Since ancient times, the fear of storms has given rise to countless rituals – half pagan, half religious – aimed at protecting crops and people themselves.

The custom of conjuring the countryside was based on the idea that storms could be fought and any other evil affecting the crops of the municipality could be avoided through a series of rituals. This practice arose to satisfy the needs of a society that until the 20th century was eminently agricultural and sensitive to meteorological changes. For this, among other formulas, hiding places were erected in elevated or strategic places from where the priest recited a series of supplications to fight against the inclement weather.

These esconjuraderos in some places are small quadrangular stone buildings, in the form of a porch and open to the four cardinal points, which were usually located next to the churches. In other places they were integrated into the churches or existing buildings were used.

In Maestrazgo there are three known. The one in Bordón, the one in Iglesuela and the one in Villarroya de los Pinares.

In Iglesuela, oral sources say that the crenellated tower that is currently integrated in the town hall and that belonged to the castle that the Order of the Temple would have in the town was used.

On the other hand, the Bordón tower is integrated in the church, it is a small tower behind the bell tower.

Located in one of the highest and most central points of Villarroya de los Pinares, the hermitage-shrine of the Immaculate Conception, is a square building with two floors and a hipped roof. The first floor was used for the cult to the Purísima. The upper floor, undecorated and with windows on all four sides, was used as a hiding place, according to popular tradition. Apparently the sources do not indicate that until 1694 the building served as a hiding place, although it is most likely that this practice was carried out before that date. According to Fernando Maneros, who has researched the building, later, especially to reduce the magical character of this activity, the building was consecrated as a hermitage to the point of eclipsing its initial function.

In Tronchón, to conjure the storms, they took out a relic that according to tradition belonged to one of the innocents ordered to be killed by Herod. When the storm was diverted to Villarluengo, the locals would say “Ya han sacado la manaza”.

We invite you to visit the towns and get to know these curious spaces. Did you know that places like this existed?