Mountain village
Baraona (alternative spelling Barahona) is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 211 inhabitants.
It was credited in Spanish folklore as being a site where an Akelarre or Witches' Sabbath was held regularly and, as such, was the subject of an inquisition in 1527 (as documented in the trials recorded in the Tribunal de la Inquisición de Cuenca) - the village has the alternative name Barahona de las Brujas (Barahona of the Witches). It is the site of the curious holed stone known as La Piedra de las Brujas or El Confesionario de las Brujas ("Witches' Stone" or "Witches' Confessional") which bears an incised cross - thought to sanctify a monolith deemed to have unhallowed associations.
Mention is made of the village's reputation as a well-known site of the Witches' Sabbath in the Spanish Golden Age play Lo que quería el Marqués de Villena ('What the Marquis of Villena wanted') by Francisco Rojas Zorilla (1607-1648) of Toledo. This takes the form of an exchange concerning the flying ointment between the eponymous Marquis and the character Zambapalo (= 'Yokel' ?)
The witchcraft associations of the village also form the subject of a late 20th century play by Spanish dramatist Domingo Miras (born 1934), entitled Las Brujas de Barahona ('The Witches of Baraona',1978).
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
The essentials for getting around Baraona without surprises: how to get there, municipal facts and when it's most worth coming.
Coordinates: 41.2953° N, 2.6574° O
By bus: check the regional bus timetables, they change by season. If you come without a car, confirm the last service back before you leave.
We only list verified numbers. The town hall itself will give you the number of the clinic or the pharmacy.
There are no events in Baraona's calendar yet, so any month works. Ask us about the local festivals: almost every village has one.
Spring
Thaw and green fields. Some mountain access can stay tricky until May.
Summer
Long days and cool nights. The best time for hikes.
Autumn
Forests at their best and far fewer people.
Winter
Serious winter at this altitude: snow likely and chains in the car. Check the state of the roads before heading up.
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