No, we are not in Germany. Our topography is not full of places and towns with ‘W’. Quite the contrary: in Spain, for example, there is only one town whose name begins with ‘W’. It’s in Valladolid and it’s called Wamba.
This town with “double vee” is located in the southeastern part of the Montes Torozos region ( Castilla y León ). Perhaps many are more located if we tell them that one of the municipalities with which it borders is Villanubla (there is the Valladolid airport).
Where does that “W” come from? Wamba’s name is “real”. It is given to him by the Gothic king Wamba, who was elected king in that town back in 672 . Wikipedia says that at that time it was called Gerticos and that King Recesvinto had a villa there to rest. When Recesvinto died in that town, the nobles elected Wamba that same day.
If we approach Wamba, the Camino de Santiago can be a good excuse. The so-called Camino de Madrid passes through this town . And since we have reached Wamba, the first thing to see are their skulls.
3,000 skulls that impress
This Valladolid town has a huge ossuary with more than 3,000 monk skulls. Impress. It is part of the Church of Santa María. To the north of this temple, in the place where the cloister of the monastery was, there is a large patio. Several rooms open to it, such as the baptistery, the Doña Urraca chapel and the ossuary.
Its more than 3,000 skulls are part of the skeletons deposited throughout the 13th to 18th centuries. On one of its walls of this ossuary of the Order of Saint John the following epitaph can be read: “As you look, I saw myself. As you see me, you will see yourself. It all ends in this here. Think about it and you will not sin.”
But we already said that to see the ossuary you have to enter the Church of Santa María and that is another pleasure, because it is one of the few Spanish churches of Mozarabic style. Its construction date can be dated between the 10th and 12th centuries (so that it ends as Romanesque ).
It is made up of three naves and the chapels. Queen Urraca of Portugal, wife of King Fernando II of León and mother of King Alfonso IX of León, was buried in this church.
Wamba offers the possibility of hiking along the Hornija Valley: good views and a varied and pleasant vegetation. To rest and eat outdoors, it has a large picnic area on the road to Valladolid.
And if we have time left, we can escape to nearby Torrelobatón, just 12 kilometers away. This Valladolid town boasts, and rightly so, a beautiful castle.
Located in a small treasure, the castle, built in the 13th century, is visible from anywhere in the Hornija Valley . It is said that in the castle of Torrelobatón the Comuneros stayed the day before being defeated in Villalar.
