The Cerro de las Horcas is located on a hill of holm oaks on the road to Villarluengo on the outskirts, but visible from the town center. In the highest part, two masonry pillars sectioned at different heights are preserved. Oral tradition, in Tronchón, associates this with the remains of the gallows. In the neighboring towns of Villarluengo, Olocau and Cantavieja there are also high places with the same name. The form of execution in Las Bailías for the most serious crimes was hanging.
Death by hanging was neither quick nor painless. It was produced by asphyxiation or by breaking the neck, and lasted several minutes. In addition, it was very stigmatizing for the hanged person and his family. The body could not be buried in sacred ground and it was believed that his soul would have no place in heaven.
Through the documentation of the important Municipal Archives of Tronchón, we can learn about the conflicts and situations that the people of the Bailiwicks had to endure and what they fought against with these methods of execution.
