A few days ago I had the opportunity to attend the presentation of the project “Heritage and Rural Culture – Valorization of Intangible Cultural Heritage Resources”, held at the Cultural Center of Patones de Abajo and promoted by the Mancomunidad del Embalse del Atazar.

It was a community-built gathering that reminds us once again of the immense value of listening to, compiling, and sharing the collective memory of our people. A reminder that local development, when rooted in people, can create a genuine future.

The presentation begins with Sagrario Alonso Ramírez from the Mancomunidad del Embalse del Atazar.

The project has been developed by the Association of Education, Heritage and Culture Networks with Cristina Vadillo Garrido, Fran Sueiro and Luis Valera as a central part of the team.

This participatory research project, promoted and coordinated by the Mancomunidad del Embalse del Atazar and financed by MITECO (via Demographic Challenge), has as its main objective to highlight the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the member towns: Patones, El Atazar, El Berrueco, Cervera de Buitrago, Robledillo de la Jara, Serrada de la Fuente, Paredes de Buitrago, Mangirón and Cincovillas.

From my point of view, there are several key aspects worth highlighting:

– Replicable nature of the project.
– Collection of Memories, Tables of Experience, Atlas of Memory.
– Integration of heritage into the annual cycle of festivals and work.
– Use of new technologies and generation of knowledge as collective property.
– Intergenerational transmission as a central axis.
– Preparation of the Practice Notebook and the Illustrated Memory Album.
– Collaboration with local schools.

A project that highlights the memory of the territory

The anthropologist's intervention Antonio Muñoz Carrión It opened up an essential framework: understanding how rural societies have changed since the 60s. It spoke of the transition from culture of gift to salary culture, from the generational gap and the concept of “generational gap”, “generational leap” or “intergenerational break”, developed by Margaret Mead, (she already warned about tensions in modern transitions, such as rural families adapting in small nuclei.), where the separation between generations transforms techniques, knowledge and values.

A necessary reflection for those of us who work in ., Responsible tourism y revitalization of the territory.

The event also served as an example of real accessibility:

• Sign language interpretation

• Adapted access

• Sensitivity towards diverse audiences

A path that sets the direction for contemporary cultural tourism.

YouIt is from the territory and professionals who support the project

Also participating were key professionals such as Pilar González Molina, Tourism Technician of the Commonwealth, Gemma Roselló Aparicio (Sentir el Alto Tajo) and Javier Gómez Aoiz, responsible for the inventory of resources of the Commonwealth of the Atazar Reservoir and the new website of the project.

But perhaps the most moving aspect was listening to the older women and men of the region, the true guardians of memory. Their stories, practices, and experiences are the heart of this intangible heritage project: without them, nothing would make sense.

Education, play and intergenerational transmission

In the educational field, the experience of Sofí Yanes Buraya With the program Let them roll It demonstrates that intangible heritage can return to the classroom through:

• Traditional games

• Dry stone workshops

• New perspectives on the ancestral

A lively and fun way to reinforce the territorial identity From childhood. We must take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Community of Madrid's Traditions curriculum in Madrid's schools to recover and preserve this legacy. Who would have thought that today's children would choose "knucklebones" as their most fun game?

An opportunity for new tourism products?: authenticity, landscape and community

We've been working for months on designing new tourism products in this region. It's not easy to create new proposals that align with a philosophy of maximum respect for the land, while also fitting into existing marketing channels.

From our point of view, this project opens up opportunities to design proposals for sustainable tourism, although their initial objectives did not have that intention, and experiences that connect with the essence of the territory. It can serve as a catalyst for generating new initiatives.

Some possible lines of research we are currently working on:

Ethnobotanical routes and interpreted landscape

Connecting traditional knowledge with the natural environment.

Gastronomy and cuisine of memory

Traditional recipes and local products as tools to enhance identity and improve the gastronomic offering.

Accessible tourism

Experiences designed for all audiences.

Interpretive routes with photos of the landscape and local people

We are familiar with other models, such as the one developed on the Green Way between Vitré and Fougères: looking at the present through the past.Sur la voie de la Cantache“, which showed images of local inhabitants performing traditional tasks in the Breton countryside. An idea that could fit very well into the Genaro's Path.

Tables of Experience: an example that has generated a lot of interpretive material

Small gatherings that strengthen the community and revitalize the territory.

All the materials generated —Atlas of Memory, mini-documentaries, practice notebooks, digital treasure hunts…— are available at:
intangibleheritage.embalsedelatazar.es

Conclusion: Building community is building the future

If anything became clear during the day, it is that this project is not just about heritage.

It is a collective exercise in:

• Listening

• Creation of mutual support networks

• Mutual recognition

• Care

• Community building

Almost a year ago, on December 14, 2024, we were in Serrada de la Fuente. A process that began in 2024, has been consolidated in 2025 and has enormous potential to continue growing.

Because —as was repeated several times— Building community is building the future.
And that's exactly what's happening here.