Picture this Húmera a small village nestled near Madrid. Húmera’s history stretches back to the Middle Ages. It was part of the Sexmo de Aravaca within the Tierra de Madrid. Its municipal term bordered Aravaca to the north Pozuelo de Alarcón to the west and the Casa de Campo to the east and south.
In the mid-19th century Húmera a town with its own council boasted a mere 32 inhabitants. Pascual Madoz’s Geographical-Statistical-Historical Dictionary of Spain and its Overseas Possessions described Húmera vividly. It mentioned 19 houses including the town hall a jail a palace called Sumasagua a school and a church Santa María Magdalena. The town had a well producing good water and several springs including some mineral water. The terrain was described as medium quality for grains but good for vegetables and wine. The economy relied heavily on agriculture.
Húmera’s small population led to challenges. In 1877 it unsuccessfully sought annexation to Madrid. Finally on June 28 1880 Húmera’s municipality and council were abolished. It became a neighborhood of Pozuelo de Alarcón.
The year 1916 saw the founding of the Húmera sanatorium an anti-tuberculosis center. The area became a battleground during the Spanish Civil War. Intense fighting took place especially during the first battle of the La Coruña road in late 1936. After the war the area was rebuilt by the General Directorate of Devastated Regions.
Today the old urban core of Húmera is part of a larger area including Somosaguas and Prado del Rey. It lies east of the Universidad Complutense’s Somosaguas campus. The famous film director Luis García Berlanga was a resident of Húmera. In 2012 Pozuelo’s town hall renamed Húmera’s old main square in his honor. Húmera’s legacy endures even within its smaller current form a testament to its fascinating past. Its history is woven into the fabric of Madrid a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.