Don Quixote’s Lookout
Santa Cruz de los Cañamos is located on the tableau hill. It has an irregular designed town centre that lays on the hill slopes. At the north side, where the church is set, the hill ends in a cliff from which beautiful views can be enjoyed, such as Campo de Montiel and Vega de Santa Cruz, beside the Origon river.
The origins of the village are unknown. It first appears in Felipe the second’s Topographic Survey, in the year 1575, referred to as a little village dependent on Montiel, and named Santa Cruz de Montiel. By the middle of the 18th century it became independent and started being named as nowadays, Santa Cruz de los Cañamos (“Holy Cross of the hemps”) as most of the land surrounding the village is devoted to growing hemp.
The Fountain and Don Quixote’s Lookout
Santa Cruz de los Cañamos has three main tourist attractions. In the lowest part of the village we find its curious fountain. It has three drinking troughs where the flocks of sheep can drink after being grazing at ease nearby Santa Cruz. The fountain is set beside a garden which invites us to take a rest.
From the Fountain to the church there is a track aligned by a wooden guard rail that reaches the upper part of the village, to the church. This setting is called don Quixote’s Lookout which offers overall and colourful views of Campo de Montiel and Vega de Santa Cruz de los Cañamos. Depending on the time of the year, we can enjoy different colours of the landscape.
The Fountain, The Lookout and the church of Saint Bartolome offer us a peaceful walk.
Church of Saint Bartolome
The parish church of Saint Bartolome (15th Century) is located in the upper part of the village. Inside, there is the antique altarpiece devoted to Santisimo Cristo de la Inspiracion. The church has a central naive with barrel vault and dome. It is a common masonry construction, reinforced with stone ashlars.
The church and its surrounding area are the most representative place in Santa Cruz. The citizens of Santa Cruz are proud of this beautiful square. Beside the church there is a tiny park, called “parquecillo” by the citizens. It is a children’s playground.
The modest hermitage of Saint Isidro is another outstanding feature of Santa Cruz de los Cáñamos. It was recently built and it is the place where the fiesta to honour Saint Isidro, patron saint of the farmers, take place.
Fiestas and traditions
San Marcos: 25th of April. A pilgrimage takes place at its hermitage, close to the village.
San Isidro: 15th of May.
San Bartolomé: 24th of August. It is the patron saint. There are several days of fiesta. The number of inhabitants grow in those days due to the visitors who do not want to miss this celebration.
