Chinchón

The beautiful medieval square is Chinchón's most emblematic landmark. Irregular in shape and formed by houses of two and three floors with running balconies, it has been the scene of a great many events and presentations.

Situated 45 km from Madrid, Chinchón is recognizable in the distance by its houses clustered together on hilltops. As well as its characteristic Plaza Mayor, with its wooden balconies and flat galleries, there is also the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (1534-1626), which was sacked and burned by Napoleonic troops in 1808. The current church was completed in 1828 and is a blend of Gothic, plateresque, Renaissance and baroque styles. Inside is the magnificent painting of La Asunción de la Virgen, painted by Goya. Other buildings of interest are: the convent of the Nuns of the Order of St.Clare, from the 17th century; the Clock Tower, belonging to the old parish church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia and restored in 1856; and the remains of a 15th-century castle, rebuilt between 1590 and 1598 by the third Count of Chinchón and also burned in 1808 by Napoleonic forces. Prominent in the town centre are the nobles' mansions with their coats of arms and ancestral homes with beautiful courtyards and galleries resting on Doric, Ionic and Tuscan columns or with bases of stone.