Do you see those seemingly random boundary markers? These stones whisper tales of Sexmo de Casarrubios a historic administrative division. The Sexmo de Casarrubios is an ancient territory. It belonged to the Community of City and Land of Segovia.
Let’s journey back to the 11th century. King Alfonso VI initiated the Repopulation. Segovia’s land was divided into six parts or sexmos. Sexmo de Casarrubios emerged later. It became an integral part of Segovia’s vast territory.
The name “Casarrubios” comes from Casarrubios del Monte. It was the main town. Today it is a municipality in Toledo. This town was a Segovian “collación” by the mid-13th century. It gave its name to the sexmo from the 14th century. Other Segovian collaciones did the same.
The Sexmo de Casarrubios together with Lozoya Valdemoro and Aldeas de Tajuña formed Segovia’s espacio ultraserrano. Like Ávila and Cuenca the southern sexmos were economically important to Segovia. The southern part of the sexmo was known as “campos y montes de Can Mayor”. This likely guided shepherds to wintering areas.
Initially the Sexmo de Casarrubios was not one of Segovia’s original six sexmos. Research suggests its area coincided with the ancient alfoz of Islamic Calatalifa. Segovia gained this alfoz in 1161. It was a trade with the church. The church likely could not repopulate the area. Alfonso VIII confirmed the sexmo’s boundaries in 1208.
Casarrubios del Monte was the main town until 1331. New rules in 1302 tried to boost repopulation. The Segovian elites distributed land by “cuadrillas” or family groups. These “quiñoneros” were authorized to plant vineyards.
In 1331 Alfonso XI removed Casarrubios del Monte from Segovia. He gave it to Alfonso de la Cerda as a manor. The town continued to use Segovian law. It also benefited from Segovian communal lands. Robledo de Chavela replaced Casarrubios del Monte as the head of the sexmo. This lasted until 1897. Today El Escorial is the head.
Today the Sexmo de Casarrubios includes Aldea del Fresno Chapinería and El Escorial. It also includes Fresnedillas de la Oliva and Colmenar del Arroyo. Navalcarnero Navalagamella and Robledo de Chavela are part of it. Santa María de la Alameda and Sevilla la Nueva are included. Valdemorillo Villamantilla and Villanueva de la Cañada are also part of the Sexmo de Casarrubios. Zarzalejo completes the list. Over the centuries the sexmo lost land to the nobility and the crown. The Community of City and Land opposed these losses. It filed many lawsuits.
The original Sexmo de Casarrubios included areas of the later seńorio/county of Casarrubios del Monte. It also included Arroyomolinos and the marquisate of Moya. The seńorio of Batres and part of the seńorio of Alhamańn were included. Part of Camarena Quijorna and Villanueva de Perales were also part of the Sexmo de Casarrubios. Most of Móstoles was also within the sexmo.
El Escorial holds a special connection to the Sexmo de Casarrubios. It proudly remembers its Segovian roots through culture dances and traditions. The “Cruz del Tercio” once marked the boundary between Sexmo de Casarrubios and Sexmo de Manzanares. It now stands in El Escorial after Valmayor Reservoir’s construction.
As you stand here remember the Sexmo de Casarrubios. It once stretched far and wide. It connected communities through shared resources and history. Its legacy remains a vital part of the region’s identity.