TIPICAL HOUSE OF SALAMANCA (SPAIN)

The majority of the houses in this part of the sierra are distributed in such a way that the lower part of the ground floor was designed for small oil and winepresses and it was here that the olives and other seasonal fruit were stored. The bodega, or area for making and storing wine can also be found in this part of the house. At the entrance to the dwelling were the stalls for the mules, horses and even the odd goat. The sty was home to the ever-present pigs wich provided sustenance for the family for much of the year. The large room was on the first floor surrounded by various alcobas, or box-rooms, wich served as bedrooms. The kitchen could be found on the second floor and the heat and smoke of the fireplace served to smoke and dry the cured meats stored under the roof in the attic, the airiest place in the house.The balconies around the front of the house are very characteristic of this type of dwelling. They were situated on the second floor to take full advantage of the sun for drying corncobs, figs...

The thick stone walls of the bodega served as the base for a timber framework filled with adobe. Richer families covered the façade of the house with lime. Other villages such as La Alberca used small stones instead of adobe. Whatever material that could be found locally was used.