Via Crucis de Peraleda de San Román y Valdelacasa de Tajo

The stations of the cross of Peraleda de San Román and Valdelacasa de Tajo are good examples of devotional monuments of Castilian tradition. Around them religious events were celebrated for centuries not only in Castile but also in areas under its influence such as La Jara, the most westerly villages of which belong to Extremadura and more specifically to the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Global Geopark of the UNESCO.

The custom of following a route for the various stages of the Passion of Jesús originated in the Holy Land. It consisted of passing by each of the significant places from the arrest to the tomb and saying a prayer at each. From the 4th century in the times of Emperor Constantine a large number of pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem to perform this rite.

In the 17th century, given how difficult it was for the faithful to travel to the Holy Land, Pope Innocent XI gave the Franciscans permission to reproduce the penitential stations in their churches. In this way worship was extended to as many parishioners as possible.

Subsequently stations of the cross began to be constructed outside religious enclosures to become monuments in many towns and villages. Traditionally these consisted of fourteen stations which represented scenes of the Passion of Jesus from his being condemned to death to the tomb. Stations of the cross were generally erected on the outskirts of villages or on roads from the latter to a chapel or church. Even today their presence is linked in some cases to religious festivities, in particular those related to Easter.

Both in Peraleda de San Román and in Valdelacasa de Tajo we can find stations of the cross which are very similar as to their characteristics, type, and location. The fourteen traditional stations are represented in both villages. The first thirteen consist of single crosses sculpted out of several pieces of granite; they are placed over a distance of about a hundred metres. At the end of the devotional route the fourteenth station consists of a set of three crosses on an ashlar pedestal at the entrance to the village.

The stations of the cross of Valdelacasa de Tajo can be observed on reaching the village on the Villar del Pedroso road, which was in olden times the road to the Chapel of Santa Ana. Their construction dates from 1821 when the village still belonged to Castile and were paid for with contributions from its inhabitants. As some of the crosses were in poor condition the stations were restored in recent times and several of the shafts were replaced. This ensemble is the setting for two feast days which are very popular in Valdelacasa, these are Easter and the Festival of the Holy Cross on 3rd May.

In Peraleda de San Román the stations consist of crosses with a hexagonal cross-section in contrast to those of Valdelacasa which have a quadrangular cross-section. As apart from this distinction they are similar, they can be said to be from the same period. The crosses stand on the edge of a surfaced road alongside an old stone wall. When the route of the fourteen penitential stations was followed, at each cross a passage from the gospel was read and in some cases a story or popular verse.