The Peña de Francia is a mountain in the Sierra de Francia with an altitude of 1,723 m. At the peak, there is a Dominican sanctuary, a hotel, a telecommunications repeater antenna and several viewpoints.
It is located in the south of the Salamanca province, Castilla y León, Spain, 81 km from Salamanca and 18 km from La Alberca. Road access is by a narrow winding road. Peña de Francia is the second-highest peak after the Hastiala Peak in the Sierra de Francia.
The Peña de Francia Sanctuary
The Peña de Francia Sanctuary is dedicated to the Virgin Morena, patron saint of the Salamanca province. The complex comprises several chapels, a church, a convent, a sacristy and the Pozo Verde (green well).
The Church
The church is Gothic in style and dates back to the middle of the XV century. It consists of three naves, separated from each other by four columns, two by each lateral nave and three arches respectively. Its footprint is approximately 26.5 m long and 18 m wide. The choir at the back of the church is a later addition.
The bell tower dates from 1767 (according to an inscription on the coat of arms of the Dominican order carved in it). It is square in cross-section and of ashlar stone construction. It has four open semicircular arches at the top (one on each side) for the bells.
Pozo Verde
The Pozo Verde (green well) dates back to the 15 century and is essentially a tank that collects snow meltwater to provide the convent with a backup water supply. It is so called because a green moss grows on the ceiling above the well and reflects in the water, giving it a greenish colour. The well is no longer used as a water supply.
Views of the Sierra de Francia
From the top of Peña de Francia, the views of the Sierra de Francia are spectacular. To the north, you can see the entire plain of the Campo Charro, the Sierra de Tamames to the east and the Gabriel y Galán reservoir to the south.
Peña de Francia photo gallery
I shot all the photographs digitally with a Nikon Z6 camera and Nikkor 35-105mm 1:3.5-4.5 vintage lens. I then converted all the photos to black and white and edited them in Capture One for a film look.
