SIERRO
Sierro sits in a small corner of the Almerian mountain range. The traces of previous ages are captured in its well-preserved streets, which are so narrow that cars cannot pass. This means that the village is entirely pedestrianised, with breathable air free from pollution. It has around 380 inhabitants.
HISTORY
These narrow streets have never been adapted due to the topography of the town; there is simply no space around the village into which it can grow. Therefore, all its development over the years has been upwards; the heights of local houses have been increased so much that, in places, the sun never hits the pavement.
It is thought that the word Sierro has Berber origin, derived from the Latin word serra, which means mountain range. At the beginning of the Al-Andalus period, the Sierra de los Filabres was mostly populated by Mozarabs. In a raid by Alfonso El Batallador in 1125, most of this population depended on him to repopulate the Ebro Valley.
In the fifteenth century, one could distinguish between Sierro Alto and Sierro Bajo. After the Christian conquest of the late fifteenth century and the Alpujarras War (1568-1570), the Moors were expelled from the Kingdom of Granada. The repopulation was carried out with residents from Murcia, Albacete, Castilla and Western Andalusia. Its current population is dedicated to the cultivation of almonds and olives. Part of its population relocated to Olula del Río and Macael for the exploitation of marble.
THINGS TO SEE
Castillo de Sierro
The tenth-century Castle traces its origins to the pre-Islamic period, originally serving the functions of refuge and urban fortress, given its continuity with the area of the upper neighborhood. The fortress still dominates the entire valley. Located on Calle Aljibe.
Iglesia de San Sebastián
The eighteenth-century church is a unique ship structure covered by a barrel vault, and a roof made with pine beams and Arabic tiles. The lighting is achieved with six open circles at the bottom of the vault’s lunettes. Located on Calle del Sol.
NATURAL AREAS
The natural surroundings of Sierro seem to demand that visitors stop and admire, and also serve as an inviting playground for hikers, with routes to the neighbouring villages of La Torca, Los Toriles and Piedra Bermeja. There are also enclosed areas for hunting lovers.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation can be found in the nearby municipalities of Armuña de Almanzora and Almeria.
HANDICRAFTS
Marble is a big feature of the local arts and crafts scene, as in the majority of villages in the Almanzora region.
GASTRONOMY
The typical local gastronomic dishes are migas de trigo (fried wheat breadcrumbs served usually with pork), fritada de Purchena (tomato and peppers), empredado (bean and cod rice), albóndigas de bacalao (cod balls) and fritá de conejo (fried rabbit). Sweet treats include buñuelos (fried sugar doughnuts), tortas de Manteca (lard cakes) and roscos fritos (aniseed doughnuts).
FESTIVALS
Popular festivals in Sierro are Fiestas de San Sebastián, Fiesta de San Blas and Semana Santa. More>