Espinosa de los Monteros (Burgos)

Espinosa de los Monteros municipality
Espinosa de los Monteros - city view
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and León
Province :	Burgos
Comarca :	Las Merindades
Coordinates	43 ° 5 ′  N , 3 ° 33 ′  W Coordinates: 43 ° 5 ′  N , 3 ° 33 ′  W
Height :	762  msnm
Area :	137.51 km²
Residents :	1,681 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	12.22 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	09560
Municipality number  ( INE ):	09124
administration
Website :	Espinosa de los Monteros

Espinosa de los Monteros is a northern Spanish town and one from the main village and several hamlets (Pedanías) existing municipality ( municipio ) with 1,681 inhabitants (at January 1, 2019) in the far north of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon .

location

Espinosa de los Monteros is located on the Río Trueba on the southern edge of the Cantabrian Mountains at an altitude of about 760  m . The distance to the provincial capital Burgos is almost 100 km (driving distance) in a southerly direction; the coastal city of Bilbao is about 77 km to the northeast. The place has a train station on the Bilbao - León line . The climate in winter is harsh, but in summer it is dry and warm; Rain (approx. 955 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter half-year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2017
Residents	3,402	3,731	3,678	2.173	1,727

Because of the mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms, many workers and their families migrated to the larger cities in the second half of the 20th century ( rural exodus ); this resulted in a decline in purchasing power, which also triggered a population decline in the small town.

economy

Agriculture is traditionally the most important economic factor, with cattle breeding dominating the region around Espinosa because of the rainy climate. In addition, almost all types of fruit trees (apples, pears, cherries, figs, nut trees, chestnuts, almonds) thrive splendidly. In the last few years the breeding of queen bees has been added as a line of business. The hiking and recreational tourism has been playing for years - v. a. during the hot summer months - a significant role.

history

The area around Espinosa de los Monteros was already settled in prehistoric times - at least a few Bronze and Iron Age finds were made. In pre-Roman times, Cantabrian tribes settled in this area, which was subjugated by the Roman Emperor Augustus in the Cantabrian War (29–19 BC); in addition, the gold wealth of the mountain streams was a not insignificant reason for the Roman involvement in this area. A permanent settlement on the site of the former place Monteros is only proven in Visigothic times . Around the year 720, Arab and Berber armies penetrated the north of the Iberian Peninsula , the inhabitants of which withdrew in droves to the far north and about 100 to 150 years later recaptured the homeland of their ancestors ( reconquista ) and repopulated them ( repoblación ) . While the kingdom of León bore the brunt of the armed conflicts for a long time, under Fernán González an independent county of Castile gradually emerged in the 9th century , which - when it rose to become a kingdom - would later form the dominant power in Spain.

On November 10th and 11th, 1808, a losing battle of Spanish troops against a Napoleonic superior force took place near the place ; the victory of the French cleared the way for the further action of Napoleon and his generals on the Iberian Peninsula (see also: Napoleonic Wars on the Iberian Peninsula ).

Attractions

Torre de los Velasco

Palacio de los Fernández villa

Arcade houses with glazed balconies

Palacio de los Chiloeches

Torre de los Monteros

Iglesia de Santa Cecilia

• The Torre de Illustre or Torre de los Velasco is a watchtower and defense tower, probably from the 13th century, on a hill above the Trueba River. It was not enclosed by a castle square and was later changed several times, whereupon u. a. indicate the remains of several coats of arms of the House of Velasco. The outer and inner walls of the building consist of regular house deposits ; the spaces between the up to two meters thick, slightly sloping and almost windowless walls are made of quarry stone . A little above half the height, the recesses for the supporting beams of a surrounding - probably roofed - wooden battlement can be seen . The almost windowless ground floor served as a room for the guards and servants - the lordship lived on the lighter upper floor. The roof terrace is surrounded by mighty battlements . Access to the tower and its interior was originally via ladders and wooden stairs that could be pulled in or destroyed in an attack; later a stone external staircase was added.
• The main tower of the Palacio de los Fernández Villa dates from the 16th century. With the exception of the corner stones , its masonry consists of little hewn irregular rubble stones. The windows are irregularly distributed over the facades, which suggests later renovations. While the south-east side wing is built in a similar manner to the main tower, the south-west side wing shows clear baroque shapes ( volutes ) above the entrance portal and the window above. The building is privately owned; However, it was recognized as a cultural asset ( Bien de Interés Cultural ) in 2000 .
• Some arcade houses on the main square show the completely glazed balcony facades typical of northern Spain ( Santander , A Coruña ), which provide a certain warmth in the living rooms in winter. As some of the older houses in the village show, balconies facing south, but at the time still unglazed for material and cost reasons, were very popular in the Middle Ages and early modern times. Shops of all kinds were located on the ground floor of the arcade houses - today it is sometimes converted into a café.
• The Palacio del Marques de Chiloeches is based on a legal document from 1588 that refers to the creation of the coat of arms - despite the large coat of arms with its lush, rather baroque -looking frame decoration consisting of oak leaves and fruits that seem to spill out of a vase, - also assigned to the 16th century. In addition, two standing birds (herons or storks) can be seen. The entire central area is spanned by a wide-span segment arch with an embedded coffered ceiling.
• The complex called Torre de los Monteros dates back to the 15th century. It consists of a square corner tower, which was later roofed over and provided with small one-man corner turrets ( pepper cans ), a small forecourt and a considerable entrance portal surrounded by two round towers with cross-shaped loopholes. The tower was previously accessed via a simple portal on the ground floor, over which there is an ogival window. The differences in stone processing between the late medieval tower construction (mainly quarry stone) and the Renaissance gate construction (mainly stone) are clearly visible. Three baroque heraldic shields, which were added later, have been preserved on the gate.
• The single-aisled Iglesia de Santa Eulalia possibly dates back to Mozarabic times (10th / 11th centuries). A Romanesque bell gable ( espadana ) was later added to the west facade .
• The single-nave church of San Nicolás dates in parts from the 12th century; However, it was subsequently changed - its current appearance was created in the 17th century. The interior houses a late Gothic altarpiece , which is well worth seeing and whose paintings in Flemish style are attributed to Fray Alonso de Zamora , a monk from the monastery of San Salvador de Oña . A special feature is the representation of a Holy Spirit ( espíritu santo ) who appears in the form of a woman.
• The Iglesia de Santa Cecilia , begun in 1510, is the parish church of the village. From the outside, rather inconspicuous, the interior of the church shows star vaults in the three naves of equal height ( hall church ), which, however, due to the wide-span arches, are perceived as a single large space, which is only supported by two round pillars. The rib vault of the actually square apse rests in the rear corners on two shell-like ribbed trumpets .

Personalities

• Juan de Salazar y Espinosa (1508–1568), conquistador and founder of the Paraguayan city ​​of Asunción .

Web links

Commons : Espinosa de los Monteros (Burgos)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Espinosa de los Monteros and surroundings - photos

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
2. ↑ Espinosa de los Monteros - climate tables
3. ↑ Espinosa de los Monteros - Population development
4. ↑ Espinosa de los Monteros - History