La Laguna
Natural spots
The village's mirror of water
- Where
- Southern entrance to the village, next to the site of the old Pozo Bueno, on the right of the Fontiveros–Madrigal road
- Type
- Natural lagoon, an old rain-fed hollow
- What to see
- Ducks, carp and the reflection of the La Moraña sky · in the background, the «chica» poplar grove
- Best time to visit
- Spring and autumn, when there's more water
At the southern entrance to the village, next to the site of the Pozo Bueno, the road opens onto a still pool of water. Stop for a moment: the sky of La Moraña is reflected in it, and ducks swim calmly among the reeds. It looks like a simple spot, but this lagoon has given the village food and water for centuries.
The hollows that became poplar groves
This part of the village used to be full of hollows where rainwater pooled. Over time, some were filled in, and poplar groves grew in them — like the «chica» (small) poplar grove we know today. This one was spared for its depth, and it's one of the few ponds of this kind still alive in the villages of Castile.
A lagoon with tench
In 1857, the Town Council leased it to two villagers for six years for 500 reales, so they could harvest the tench living in its waters. Picture those villagers with their nets on the shore. Years later, gentlemen even came from Ávila to catch frog legs to sell in bars and restaurants.
The livestock drinking place
Because of how close it was to the village, mules, oxen and sheep drank here on their way back from the fields. It is still the drinking place for the village's flock of sheep, the livestock still kept here today.
A sacred place
Next to the lagoon there was a wayside shrine (humilladero) dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, one of the small places of prayer that surrounded the village to protect it. Nothing remains of it today, but the lagoon still holds its memory.
Before moving on, look for the ducks and, if it's summer, the carp swimming beneath the surface: when late summer comes and the water drops, the lagoon shrinks, but it never stops waiting for the autumn rains.