CHURCH OF SANTA MARTA - VILLAFÁFILA

Santa Marta documented for the first time is mentioned in 1310, that the Chapter of the cathedral of Astorga and the bishop don Alfonso sign a contract with the infante don Juan, in which, in exchange for certain concessions from the infante, they deliver him for the days of his life:

“ours Cillero de Villafáfila with all those of our rights that belong to our Messa”;

“otherwise the meatad of the third party of Sanata Marta that the clergyman of Sant Salvador wears” [1] .

It was located to the southeast of Villafáfila, outside the walled area, next to the lagoon that gave it its name, and which only lasts today. But where was this church located? It cannot be specified exactly. Of course it was not where the Laguna de Santa Marta is, to which the phrase of the mandate of the pastoral visit could apparently induce:

"He found that most of it was flooded with a lagoon"

since, when describing farm No. 4 belonging to said benefit, the lagoon is mentioned, which would receive its name due to its proximity to the church. In all probability, it can be affirmed that it would be at the end of Santa Marta Street, which starts at San Juan Square, that is, on the farm owned by the heirs of Julián Fidalgo.

We have few data on this parish, as there is no book on it.                

1628 leaves the bishop noted:

"That in the parish church of Santa Marta, which is now rural and is in the countryside outside the town, there is a bell and because of the danger of the command tower, it should be deposited in San Martín . "

 When it disappeared as a parish, it became a Beneficio, of lay patronage (presentation of the parishioners); in 1718 they presented Julián Trabadillo and Bernardo Fernández, as owners of the only house that had this benefit, whose charge consisted of a sung mass and the eve of Santa Marta (July 29).

He had the following assets; that are specified in the Apeo that, in the year 1763, was made of all the assets belonging to the parish of San Juan and the brotherhoods, benefices, etc., located in said parish (p. 25-27).

LAND

One, to Salina (6 fan. and 287 clubs). Another to the eras of San Juan, they call it "La Erica" ​​(2 fan. and 304 sticks). Another to the Villarrín road, which they call the Pico (7 fans and 132 posts). Another to Laguna de Santa Marta, which they call El Peredón (2 fans and 100 sticks). Another to the meadow of the Llamares (7 fan. and 20 Palos) [2] .

VINEYARDS

One vague de la Fuente (6 fourths and 20 sticks). Another later than the previous one (with 3 cuarterones and 20 sticks). Another one in that bum later (2 quarters). Another, below the previous one (7 quarters and 23 sticks) [3] .

The church seems to have existed until the beginning of the 18th century, because in the pastoral visit of November 6, 1728 there is a mandate, on the 26th, which literally reads as follows:

 "As soon as the church of the Rural Benefit of Santa Marta has been ruined, in memory of her, there must be a sign, and that it not be used of that territory, as it is happening that they remove mud and cultivate to harvest fruit, with whose labors they usually discover bones of corpses, and in order to avoid such inconveniences, the Lord Bishop orders D. Tomás Bueno, Cura de Faramontanos de Tábara, possessor of said benefit, that within three months he will close the wall of all the territory that occupies the sacred of said church" and adds "that if he did not do so, the priest of San Juan will seize the income from said benefice and fence it off" [4] .

When it was suppressed as a parish, its inhabitants became parishioners of San Juan:

"...the inhabitants of the disappeared parish, which today belong to San Juan, where they receive the sacraments, pay the first fruits owed to said church" [5] .

And later, when the parish of San Juan was suppressed and its parishioners were incorporated into that of San Martín, the parish priest of the latter received 30 quarters of bread from the Benefit of Santa Marta, for the administration of sacraments [6] .

The episcopal mandate that ordered to fence the place of Santa Marta had been occupied, it seems that it was not fulfilled, because of the lack of economic means; which gave rise to a new mandate in the Visita P. of 1730 [7] :

 “Because your Excellency having recognized the site where the church of Santa Marta is said to have been, he found that most of it was flooded with a lagoon, which for this reason could not be fenced, as was foreseen on the last visit. Therefore, and according to what they say, they live in the territory, which formerly had a church, for having been a parish, they are very poor and do not have the means to build a hermitage on that site, nor can the holder of the Loan alone do said expenses, since the income received is low, His Excellency orders that, for now, on account of said possessor, place a large and well-secured cross in the place where it is prudently thought that the main part of said church was founded .

Author: Texts - Bibliography

Manuel de la Granja Alonso and Camilo Pérez Bragado:

Villafáfila: History and current situation of a Castilian-Leonese town and its parish churches. 1996. p. 409-410.

Photographs:

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

Transcription and montage:

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

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