San Martín del Castañar

San Martín del Castañar traces its origins to the medieval repopulation of the Leonese kingdoms. In 1225, King Alfonso IX of León granted the town to the Bishop of Salamanca as a private lordship. When Spain reorganised its administrative boundaries in 1833, San Martín del Castañar was placed within the province of Salamanca, in the region of León.

The castle is the town's centrepiece. Built at the order of the Count of Miranda del Castañar, it originally served as a palatial residence and later as a defensive post against Muslim incursions. Over time it became a prison under the bishops of Salamanca, then fell into disuse until 1834, when the town cemetery was established inside its walls, where it remains today.

Of the original structure, only the keep and outer walls survive. The top of the tower now serves as a viewpoint over the town and the surrounding Sierra de Francia. Following lightning damage, the castle was restored, with wooden ramps and walkways improving access while keeping the original entrance.

Inside the compound is a biosphere museum covering local flora, fauna, and environment, and the space is used for art exhibitions and theatre. The bullring, which some sources describe as the second oldest in Spain, began as the castle's old parade ground, repurposed to pen livestock. Its shape is somewhere between oval and rectangular.

It has three permanent tiers of seating, with a fourth added for the main bullfight on 11 August during the town's patron festival. The original barriers were cut from the granite bedrock on site and are still in use alongside newer, safer additions. The parish church is dedicated to San Martín de Tours, the source of the town's name, and reflects layers of building and rebuilding across several centuries.

A Gothic south doorway was added in one phase; the ribbed vault and tower in another; the main chapel and lantern tower in a later campaign still. It was declared a monument of cultural interest in 1981. Inside, the highlights are a Baroque altarpiece featuring a Christ Miserere and a figure of San Martín de Tours, a Mudéjar coffered ceiling, an Ionic-columned portico, and three naves separated by large arches.

The main nave is covered by an octagonal Mudéjar timber roof with tie beams and decorative lacework. The Gospel chapel features a tiercerons vault. Outside the town, the Asentadero–Bosque de los Espejos is a circular walking route of around 9 km that links San Martín del Castañar, Sequeros, and Las Casas del Conde.

The path passes sections of old stone track, vineyard walls, and staircases, and includes outdoor artworks such as *A puntadas* and *La casa del árbol* by Luque López, *Mochuelos* by Pablo Amargo, and *Efímeras magentas* by José Antonio Juárez. Carved olive trees in Las Casas del Conde are among the route's more unusual features.