Salamanca · Castilla y León
Mogarraz
- Province
- Salamanca
- Declared
- 1998
- Status
- Conjunto Histórico
- Population
- 236
- Elevation
- 765 m
Mogarraz is a heritage town in the province of Salamanca, Castilla y León, Spain. It was designated a Conjunto Histórico (Spain's national heritage designation for historic ensembles) in 1998. Population 236 (2025), elevation 765m.
A village of carved stone facades and timber-framed houses in the Sierra de Francia, where 388 painted portraits of former residents stare back at you from the walls of their old homes.
Key facts
- Province
- Salamanca
- Heritage status
- Conjunto Histórico (declared 1998)
- Population
- 236 (2025)
- Elevation
- 765 m
History of Mogarraz
Mogarraz was founded during the medieval repopulation of the Sierra de Francia by the Leonese kings, and from 1213 it formed part of the territory of Miranda del Castañar, created that year by King Alfonso IX of León. When Spain reorganised its provinces in 1833, Mogarraz was placed in the province of Salamanca within the Leonese Region, where it has remained ever since. The town was once one of the few communities with a converso Jewish quarter.
By the mid-19th century its population stood at 989; today it is far smaller, and in response to the emigration of the 1960s the village has mounted an outdoor exhibition of 388 painted portraits, faces of residents who stayed, displayed on the facades of the houses they once lived in.
Heritage & Monuments
The traditional architecture is the first thing to take in: timber-framed facades filled with stone masonry, typical balconies, and symbols carved into the stonework. The street plan itself reflects Arab and Jewish influences. The parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves has a Latin cross floor plan, a baroque altar, and a bell tower that rises above the rooflines.
The oval Plaza Mayor was historically used for bullfighting. There is also a hermitage and spring at the Humilladero, and an ethnographic museum, the Casa de las Artesanías, displaying local crafts including gold work, leatherwork, embroidery, and traditional dress. The Sierra de Francia embroidery tradition is particularly well regarded in the region.
Outside the village, the Camino del Agua is a circular walking route of around 9 km through the valley of the Río Milanos, passing through Monforte de la Sierra and back to Mogarraz. The path crosses the Río Bocino on the Bocino footbridge and the Arroyo Milano on the Molinos and Pontón bridges, with water a constant presence throughout. Along the way there are several outdoor artworks: two metal cages called *K'oa* by Salamanca artist Miguel Poza; *Serena* by Virginia Calvo, a figure of a nymph with a raised tail set among the trees; *Cruz de Mingo* by Florencio Maíllo; and metal chairs by Manuel Pérez de Arrilucea.
A viewpoint on the route offers a broad view over Mogarraz and the surrounding valley.
Where to eat in Mogarraz
Ratings & restaurant data from Google.
Regional food & drink
Castilla y León is known for Cochinillo asado, Lechazo and Morcilla de Burgos, among 5 regional specialities.
Watch: Lechazo
Fiestas in Mogarraz
Dates recur annually but can shift by a few days. Confirm with the ayuntamiento before planning a trip around one.
- Virgen de las Nieves6 August
Gallery
Location
Quick answers
Is Mogarraz worth visiting?▾
A village of carved stone facades and timber-framed houses in the Sierra de Francia, where 388 painted portraits of former residents stare back at you from the walls of their old homes.
Why is Mogarraz a heritage town?▾
Mogarraz is officially designated a Conjunto Histórico, declared in 1998, Spain's national heritage designation for historic ensembles.
What is the traditional food in Castilla y León?▾
Castilla y León is known for Cochinillo asado, Lechazo, Morcilla de Burgos and Sopa de ajo. You'll find these regional specialities in and around Mogarraz.
What is there to see in Mogarraz?▾
The traditional architecture is the first thing to take in: timber-framed facades filled with stone masonry, typical balconies, and symbols carved into the stonework. The street plan itself reflects Arab and Jewish influences.
What is the history of Mogarraz?▾
Mogarraz was founded during the medieval repopulation of the Sierra de Francia by the Leonese kings, and from 1213 it formed part of the territory of Miranda del Castañar, created that year by King Alfonso IX of León. When Spain reorganised its provinces in 1833, Mogarraz was placed in the province of Salamanca within the Leonese Region, where it has remained ever since.
When are the fiestas in Mogarraz?▾
Mogarraz celebrates Virgen de las Nieves (6 August). Dates recur annually but can shift by a few days.
Nearby heritage towns
A hilltop town in the Sierra de Francia of Salamanca, tied by legend to the discovery of one of the region's most venerated Marian shrines and home to the remains of the medieval holy woman who foretold it.
A castle with a cemetery inside its walls, a bullring that may be Spain's second oldest, and a parish church blending Gothic, Baroque, and Mudéjar styles, San Martín del Castañar punches well above its size in the Salamanca countryside.
A small Salamancan hill town in the Sierra de Francia, founded in the medieval repopulation of León and still carrying the name of the counts who once shaped it.
A walled medieval village in Salamanca province whose complete circuit of 15th-century walls, four original gateways, and hilltop castle survive almost entirely intact.
The first village in Spain ever granted heritage protection, a tangle of timber-and-stone houses in the Sierra de Francia, little changed in centuries.
A castle-topped hill town on the old Silver Route through Salamanca province, where medieval walls, a Romanesque church, and a granite bridge over the Cuerpo de Hombre river survive in close company.
A walled medieval town on the Vía de la Plata in Cáceres, its castle, church and stone streets intact inside ancient walls, abandoned in 1964 when a reservoir swallowed the surrounding valley, and now carefully restored.
A walled cathedral city near the Portuguese frontier, its ramparts, palaces and 14th-century castle keep recalling centuries as a contested border stronghold.
Visiting from a nearby city?
Mogarraz makes a great day trip from:
Last updated 17 June 2026.