The Visigothic hermitage of Quintanilla de las Viñas is a relic of those that any hermeneute would situate, at least, in illo tempore; that is to say, in a primordial, mythical time, as it may seem to us, nowadays, that which we could well define as ‘the lost world of the Visigoths'. A world of which hardly any fragments remain; and the few that remain, surprise notably by their singularity, mystery and splendour.

One of the most outstanding and admirable examples, we would have it in this peculiar hermitage. A hermitage, in addition, whose antiquity, believe me, grieves. To such an extent, that I would not err at all if I said, metaphorically speaking, of course, that it is like a notic ark stranded in that infinite Ararat which is the arid Castilian Meseta.

Situated barely thirty kilometres from the capital, Burgos, the environment is nevertheless truly unique. And it is, not only in reference to the peculiar geographical features that frame it, in that imaginary east-west lifeline that traces the sun every day from birth to sunset, but by the paridolias that make up those features, among which stand out, to the left, delimited by that important communication route that connects Burgos with Soria, which is the national road 234, two curious promontories, whose form, well deserves the comparison with those ‘Diane’s Goddess breast' of which Camilo José Cela spoke in his trips to the Alcarria.

The detail, going even further than anecdotal simplicity, can be important if we think that we are in an area of ‘ancient history', prolific not only in deposits of antediluvian nature, as shown by the site of icnitas de las Sereas, located in the municipality of Quintanilla itself, or the dolmen, located forty-five minutes walk away, but also because there was an important Celtic presence and by default, an important cultural casuistry of a pre-Christian nature.

In addition, we must not forget a really essential detail: Quintanilla and its Visigothic hermitage belonged to the ancient alfoz of the Lara family, one of the most important families in high-medieval history, to which Ginés de Lara curiously belonged, a mediatic and mysterious personage, who is considered the ‘last Templar'; of the Soria monastery of San Polo.

In fact, there are only three, at most four kilometers that separate it from the important population of Lara de los Infantes; those same ‘infants' whose legend, in terms of symbolic and esoteric references, goes far beyond the glory of belonging to the most flowery of our Romancero.

Romancero, who also lives in another village located in the vicinity, in the main character of the origin of the drama, Doña Lambra, causing the misfortune of children, which also has some Visigothic element in its ancient and mysterious hermitage of San Juan: Barbadillo del Mercado.

And from there, one step away, the always enigmatic Sierra de la Demanda and its passionate relationship with the tales of the Grail, where the pagan and the Christian maintained a balanced tête a tête, which little or nothing liked the Church of the time, but which Cistercians and Knights Templar insisted on introducing.

It is true, likewise - back to the hermitage of Quintanilla - that perhaps the important lack of elements, subtracts much of its original greatness. But it is no less true that the remaining set, the one that can be admired today, not only offers the visual grace of its imposing beauty, but also, in the skilful approach of its reliefs -good example of Visigoth plasticity- poses numerous and even fascinating enigmas to the researcher, The detail that was erected before or after the defeat of King Rodrigo in the battle of the Guadalete River is hardly relevant, an event that marked the turning point of the conquest - Muslim sources speak of 'invitation'; - of the Iberian Peninsula.

Part of these enigmas, lie in the real meaning of the letters that are glimpsed in some of the chrismons -comparably speaking- that can be appreciated in the decorative reliefs that are located outside, forming curious epigrams (AFNL-AANL-RFNC) that have supposed the origin of numerous discussions, being the most accepted theory, the one that suggests that they could make reference to the initials of the names of the stonemasons that elaborated them.

Curling the curl, and remembering, for example, certain epigraphic traces observed in the paintings of later hermitages, such as those of the Vera Cruz de Maderuelo, whose originals can be found in the Prado Museum in Madrid (see photos), it occurs to me to think that perhaps they meant the beginning of phrases of praise to God or an introduction to the biblical or neo-testamental theme that they were reproducing.

Be that as it may, and apart from other singularities located in its interior, which we will leave for later, there is no doubt that visiting this hermitage and taking a small tour around its surroundings will form, at least, a singular experience.

WARNING: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property.

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