One kilometer east of Pelayos de la Presa is a
village located in a hilly area full of pine trees, 62 kilometers west of Madrid, is the
Cistercian monastery, of medieval origin called Santa Maria La Real de
Valdeiglesias.
It passed into private hands in 1884 following the policy of alienation of ecclesiastical goods ("desamaortizacion") implemented on several occasions by the Spanish government in the nineteenth century, the large complex that includes a large monastery building, the church and surrounding land, after suffering several fires, it became the property of the architect Mariano Garcia Benito, who donated it to the Pelayos de la Presa town hall. Today the complex, although clearly visible from the outside, and enclosed by a wall and not accessible to the public, the convent building has been restored. The church has a discreetly preserved facade, but the nave is still uncovered, with no roof, and you can see the remains of the Gothic arches.
It passed into private hands in 1884 following the policy of alienation of ecclesiastical goods ("desamaortizacion") implemented on several occasions by the Spanish government in the nineteenth century, the large complex that includes a large monastery building, the church and surrounding land, after suffering several fires, it became the property of the architect Mariano Garcia Benito, who donated it to the Pelayos de la Presa town hall. Today the complex, although clearly visible from the outside, and enclosed by a wall and not accessible to the public, the convent building has been restored. The church has a discreetly preserved facade, but the nave is still uncovered, with no roof, and you can see the remains of the Gothic arches.
Precisely this aspect of an ancient ruined and
lonely place caught the attention of filmmakers, who have used the church for
"Mexican" settings, as a place of refuge for a fugitive or for ambush
scenes (like the American filmmakers who shot western films in Mexico they used
ancient abandoned monasteries for similar scenes).
Among the films made in this ancient monastery of
Pelayos de la Presa: “Dead Men Don’t Count” (1968) (in the opening credits);
“Go For Broke!” (1968) (only the exterior); “100 Rifles” (1969) (the sequence
in which the protagonists find themselves in the ruins of a large abbey of a church,
where they are surprised by the soldiers); “Garringo” (1969); “A Bullet for
Sandoval” (1969); “A Cannon for Cordoba”
(1970); “Companeros!” (1970) (the sequence in which Fernando Rey, the old
professor, a revolutionary idealist, and his young followers find themselves in
an abandoned church): “Thunder Over El Paso” (1972).
In some scenes of “Companeros!’ it represents the Rio Grande (border between Mexico and the United States) which was Embalse de las Picadas artificial catch basin created by the Rio Alberche, which is located three kilometers east of Pelayos de la Presa and is seen from the M-501 road that leads to San Martin de Valdeiglesias.
In some scenes of “Companeros!’ it represents the Rio Grande (border between Mexico and the United States) which was Embalse de las Picadas artificial catch basin created by the Rio Alberche, which is located three kilometers east of Pelayos de la Presa and is seen from the M-501 road that leads to San Martin de Valdeiglesias.
“Dead Men Don’t Count” (1968)
“Go For Broke” (1968)
“100 Rifles” (1969)
“A Bullet for Sandoval” (1970)
“Companeros!” (1970)
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