Portal de Turismo de Castilla y León

Welcome to the House of the Imperial Eagle and the Sierra Norte de Guadarrama Natural Park.

As with the other interpretation centres located all over the region of Castile and Leon, this is the recommended gateway to these natural areas. The staff at the centre will tell you about the Nature Reserve and help you plan your visit.

It provides information on iconic species and habitats to help you identify and appreciate the cultural and natural heritage in these places in a respectful way, and by doing so foster the conservation and appreciation of biodiversity and cultural heritage.

The House of the Imperial Eagle was built on the ruins of the old church of San Miguel, in Pedraza de la Sierra. The old parish church of San Miguel, located outside the walls of the neighbourhood known as El Arrabal, played a crucial role until the mid-seventeenth century, as it was one of the four parish churches in Pedraza that was attended by a considerable number of farmers and craftsmen.

The restoration work was carried out very carefully. Seventeen finely decorated Romanesque ashlars were rescued during this process. Some dated from the twelfth century, and they are now on display in the Provincial Museum. An ancient cemetery located between the church and the stream was also discovered.

In addition to the restoration of the church of San Miguel, several other projects were carried out, including reinforcements to the walls of the terraces leading to the church, improvements to the surrounding area, improvements to the access road and the creation of public gardens on the terraces of the gardens in the interpretation centre.

The interpretation centre is divided into two different areas, which together form an integrated whole. The Church of San Miguel is the centrepiece of the interpretation centre, while the Garden of San Miguel is designed as an additional facility suitable for various types of visitor.

The toilets are located outside the building, to the right of the road leading to the entrance.

Now come in to the House of the Imperial Eagle.

As soon as you enter, you will be greeted by the wooden information desk, where a member of staff will help you plan your visit.

On both sides of the counter, you will find posters, brochures and information about the park, the Casa and the imperial eagle.

On the wall to your left, on the same wall through which you came in, there are shelves and display cases from the Green Store, where you can purchase local products and a souvenir of your visit.

Come into the room.

At the beginning, in the centre of the room, you will find a map of the Town and Region of Pedraza.

The history of the Community of the Town and Region of Pedraza runs from the Upper Paleolithic to the present day. There are engravings and archaeological remains in the Griega cave dating from prehistoric times. Celtiberian peoples left their mark, and the presence of the Romans is evident in inscriptions and villas. The Community was established to deal with disputes over land during the Middle Ages. The Modern Age brought prosperity with the wool trade, and Pedraza played a crucial role in historical events. In the Contemporary Age, the Community of the Town and Region of Pedraza is a political institution and an autonomous legal entity that emerged voluntarily as a system of self-government. This community was responsible for administering justice and authority among its inhabitants, as well as collectively regulating the use of resources such as water, land and forests. It originates in a combination of ancient customs and the needs of the era when it was founded. Despite the changes in the provincial boundaries in 1833, as one of the Segovian Communities the community remained in the province of Segovia, as did all the municipalities within it.

There is a touch screen on the wall on the left with information about the 18 villages in the Community of the Town and Region of Pedraza. It is an interactive display, without any sound.

Eighteen small municipalities, united by centuries of intense administrative and social relations, were responsible for preserving a shared heritage that included public buildings, pastures, pine forests, rivers and the environment in general. Confiscations of land by the government reduced its assets, but the approval of a regulation by the Ministry of the Interior in 1910 ensured that the Community would continue to exist. To this day, this regulation has passed on the spirit of ancient customs focused on the protection of common spaces that have created the beauty of the Region of Pedraza.

At the back of this second floor, there is a photograph area on a small platform with a drawing of the village of Pedraza in the background and a two-dimensional model of an imperial eagle perched on a log in front of it.

There is a shelf on the wall on the right, with spaces displaying different logs and types of wood from trees found all over Castile and Leon.

On the left wall, before the photograph area, there is a door leading to the permanent exhibition in the House.

Just as you enter, there is a staircase on the right hand side and a platform for people with reduced mobility on the left.

Continue to the platform.

It is an interior platform that overlooks the lower floor, which used to be a Romanesque church.

As you come in, on the right hand side, there are several panels with information about the natural landscape and the imperial eagle. There are several panels on the railing with information about the Natura 2000 Network, Castile and Leon's Network of Protected Natural Spaces and the Sites of Community Interest.

Castile and Leon is one of the largest and most biodiverse regions in Europe, and has more than 94,000 square kilometres of varied environments that provide a refuge for endangered species. To preserve this natural heritage, Castile and Leon's Network of Protected Natural Spaces, known by its acronym "REN", was created in 1991. It consists of 33 protected areas that contain the best preserved ecosystems and examples of sustainable development. These include 2 national parks, 2 regional parks, 14 natural parks, 5 nature reserves, 8 natural monuments and 2 protected landscapes, covering a total of 820,000 hectares. This Network is part of Natura 2000, the European Union's network of protected areas, and together with the Network of Natural Areas of Special Interest, forms Castile and Leon's Network of Protected Natural Areas of Natural Heritage.

However, there is no point in passing laws to conserve the purple heron, for example, if the marshes where it breeds and feeds, i.e., its habitat, are not protected as well. This is the background to the "Habitat Directive", in which the European Union is calling on its Member States to select the areas in their territory that conserve habitats of European interest as well as species. These areas are known as Sites of Community Importance.

Turn around and go down to the lower floor, using the stairs or the platform.

When you reach the bottom, you will find a corridor formed by panels on the left and the wall on the right. This corridor talks about the Natura Network.

A panel with photographs of the imperial eagle is displayed, followed by an interactive screen on the wall on the right with a game based on Castile and Leon's ecosystems:

The Natura 2000 Network panels are on the left.

The first one talks about endangered species such as the imperial eagle and the capercaillie.

The capercaillie is a large galliform bird that lives in boreal forests and mountains, feeding on shoots, fruits and insects.

Unfortunately, the capercaillie is in danger of extinction due to habitat loss as a result of deforestation, landscape fragmentation, pollution and climate change. They are also vulnerable due to hunting and predation by invasive species. Conservation efforts focus on protecting and restoring habitats, as well as measures to mitigate anthropogenic threats, in order to preserve this emblematic species.

Meanwhile, Spanish imperial eagles are threatened by poisons, electrocution and direct human persecution, the scarcity of rabbits, which are their main prey, deterioration and fragmentation of their habitat, pollution and disease.

The next panel, passing a square column, looks at the brown bear, and Mediterranean and high mountain fauna.

The European brown bear is an imposing mammal species that inhabits various habitats, from forests to mountain areas. This robust carnivore has a coat in various shades of brown, with lighter and darker specimens. Adult males can weigh between 200 and 300 kilograms, and are very imposing as a result.

They are omnivorous, and their diet includes fruits, roots, insects and occasionally small mammals. The European brown bear plays an essential role in regulating ecosystems and contributes to biodiversity.

Despite its ecological importance, the European brown bear faces serious threats that have led it to be listed as a vulnerable species. Degradation and fragmentation of its habitat, illegal hunting and conflicts with humans have had a negative impact on its population.

Conservation efforts are focused on protecting natural areas, mitigating conflicts with local communities, and raising awareness of the importance of living with the animals.

Like other areas in southern Europe, Castile and Leon is predominantly Mediterranean, although it has a unique identity of its own. It experiences extreme weather conditions, with very cold winters and intensely hot summers, but this does not prevent various communities of plants from thriving in the region. These include juniper and rebollo oak trees, and the region is the primary European home of these forests. The unique nature of these and other Mediterranean communities, as well as the species that inhabit them, including the imperial eagle, Bonelli's eagle, the Egyptian vulture, wolf and long-legged wood frog, enrich the Natura 2000 Network in the region.

The last two panels, also on the left, talk about Segovia and the griffon vulture.

The population of griffon vultures in the province of Segovia, and in the River Duratón Gorges Natural Park, has experienced significant growth since 1991, when 208 breeding pairs were recorded. This number had increased to 565 pairs in 2008, and to 729 pairs in 2017. This increase is partly due to the decline in threats from humans, such as poisoning and shooting, which were long-standing problems for this species.

There is a tactile relief model of the entire province of Segovia at the end of this corridor created by the panels.

Stand on the left side, and next to you, there is a Braille legend that points out each point of interest in the province, including rivers, mountains and towns.

Behind the model, next to the wall, wooden panels rise from the floor with small screens showing videos and photos of the fauna and flora in the area.

In the Sierra de Guadarrama, animal species constitute 45% of Spain's total fauna and 18% of European fauna. There is a remarkable diversity of wildlife in the Park. A total of 255 taxa have been recorded, with mammals (57) being the most numerous, followed by amphibians and reptiles (36).

Among the mountains' majestic peaks, the mountain goat is a symbol of resistance and adaptation among the cliffs. In more humid areas, the painted toad displays its colours and peculiar song, adding a distinctive note to nature's chorus. The Iberian wolf, an iconic inhabitant of this region, moves stealthily, reminding visitors of the importance of conserving biodiversity. The black stork and the black vulture soar gracefully in the skies, playing a crucial role in the balance of the ecosystem. Among the high peaks, the imperial eagle displays its majesty, showing the fragility and beauty of the wildlife. The Iberian frog leaps gracefully in the cool streams, while the Spanish moon moth, with its vibrant wings, adds a splash of colour to this diverse and stunning array of mountain wildlife.

To the right of the previous corridor is the main apse of the church, where there is an exhibition of panels on the life of the eagle.

The Iberian imperial eagle, a bird of prey of considerable size, has a dark plumage with intense brown tones in adults, with white shoulders and a light-coloured nape and head. It has a powerful beak, and in flight, the white shoulders and lighter tail base stand out in contrast to the rest of its dark plumage. Its wings are long and relatively rectangular and although not as long as that of the golden eagle, its tail is long and slightly narrow.

When it is young, the Spanish imperial eagle has reddish-brown plumage, with dark flight feathers. As it goes through successive moults, gradually acquires the appearance of an adult, reaching this stage at around five years of age. During the intermediate "checkerboard" phase, it has a checkerboard pattern combining pale and dark feathers.

The Iberian imperial eagle is protected internationally by European directives and international agreements, and is also listed as "endangered" in the Spanish Catalogue of Endangered Species.

The Castile and Leon Regional Government has implemented a Recovery Plan for this species since 2003, aimed at measures that ensure that it is conserved appropriately, following the guidelines established by the "Strategy for the Conservation of the Spanish imperial eagle in Spain".

In 2006, the world's population of this species was limited to 217 breeding pairs, of which 29 were in Castile and Leon, while the rest were distributed in other autonomous communities in Spain and there was one pair in Portugal. The Iberian imperial eagle only inhabits the south-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, and the populations in Castile and Leon, in the provinces of Ávila and Segovia, are its northernmost representatives.

Thanks to the protection and conservation efforts made in the 1980s and 1990s and the implementation of the Recovery Plan in 2003, the population in Castile and Leon has significantly recovered, and the objectives established have been surpassed. In the spring of 2019, 103 territories occupied by imperial eagles were recorded in the region.

Although the situation of the species has improved in recent years, its conservation status in Castile and Leon is still considered "unfavourable - inadequate", albeit tending towards improvement. Although the parameters related to population size, area of distribution and habitat quality are all positive, there are still some pressures and threats that could have a negative effect on its conservation status in the future.

The interpretation area of the imperial eagle begins opposite the apse.

The first thing you will find is a touch screen with a game where you must hide some rabbits from the imperial eagle.

Next, on the floor, there is a yellow circular platform where you have to place some pieces of a puzzle correctly. You must solve the puzzle, from the mating season until the eagle becomes an adult.

Further along, there is an interactive screen with four buttons on the wall. Each button plays a different one-minute video without audio.

To the left of this screen, there is another interactive display, in which you have to pull a handle attached to a model of a rabbit to feel its weight. Climb onto the platform and pull the rabbit on the right. This is equivalent to approximately one kilogram, the weight the eagle carries in its talons in flight.

Next to the rabbit interactive display, there is a space in a room made of wooden panels on the left hand side. Cross the curtain and you will enter a room with screens and a large bench where you can rest while enjoying the audiovisual.

The audiovisual display is adapted with subtitles and sign language. It is a five-minute video about the imperial eagle.

Materials including bricks, a jar and some traps are also among the items on display.

Cross the room to leave it.

Cross the reception area and leave the house. On your left, you will find a panel one metre high, inviting you to visit the gardens of San Miguel.

The gardens of San Miguel occupy part of the terraces to the rear of the House of the Imperial Eagle. These terraces were created with masonry walls and contributions of arable land by the religious who depended, in the twelfth century, of the important Cistercian monastery of Our Lady of the Mountain.

The terraces are on a limestone slope, have springs, and face south, and the layout is ideal for cultivation. After recent cleaning and consolidation, in 2009 it was converted into landscaped terraces growing various items that give visitors an unusual perspective on an orderly nature, medicinal plants, ethnobotany and other related spheres.

The walks are linked on four levels, in ascending order: the Dovecote space, the water terrace, the earth terrace and the air terrace.

Visitors are invited to play various games during their tour. Texts, signs, signals and various items invite you to make discoveries, surprise yourself and play in the garden. There are pathways with various items alluding to water, crops, orchards, the history of gardening, birdlife and even ethnology, which provide various educational, pedagogical and recreational possibilities.

A ramp with stairs leads down to the gardens to the left of the sign.

Go up the stairs. You can hold on to the wooden railing on the left. You will go through a wooden door, made of panels from 22 different species of tree.

The Dovecote area is located in the middle section of the first ramp, and includes an activity area, a rocky area covered with wild orchids from the Guadarrama mountains, and the foothills around an old dovecote.

To the left is the building that was formerly the dovecote, as well as a natural structure above some benches, where you can sit and rest in the shade.

Continue up the ramp to the "water terrace".

As you arrive, you will find a tank full of water, protected by a metal railing on the left hand side. This tank is filled by an internal spring that rises from the rock and falls into the tank. The silhouette of an imperial eagle in flight has been reproduced at the bottom of the tank.

To the right of the tank, there is a garden of rose bushes, shrubs and trees that provide shade for the benches. As you cross it, you will find a model of the layout of the gardens on the ground.

At the end of this terrace there is a circular fountain, surrounded by hedges, which leads to the herb garden, where in various areas, you can find plants including marigolds, lavender, mint, hypericum, apple mint, lemon balm, olive thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, parsley and oregano.

Behind the herb garden, there is a closed gate that leads to the priest's vegetable garden, a former vegetable garden that belonged to the church.

Go back to the tank at the beginning.

On the right hand side of the tank, there are steps leading to a walkway covered by a structure of rose bushes and plants. Follow this to reach the Earth Terrace.

On the earth terraces there are plantations of vines, cereals, sunflowers and aromatic plants, after you cross a landscaped corner reminiscent of the Renaissance air or a garden of fragrances.

At the bottom of the earth terrace, you will find another ramp that leads to the air terrace.

In the air terrace, with views of Pedraza and the Sierra de Guadarrama, there is a modern representation of the habitats and plant communities of the Sierra de Guadarrama and its area, such as the gall oak, holm oak, oak, pine and oak forests, as well as its most characteristic shrub and bush formations.

This audio clip concludes your visit to the House of the Imperial Eagle and the Park of the Sierra de Guadarrama. We hope you have enjoyed the House, its landscapes, the wealth of its fauna, flora and orography that create a unique and idyllic ecosystem for the survival of the imperial eagle, which is also reflected in the local products and customs.

If you would like more information, please contact the reception desk or ask any of the staff at the Park House.

Thank you for your visit.