Talamanca de Jarama
Talamanca de Jarama is already famous for other remains dating back to the medieval times, like the Muralla de Talamanca del Jarama Wikimedia Commons/Pavlemadrid commons

Talamanca de Jarama is a small Spanish town of 3,450 inhabitants near Madrid. But it is also home to a major archeological discovery.

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Archaeologists have discovered a wall and its 7 turrets dating back to the 13th century. Turrets are small towers that became a regular feature on medieval castles.

"It's not everyday you find a 13th century wall with seven towers," the director general of Cultural Heritage, Paloma Sobrini, said.

She described the discovery as "the most important find of the year when it comes to heritage".

"Being underground, it has been kept in good condition," says architect Juan de Dios de la Hoz, who oversaw the restoration of the wall in Talamanca de Jarama.

In the MIddle Ages, Talamanca de Jarama was a strategic point of the wars opposing Christian and Muslims, and the wall could have been part of Christian military fortifications.

The wall was buried under tonnes of earth.The medieval construction was replaced by the wall of La Cartuja, erected by Catholic monks in the 17th and 18th centuries to protect their farming land.

"It's been a real surprise," says de Dios de la Hoz. He continues: "Based on the remains of other walls in the area, you could have guessed this would be another wall. But what's new with this one is the seven turrets."

The discovery was presented at the Madrid community's cultural awards, in the historical heritage category where it was honoured for being "very well preserved".

Some parts of the wall were restored, including the turrets, which are 2m high and located 21m away from each other on the wall.

"What we have done is a recovery of the original volume using traditional materials and techniques: lime, sand and brick, in addition to the stones that we have found when de-rubbing. You can differentiate the reconstructed from the original, but you have to look, says de Dios de la Hoz.

The restoration works will come to an end mid December. The remains of the wall is set to become an open air theatre for the city to enjoy.

Talamanca's Councilor for Education and Culture, Marisa Escalante, said: "When the project is finished, our intention is to make a great walk that gives value to the wall, so that it looks good and all the neighbours enjoy it, and so that more visitors come to see it.

Spain