Viveros

The Village

Viveros is a municipality located 77 km from the provincial capital. It has approximately 330 inhabitants that during the summer months reaches more than 1000.

It is known for the Salinas de Pinilla, an area declared a micro-reserve for its unique flora and fauna, formed by a set of salt mines formed around a well that extracts water from a subway stream that runs through a vein of salt useful for domestic use.

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Of the most interesting constructions that Viveros offers, the Ermita de Pinilla stands out. It is a hermitage built in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that has an interesting Mudejar coffered ceiling of the sixteenth century and Baroque vaults of geometric decoration towards the head. It has an urban complex that also preserves a popular architecture. It is also important the Church of San Bartolomé, of Romanesque plant that consists of a single nave and square presbytery covered with a dome formed by a vault. It has a bell tower that is attached to the temple.

Viveros also has a very interesting natural environment in which, in addition to the Pinilla Salt Flats, there is a Steppe Zone, whose landscape is configured by the presence of large treeless extensions of flat or undulating land dedicated to cereal cultivation or pasture, constituting a habitat of great importance for steppe birds.

Festivities

One of the most popular of Viveros, and those that attract more people from outside, is that of the patron saint, the Virgen de las Aguas, on May 4, in which a procession is held with images of the Virgin, Christ and St. Bartholomew, from the village church to a monument of the Cross that is located on a hill about 2 km away.

On May 15 San Isidro is celebrated, in honor of the patron saint of farmers, in which the image of the saint, which is located in the hermitage of Pinilla, is carried in procession through the surrounding lands. On May 28, also in the hermitage of Pinilla, there is a procession with the image of the Virgin of Pinilla.

The most popular festival of Viveros is celebrated from 23 to 26 August in honor of San Bartolomé, patron saint of the town. There are parades of floats, fireworks, music bands, running of the bulls with release of heifers and open-air dances, and on the 24th, a procession with the image of the saint. Other important festivals in the town are the Festival of San Marcos, on April 25, and San Antón on January 17. 

Salinas de Pinilla

Las Salinas de Pinilla, an area declared a micro-reserve for its unique flora and fauna. It is a set of salt flats formed around a well that extracts water from a subway stream that crosses a vein of salt useful for domestic use. The salty water of this enclave gives the area some peculiar characteristics where a rare or very rare halophilic (adapted to salinity) fauna and flora live. In addition, the lagoons formed by the river further on are an important point where a multitude of aquatic birds congregate.

From this saline exploitation, already in use in the Middle Ages, it is not only interesting the fauna and flora grown in a saline environment, but also the traditional installations themselves. A new species of halophilic plant has recently been discovered.