HOUSING IN VILLAFÁFILA

The characteristics of the old houses due to the lack of stone, the building was made of adobe or rammed earth, with a base of that. Its gable roof. There are no interior patios, due to the rigors of the climate. This type of building was in keeping with it, acting as insulation in the summer heat and in the winter cold. If the "status" of the house was notable, the main façade was covered with brick or ceramic plates, if it was not, it was plastered with mud with straw. Ground floor or two floors was also a dependency of that one.

This building consisted of a kitchen with 2-3-4 bedrooms. That is the center of family life, especially in winter. In his home, straw, vine shoots and wood vines were burned to tone the temperature of the entire house. The most important neighbors inside the building, had the "dining room" which was the main room, where guests were received if it was not done in the "living room", if there was one. The furniture was related to the "status" of the house. The upper floor of the house could be used as a dwelling or barn, the "sobrado". There were no sinks or toilets, because there was no running water or sanitation.

 The house with a corral where the agricultural facilities are located: stables (with its "partner"), "sties" or pigsties, chicken coop (located over the bread oven), cabins, haystack (with its "bocarón") and pan. One enters the corral through large doors, with two leaves, called "rear" with its roof, under which is the "tenada" where the "bunches" of vine shoots are kept. Underneath the car was kept. This had only two large wheels, according to the horizontality of the relief. In the corral the manure was formed, which was collected in the "estercolero", so that once it was made it was taken to the "moledero" or "dunghill", where it was stored until it was distributed, in the autumn, on the terrazzo.

The exterior appearance of the settlement gave the feeling, according to the building, of sadness and poverty.

 Today, most of the houses that are made of mud and rammed earth have been renovated, their exterior covered with brick, the roofs with new tiles covered using the new waterproofing materials, the double-leaf doors hardly exist anymore, changed by materials of Today, inside, the walls are painted, or partly tiled, the floors have been changed from their original shape, it has a bathroom, running water, many with heating, although original elements are always found from the first day. Also today you have all the utensils, butane stove, sink, washing machine, television, telephone, etc. The same as a house in a city Houses are built of brick and concrete, the rammed earth and adobe have completely disappeared.

 The unhealthy stables, pigsties and corrals have been replaced by large warehouses that form the cattle, sheep and pig farms that we see surrounding the town. Some pigsties are still kept for raising chickens, rabbits, or pigs for slaughter.

Bibliography -Text:

Author:

Of the Farm Alonso, Manuel.

Villafáfila: History of a Castilian-Leonese town. P. 359 and 360.

Photography:

From Alonso Farm:

Manuel. Villafáfila: History of a Castilian-Leonese town. P. 361.

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

Transcription and montage:

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

All text, photographs, transcription and montage, their rights belong to their authors, any type of use is prohibited without authorization.