Botica of Peñaranda de Duero, Historic pharmacy in Peñaranda de Duero, Spain
The Botica of Penaranda de Duero is a historical pharmacy housed in a period building featuring traditional architectural details and a facade with inscribed elements. The interior preserves ceramic vessels, work surfaces, and specialized equipment such as mortars and distillation apparatus that display the craft of medicine preparation from centuries past.
The pharmacy was established in the early 18th century and remained under the ownership of a single family of pharmacists through multiple generations. This continuity of operation reflects the enduring role of the apothecary as a keeper of medical knowledge and community care.
The name refers to the Spanish tradition of boticas, pharmacies that served as centers of knowledge and healing practices in small towns. Visitors can observe how the interior displays ceramic vessels and tools that reveal how pharmacists once worked and served their community.
The location sits within the town center and is easily reached on foot while walking through the historic old quarter. Visitors should expect a small, intimate space that rewards slow exploration to appreciate all the preserved details and period elements throughout the rooms.
The collection holds a rare copy of the 1565 book 'Pedacio Dioscórides Anazarbeo', a medical reference work that documented the foundations of European herbal knowledge. This volume reveals what sources the pharmacists consulted when developing their formulas and treatment methods.
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