Medieval archaeological sites
Archaeological Site of San Cibrián's church - monastery. There have been two campaigns of exploration, promoted by the Administrative Junta and directed by the archeologists Miss. Monsoon and Professor Lecanda in collaboration with students from the Universities of Deusto and Burgos. The results reveal a rectangular plant temple and attached buildings, dating back to the origins of San Cibrián's depopulation. It is placed in the immediacy of Martyrs Fountain and it was the point of intersection of communications with Espinosa de Juarros, Los Juarros and Revilla del Campo.
San Pedro de Antioquía Church
The dedication of the church commemorates San's Pedro first evangelical period in Antioch and the foundation of Christianity in this city before its appearance in Rome. The Chair, literally, is the fixed chair of the Supreme Pontific and the Bishops' authority symbol together with his ordinary teaching in the local Church. The Depositio martyrum of the Saint is celebrated on February 22nd.
San's Pedro current parochial temple or San's Pedro Chair was built in the second half of the 16th century on the primitive monastery of Santa Maria. The new name dates back to1884, and until that year it was called Parochial Church of Santa Maria.
Still preserves the Romanesque tower of the 11th century that shelters the spiral staircase leading to the Renaissance belfry. The new church was inaugurated in 1572 and presents a simple structure of a single rectangular plant temple with three domed sections. The sacristy was added in the 18th century. The worship of Santa Maria that the town maintained at least from the 9th century, gets lost with the installation of the new altarpiece dedicated to San Pedro Chair of Antioch, in 1884. The small canopy that houses the image of the XV century is crowned with a small pyramid truncated whose apex is San Pedro's image. At that time old images of St. Cornelius and St. Cibrian advocatory were placed at the altarpiece, proceeding from the abandoned temple in Martyrs' Fountain.
Clearly the construction of this church was done on the site of the former church and monastery of Santa Maria, from which undoubtedly comes the ancient Romanesque baptismal font, recently rescued and exposed.
Baptismal Romanesque font
The most remarkable element of the church is the baptismal Romanesque font, located at the bottom of the Church, in a small space. It is believed that it either comes from the ancient church of Santa Maria or the former monastery of St Martin (see brief history of the town). It is exceptional both because of the irregular distribution of the decorative motives and the geometric tracing, which is symbolic and symmetrical at the same time. The circle represents the unit of the design's weft and from its draft around its self has demonstrated a flower: "flower of life"that appears repeatedly over the font's surface. Another filigree work was chosen as stamp for the route's credential. The outline of the drawing sends us again to the symbolic interpretation of a way, a labyrinth, the passing of a river in parallelism with the journey of life; or probably expresses a reptile or a serpent crawling as counterpoint between evil and death.
Fountain of Los Martires
The source of the Martyrs Cornelio and Cipriano (today of the Martyrs) is placed to the NE of the village. An area where the emplacement of a former church-monastery dedicated to the worship of both Saints is being excavated. San Cornelio, Pope, was tortured in the persecution of the emperor Decio in 253 b.c. and Cipriano, was bishop of Carthage and martyr in 258 b.c. The spring water is used from 1977 for supplying drinkable water to the population to the detriment of the Sarchofagi's Fountain.
Sarcophagus Fountain
Since the settlement of this village in its new location on the 11th century, this fountain was used as a regular supply of drinking water while feeding bleachers needs, blacksmith needs, and the baker's oven. It is called like that due to the reused st Martins' sarcophagi, in the mid-twentieth century, to channel the water and to provide water to the animals. It is situated on the limit of the town's urban area. It has three levels in its construction. The first one is located below the current passage leading the orchards and corresponds to the primitive core of San Cibrian. There is a second level built in the Middle Ages to protect the waters from the frequent passage towards the orchards. Around the 17th century, the covering is built to facilitate access to the fountain and to supply water to the village until the inauguration of the new supply in 1977. This fountain was fed by two water veins that were entering into its SE and SW corners, today reduced by the installation of modern sewage and piping clean water. It has recently been rescued by two neighbors of the village.
Virgen de la Providencia hermitage
The ancient church - monastery dedicated to the cult of the Martyrs Cornelio and Cipriano was maintained until middle of the 19th century, when was abandoned for ruinous and the small hermitage of the Virgin is constructed in the center of the village.
Route of the mills
Coming from Burgos and after leaving behind the bridge over the old river called Modúbar, there is a path of half a kilometer length that leads to the old mill called San Cibrián; Its peculiar structure has been rescued in 2008 by the collaboration of the Administrative Junta and of some members of the Cultural Association "El descanso del Cid" and, thanks to its effective labor, allows today to contemplate the characteristics of a former mill "of force", taking advantage of a small derivation of the Martyrs Fountain. It is a small tunnel of medieval structure, known as "La Caliente" and a cistern or tank, designed for a maximum utilization of the water force, that, in this case came from a small catchment of the Martyrs fountain.
The mill was pouring water to Rio Viejo and the surplus of the riverbed was used to water the nearby orchards. The stones of the pit floor are original, and the structure of the walls show uses on the XV century and beginning of XX so it was called Association of the Fourteen. From 1940 it is abandoned and a fire, probably intentional, of the miller ́s house gives step to its progressive dismantlement and its deterioration culminated with the fall in 2005 of a gigantic black poplar up to its rehabilitation in 2008. The landscape environment of white hawthorns, hips and mulberry trees and the clarity of the waters of the river allow to enjoy the intimate panoramic endearing.
The wide availability of water in Modúbar de San Cibrián has meant that the locality possesses 2 other mills: one popularly called as "The electricity company" which describes its own functionality of electrical supplier for the town; and the other one, retired approximately a kilometer away from the village, which still preserves a stone arch from its architectural structure.
Spring of La Hiedra
A kilometer away at the north from the village, near the old quarries and the artificial Pont called Alameda. It is a spring which keeps giving water. Slightly more than fifty years ago, 8 basins were constructed in stages to adapt it as multiple watering place for farm animals. In August 2005 the town was involved in environmental rehabilitation campaign with a day of cleanliness and the adequacy of sites in the environment, closing the day with a pic nic celebration for all participants.
Shed of the Worker at Caliz spring
It is a peculiar "dry stone" construction, without a mortar, with a false vault and an orifice that opens in its centre to allow the ventilation of the cockpit. The tradition says that it was built at the end of the 19th century, to protect the neighbors, dedicated to extract stone from the nearby cantiles from the inclemencies. During several decades they extracted stone for the construction of the County council and for rail station. Also it has been used by shepherds who were visiting those places. It has been cleaned and rehabilitated by the collaboration of the Junta and the association. "El descanso del Cid".
Route of the Royal Way
Leaving San Cibrian's Mill and Martyrs Fountain, you can go through San Cibrián's sites, and go around Valderruecas's mount along "El Salar". It continues towards Camino Real and then for the geodesic Vertex up to the remains of "Venta Remilana". In this point and just 4km away to the North the monastery "Santa María de Bujedo" is situated. Another alternative is to continue up to the high places of Revilla where remains of old cattle pens can be seen. It is possible to return to Modúbar following Revilla's Road.
Route of Modúbares
Leaving the area of orchards, passing the old electric station, you will reach San Martin Mill. It was built in the X century and it maintained its use until about thirty years ago. To the West you can continue your journey to Modúbar de la Cuesta, by leaving on the right side small valleys, in one of which the mozarabic monastery of San Clemente waslocated. 3 kilometers away you will find Modúbar de la Cuesta. By crossing the river Viejo just continue towards the Doña Jimena Fountain, follow the path and you will arrive to Modúbar de la Emparedada's mill.
Other Fountains
A recent work of the Hunters' Club of Modúbar de San Cibrián has allowed the update and rescue of 23 small springs or sources in this area. The itinerary allows to know the peculiarities of these small springs that were used occasionally both for hunting and shepherding and the land consolidation has been on the verge of ruining. Many of the names are evocative of unknown histories of this small village: Van Dum Blate, Valdelasmisas, of the Hawthorn, of the Dead man, of the Chalice, etc. A route of 8 km, together with Cruz de la Pastora y El Salar, allows you to contemplate a calm and varied walk around the village.
