perspective allows us to contemplate the landscape of Soria in a much more optimistic light. What spreads out before us today is a truly beautiful land, one that boasts a rich cultural and natural heritage and which we should all get to know better, tell others about and take measures to protect.
|
ITINERARY: SORIA, AGREDA, MONASTERIO DE VERUELA |
 |
Soria Ágreda |
Leaving Soria on the N 122 highway and making our way towards ┴greda, we come to Tarazona where, a few kilometers further on, we turn off towards the Monastery.
This monastery, situated in the province of Zaragoza, was founded by King Ramiro II. Its construction began in 1147 and was finished a century later.
The most outstanding aspects of the monastery are its church, featuring a Latin cross ground plan and an ambulatory; the cloister, complete with its Gothic style ground floor and Renaissance style upper level; the chapterhouse and the refectory. The whole complex is surrounded by a 16th century battlemented wall.
In 1854, at the age of 18, Gustavo Adolfo BΘcquer withdrew to this monastery to write his work entitled Letters from my Cell (Cartas desde mi celda).
