Following on from a previous post about fantastical sites that surround us, this is an image I captured in La Rioja Alavesa, Spain, near the town of Laguardia. This eerie monolith is known locally as the Witch’s House (or even more awesomely as Shack of the Sorceress). It has received many names such as house, cave, temple and palace, but never tomb as archaeologists have wanted to classify it. An important person may have been buried here, but the megalithic monument is believed to have performed the functions of a temple.
Curiously, although it remains the only one standing, similar stones accumulated in the surrounding area show that upon a time there were others, likely destroyed with the coming of Christianity. As one returns back on the road to Laguardia, passing through the vineyards, giant stones populate the surrounding hills suggesting they once belonged to the same megalithic cults.
Have you visited any ancient sites that have inspired your writing?
