Visigothic Hermitage of Santa María de Lara, in Quintanilla de las Viñas

At the foot of the Peña de Lara, in Quintanilla de las Viñas, the east end of a Visigothic church from the late 7th century, dedicated to Santa María, still stands. It is small and can be seen in half an hour, but it is one of the few churches of that era to survive, and the decoration of its walls is very different from the Romanesque and Gothic of the rest of the valley.

What you see

Of the original building the apse and the crossing survive. On the outside, the walls carry friezes carved in the stone: two on the arms of the crossing and three in low relief on the apse, with vine stems, bunches of grapes and leaves, birds and other animals, and geometric motifs of Eastern influence. Among them appear monograms and inscriptions that have not yet been deciphered. Walk slowly round the building before going in, because the friezes are on the outside.

Inside, the most valuable thing is the Visigothic triumphal arch that gives access to the presbytery, with reliefs of similar composition to those of the apse and two curious representations of the Sun and the Moon.

The hermitage also has its place in the history of the county of Castile: according to the Burgos Tourism Board, history places here the first public act of Fernán González, who came with his mother, Countess Muñadona, as a witness to the restoration of the monastery of Santa María de Lara.

Hours and visit

It is managed by the Archbishopric of Burgos. Entry is free and there is no guided visit: there is a custodian, whose instructions must be followed. It opens Wednesday to Sunday. From 1 October to 31 May, from 10:05 to 16:55; from 1 June to 30 September, from 10:20 to 14:25 and from 16:05 to 19:10. It closes on Mondays and Tuesdays and on the second weekend of each month. In 2026 it also has an extraordinary closure from 3 to 17 November and on 24, 25 and 31 December, and in 2027 on 1 and 6 January; it opens exceptionally on 7 December. The dates may change because of works or other incidents, so call beforehand on 626 496 215; the Mambrillas de Lara town hall answers on 947 392 049.

Getting there

You go along the N-234, the Burgos to Soria road: after Cuevas de San Clemente comes the turn-off to Quintanilla de las Viñas. From Covarrubias it is about 20 minutes by car. Continuing along the N-234 towards Hortigüela you reach the ruins of San Pedro de Arlanza, the other great place linked to Fernán González, which shares closing days with the hermitage. From Hortigüela the guided walk through the juniper woods also starts. It ends in Covarrubias, where the count and his wife are buried in the collegiate church.