The Sheep-Shearing Heritage of Casa del esquileo de Cabanillas del Monte

Located in the town of Cabanillas del Monte, in the municipality of Torrecaballeros in the province of Segovia, the Casa del esquileo is a livestock building with origins in the 16th century. While its structure was completely remodeled in the 18th century, it was adapted into a characteristic sheep-shearing ranch. These types of facilities were built along the royal cattle routes to shear the fleeces of wandering Merino sheep.

The complex preserves its intact structure and original layout, constituting the best example of this type of facility in the province of Segovia. It maintained its original use until the 20th century, when it began to be exploited for commercial purposes. It was declared a good of cultural interest in 1997, and it annually commemorates its past with a demonstration of sheep shearing.

The complex is surrounded by a masonry wall and covers 300 square meters. It consists of four interconnected buildings: the main house, the sheep-shearing shed, a shepherds' house, and a guards' house. The main house features masonry construction with stone quoins. The sheep-shearing shed includes a narrow sweat room where livestock were kept overnight to facilitate the shearing process, as well as a large hall with large windows and a wooden roof structure with 10-meter spans. The shepherds' house served as a dining area and features a wooden porch supported by granite bases.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons