History
Your house in the village
El Balcón de Alange wants to become your house in the village. To live in harmony with the land and respect it, and to offer something singular in a setting of its own.
The idea of the Balcón was born in 2003, when I bought the property, and it was spring. Spellbound by the beauty of the countryside covered in wild flowers, I fell in love. I discovered everything Alange had to offer: the lake, the castle hill, the spa, the orchids.
I rediscovered the countryside. I had the chance to watch nature unfold through the seasons, to see how the plants change, to learn about the birds that live here and the ones that pass through. A whole world I knew nothing about opened up, and the idea was to make this region known, with all it holds and all it has to give, and to share it.
The house opened its doors in 2009. It was restored in keeping with traditional Extremaduran building and fitted with every comfort, to offer somewhere modern and well cared for to stay, along with a personal and friendly welcome.
Its careful decoration in every corner, its generous spaces and its details will make your stay a pleasure. Facing the way it does, it offers views of the lake and the village that invite you to sit and look, and to unwind.
I want you to feel comfortable, at ease, at peace, welcome. Every guest brings something and teaches something: the Balcón keeps changing, growing and wanting to do better.
Alange
From the Palaeolithic to the commandery
The village around the house holds thousands of years of history: pre-Roman settlements, Roman baths, an Arab castle and a commandery that came to govern much of the district.
Palaeolithic
The written history of Alange goes back to the Lower Palaeolithic. From the Middle Palaeolithic onwards the area was settled without a break, down to the Bronze Age: on the southern slope of the Castle Hill, the remains of a fortified pre-Roman settlement were found.
Roman times
In the Roman period, Alange took shape around its thermal waters, the source first of its baths and later of the spa.
Arab rule
Under Arab rule, a period still visible in the remains of the castle, Alange played a notable part in the struggle of the Mozarabic rebels of Mérida against the central power of Córdoba, as it stood on the unavoidable road from that capital to Badajoz.
13th century
The castle was taken by the Christians in the middle of the 13th century and lived in until the end of the 15th century, when it was abandoned.
14th century
At the beginning of the 14th century Alange was granted to the Order of Santiago, which made it a «Encomienda», a commandery under the jurisdiction of the Province of León. Its castle held authority over Villagonzalo, La Zarza, Oliva de Mérida, Palomas, Puebla de la Reina, Puebla del Prior and Ribera del Fresno, whose tithes went to the convent of San Marcos in León through its steward in Mérida.
1566
Philip II granted the town of Alange the privilege of first-instance jurisdiction. In 1588 the king granted civil and criminal first-instance jurisdiction to Villagonzalo, and a year later to La Zarza (known until recently as Zarza de Alange), which meant their independence from Alange.
18th century
From then on Alange lost its historical weight, until at the end of the 18th century the baths, abandoned after the Roman occupation, were restored and brought back into use.
1819
The commandery of Alange passed to the Order of Calatrava, through a document issued by Ferdinand VII and endorsed by Pope Pius VII.
The reservoir
One of the largest in Extremadura
Work on the Alange reservoir began in 1983, finished in 1987 and was officially opened in 1992. It lies about 20 km from Mérida on the river Matachel and is one of the largest in Extremadura.
It is one of the most modern pieces of building work in Alange, with a surface of 50 km² and a capacity of 852 cubic hectometres. It gathers water from several rivers, for irrigation, supply and electricity.
The reservoir is open to leisure and tourism, which brings with it a wide range of adventure and water sports for visitors who want to try something new in a natural setting hard to match.
Come and write your part of the story
Send us a WhatsApp message at +34 695 498 731 or write to reservas@balcondealange.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.