A museum that shows the harsh life in the countryside

«There is always a solution for every problem, a smile for every tear and a hug for every sadness. To our parents Ildefonso and Elisa, who were in our lives leaving their mark”. It is the message of optimism that is shown in the access patio to the Ethnographic Museum of Riatas, promoted by two brothers, Longino and Gloria Hernández Zazo and that contains the story of his family through the numerous pieces and furnishings that can be seen. Counting them will be a huge task, because neither Gloria nor Longino knows the number that the museum contains. Most of it belongs to his family, others have been loaned by friends and some have been acquired by them. For the assembly of the museum they have been advised by the director of the Provincial Museum of Ávila, Javier Jiménez Gadea.

As soon as you enter the Riatas Museum, annexed to Sotalvo, you are surprised by the spaciousness of the patio and the impressive views of the Sierra de la Paramera. The same mountain range devastated by a fateful fire that has taken a good part of the landscape, but not the illusion of the inhabitants of the municipalities that were affected, who are working for its recovery. The flames were very close, just a few meters away, as Longino recalled, so they had to lay down a hose to cool down the area near this farm and the adjoining ones, so that the flames would not gain access to them.

In the patio, spaciousness and order prevail so that all the pieces that are located there can be appreciated. It is a simple appetizer of what can later be seen inside the ship. A livestock warehouse that the father of the two promoters built to centralize the cattle, mainly cattle, which were scattered throughout various haystacks. In the patio you can see two large cars, one belonging to his family and another that they acquired. One of these carts has the cow yoke mounted. The other contains a smaller yoke for donkeys or horses. In the case of this area, the cavalry used was donkeys, preferably, as Gloria recalled. Also in the patio there are two winnowing machines, machines that screened and winnowed the grains of wheat, barley and other cereals, cleaning them from the remains of straw, chaff and other impurities by means of air currents and vibration. One of these winnowers is manual and another can be used with a tractor. Another surprising machine was used to reap and harvest the harvest. They also have another machine that collects the grass. In the center of the patio they show other utensils that are used in the field, among them plowshares and others to be used in the field. Geese and chickens also move freely through this open space, although they also have closed spaces where they can spend the night and store, when the occasion requires it. It is a complement to country life that these two brothers want to show to visitors who want to come to this place. Because this is precisely the objective they pursue: to make known to the new generations what life was like in this area of ​​the province. And they do it for free, because admission is free. On the walls there are also photographs of people from different towns in the province, which the Provincial Council has given. And a curious image painted on a wall: a window open to the outside from which a family, a married couple and their four children look out. They represent, according to Gloria, her parents with her four brothers. An image that also has its own story… Once inside the ship, the dimension of this museum can be understood. What the visitor thinks when seeing the image of the ship full of utensils, belongings, books, clothes... It is how they have been able to maintain all these pieces over the years. In the museum, the hand of a professional such as Javier Jiménez Gadea, for the didactic dimension in the organization of spaces and pieces.

Kitchen room. In the first place, and following the established route, the visitors come across an old low-fire kitchen, where the family spent many hours, 'to the smell of the fire'. Seats to sit on, morillons, frying pans, clay pots, dishes with more than a century, can be seen in that place. Continuing the tour, you access the bedroom, which contains a wardrobe from her mother's wedding, her bed with the clothes they used, suitcases, chamber pots and clothing used by the family, esparto rugs, trunks and a cradle where they grew up, in addition of a cart and a walker, in which they took their first steps. There is also the piece of furniture with the basin, which the shepherds gave to her mother on her wedding day.

Following the route, you reach the living room, with different furniture. A large black and white television stands out, the first television that arrived in Riatas, in 1968, which worked on electrical installations with a voltage of 125 volts, which his sister Mercedes gave to her parents with her first salary as a teacher There is also a cabinet with old coins and another with soccer cards and albums from 1982, and reproductions of Real Madrid shirts from different periods, collected by Longino.

Another section has been set up in a part of the stables of the livestock building to deposit utensils such as carbon and electric irons with a voltage of 125 and hair dryers, also with this voltage. Oil cans, clay pots where the slaughter was kept, soda bottles of different brands and years ('La Pitusa', 'La Revoltosa', 'La Casera'...), bottles of other drinks, as well as travel baskets and also where sweets that were made at home were deposited. Those of us who are already a few years old remember this type of baskets hanging on the ceilings or located in lofts so that the little ones could not get there and thus they could have a longer journey... In this area, and placed on the walls, there are also old photos of the village, which represent and show activities that were carried out: slaughter, threshing, extraordinary activities of animal life in this house such as the birth of pigs... There are also wine bottles of different sizes.

Work utensils such as reaping sickles, the iron to mark the chotos and a bucket with fish that was heated to mark the sheep. Yokes, threshers, plow shanks, horse saddles, viesnos (large forks), cart nets and also a tellera to be able to fence the sheep, where they can spend the night. Clogs to use when it rained and a kind of crampons with a plastic floor and spikes to put on when it snowed.

In another room of the ship the milking machine and the milking benches are preserved. You can also find utensils from one of the most deeply rooted traditions in our town, the slaughter, with the table, the troughs, the sausage-making machine... Roman ones with measurements in ounces and others in kilos, an old scale and the mill they used to grind the grain that was given to the cows, which is also preserved. You can also locate in this area the utensils that were used to make bread.

Another section is dedicated to children. A Barby house has been incorporated, from many years ago, given by a friend and many children's toys. Following the route, you come to an area dedicated to objects that were kept at home and that were used in the church, such as candles or cloths that were placed on the floor at masses for the dead.

Continuing with the tour you can see objects to spin: the spinning wheel, uses and scissors to shear sheep and donkeys. Zajones, women's and men's hats. Also in this area we locate different books such as encyclopedias, nursery books and romance novels and western novels. Another part is dedicated to music, with vinyl records and old cassettes. With two turntables. One of the teams recalls Gloria that he bought it from Radio Gredos, when this station dispensed with it having acquired new equipment. Typewriters, property deeds from various eras, the oldest of his grandparents, from the 19th century. Also testamentary writings and a curious document: a tobacco ration card. Traditional games of the area such as bald, herrones or tango. In addition to two wheelbarrows to transport the vessels where the water was collected...

And a long etcetera, because what is in this museum is impressive. For this reason, it is better if they come to see it, because it is worth it. This museum will be inaugurated next Wednesday, the 17th, although it can already be visited by contacting its promoters.