Aranda de Duero

Aranda de Duero municipality
	Aranda de Duero - city center
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and Leon
Province :	Burgos
Comarca :	Ribera del Duero
Coordinates	41 ° 40 ′ N , 3 ° 41 ′ W Coordinates: 41 ° 40 ′ N , 3 ° 41 ′ W
Height :	798 msnm
Area :	127.28 km²
Residents :	32,856 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	258.14 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	09400
Municipality number ( INE ):	09018
administration
Website :	Aranda de Duero

Aranda de Duero is a northern Spanish city and municipality (municipio) with a total of 32,856 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the south of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile-León . It is the center of the Ribera del Duero wine region, known throughout Europe for its wines .

Location and climate

The city of Aranda de Duero is located at the confluence of the Arandilla and Bañuelos rivers in the Río Duero at an altitude of about 800 m . The provincial capital Burgos is about 86 km north; to Madrid it is about 165 km south. Despite the altitude, the climate is temperate to warm; Rain (approx. 465 mm / year) falls over the year, snow and frost are extremely rare.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2018
Residents	5,197	5,736	10,393	29,762	32,523

The mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms have led to a significant decline in the number of inhabitants in rural communities since the middle of the 20th century ( rural exodus ); on the other hand, the population of cities has increased enormously.

economy

Lechazo Asado

Aranda de Duero is the economic and cultural center of numerous communities in the upper Duero valley. The commercial enterprises of the city, which arose as a result of the good transport connections to the greater Madrid area, also offer jobs to many residents of the surrounding villages, so that many people commute to Aranda during the week. The three largest companies are: GlaxoSmithKline (pharmaceuticals), Leche Pascual (dairy products) and Michelin (tires). The second largest industry is agriculture. This includes cattle breeding, because Aranda is known for the dish Lechazo Asado ("roasted milk lamb"). Viticulture is of the greatest importance and large parts of the city rest on the arched corridors of the numerous wineries ( bodegas ) .

history

Although written and archaeological sources are largely lacking, it can be assumed that the place was already inhabited in Celtic or Celtiberian times (at least temporarily). The place name Rauda has been handed down from Roman times . There are again no sources from the Visigothic and Islamic-Moorish periods. Around the year 910 the Castilian Count Gonzalo Fernández recaptured the areas north of the Duero for the Christians ( reconquista ) ; From the Leonese King García I he then received - together with others - the order to take care of their repopulation ( repoblación ) . In Aranda he had a small fortress (castillo) built. Because of its favorable location, the place now surrounded by a wall flourished; after the resettlement there were trade contacts with all of Europe. At the instigation of the Archbishop of Toledo , a reform council was held in Aranda in 1473.

Attractions

historical wine cellar

South portal of the Santa María Church

South portal of San Juan Bautista

medieval bridge

There is a tourist office at the Plaza Mayor , which offers numerous information materials about Aranda and the surrounding area. City tours and visits to the wine cellars are also offered. For information about opening times and, if applicable, entrance fees, it is advisable to visit the tourist office.

Bodegas

There are wine cellars ( bodegas ) almost under the entire old town of Aranda . They have been carved out of the stony subsoil by the inhabitants of Aranda since the Middle Ages to store the region's wine. Since they are up to 10 m underground, they offer a constant temperature between 11 and 13 degrees in summer and winter. The individual wine cellars were connected by tunnels for better communication, so that the tunnel network had a length of 7 km. Nowadays only a few wine cellars are available for use. On special occasions, the city's residents use the cellars to hold celebrations or meals. Some of the cellars are also open to visitors, the tourist office offers guided tours on request.

Churches

The late Gothic parish church of Santa Maria from the 15th century is Aranda's landmark. Your impressive portal was (co) designed by Simon von Köln and contains elements of Plateresque decor. His father John of Cologne , also known as an architect , was brought to Spain by the Bishop of Burgos to work on the construction of the cathedral ( Burgos Cathedral ).
The Gothic church of San Juan Bautista was built in honor of John the Baptist during the 14th century. In 1473 the Council of Aranda took place here. Today the church houses the Museo Sacro .
The Santuario de la Virgen de las Viñas ("Monastery and Church of the Virgin of the Vineyards") is located at the foot of a large park with water features and a playground on the outskirts of the city.

Museums

In the building of the former Aranda-Chelva railway station, inaugurated in 1895, is the Museo del Tren , a museum on the history of rail transport in Aranda. The museum is maintained by the Association of Railway Friends (ASAAT) and can only be visited on Saturdays.

Located in the Santo Domingo district, the Museo de Cerámica has an extensive collection of ceramic objects from northern Spain.

The Museo Sacro is located in the Church of San Juan Bautista ; art objects from over 500 years of church history can be viewed here.

The Museo Casa de las Bolas (Museum "House of Balls") houses paintings from the collection of the engineer Félix Cañada, who acquired them during his lifetime and then bequeathed them to the city of Aranda. The paintings date from the 17th to 20th centuries. Century and illustrate the development of Spanish and European painting.