Ezcaray

Ezcaray parish
Ezcaray - town view
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	La Rioja
Comarca :	Ezcaray
Coordinates	42 ° 20 ′  N , 3 ° 1 ′  W Coordinates: 42 ° 20 ′  N , 3 ° 1 ′  W
Height :	810  msnm
Area :	142.85 km²
Residents :	2,024 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	14.17 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	26280
Municipality number  ( INE ):	26061
administration
Website :	Ezcaray

Ezcaray is a place and a municipality ( municipio ) belonging to the poorly populated Serranía Celtibérica on the upper reaches of the Río Oja in the Spanish region of La Rioja with 2,024 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019).

Location and climate

Ezcaray is located at the confluence of the Río Ciloria in the Río Oja in the far west of the province of La Rioja at an altitude of about 810  m . Almost 60 km (driving distance) separate the place from the northeastern city of Logroño ; Burgos is a good 80 km to the west. The small town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, on the Way of St. James , is just under 14 km northeast. The climate is temperate to warm; Rain (approx. 605 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter half-year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2018
Residents	1,248	2,150	2,368	1,861	2,027

Despite the increasing mechanization of agriculture , the abandonment of small farms and the resulting lack of jobs, the population of the municipality has remained largely stable. The municipality also includes the hamlets (pedanías) Ayabarrena , Azárulla , Posadas , Turza , Urdanta and Zaldierna , each with less than 10 inhabitants ; others have already been given up by their inhabitants ( despoblados ) .

economy

In the first place in the economic life of the municipality traditionally ranks agriculture and especially cattle breeding (sheep, goats, cows). In the past, wheat, barley, wine and vegetables were also cultivated in protected locations; later potatoes were added. As early as the end of the Middle Ages there was a not insignificant textile production; In the 18th century a larger cloth factory was built, the imposing main building of which today serves as a hostel. Since the middle of the 20th century, tourism (hiking, skiing) has played a not insignificant role in the city's economic life.

history

Before the intervention of Roman armies, the region belonged to the settlement area of ​​the Celtiberian tribes of the Autrigones and Berons . Nothing is known of Roman or Visigoth settlements. During the time of the Islamic raids and conquests, the area became depopulated.

Already in the 920s years conquered Sancho I Garcés of Navarre areas north of the Ebro back (reconquista) ; in the later 10th century the kings of Navarre pursued a resettlement policy ( repoblación ) and extended their power to areas south of the Ebro. The place name was first mentioned in a document in 974. In the 11th century the area fell to García III. of Navarre , but after the death of Sancho IV of Navarre in 1074 it came under Castilian rule. In 1312 Ferdinand IV granted the places on the upper reaches of the Río Oja various privileges ( fueros ) ; the purpose may have been to populate the area more with settlers from Castile in order to secure the border with neighboring Navarre. Large parts of the population still spoke the Basque language at that time , which is still reflected today in many place, field and personal names.

At the end of the 14th century, Ezcaray and the surrounding villages belonged to the manor (señorio) of the House of Lara . In 1478 the Catholic Kings Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragón confirmed the foundation of the Mayorazgo de Valdezcaray .

The valley of the Río Oja suffered severe devastation during the years of French occupation and the Spanish War of Independence , which led to years of impoverishment of the population. It was not until the spring of 1813 that the French were expelled from Ezcaray; they launched a counterattack in June of the same year, which, however, was repulsed. After the abolition of the manorial system in 1811, the area belonged to the Old Castilian province of Soria and only came to the newly created province of Logroño in 1822 , from which the autonomous region of La Rioja emerged in the 1980s.

Attractions

Iglesia Santa María la Mayor

• The church of Santa María la Mayor was built in the 15th century on the foundations of a previous Romanesque building. Its almost windowless walls and a - but extremely decorative - parapet above the gothic tympanum of the south portal adorned with an annunciation scene give the impression of a fortress structure. The broad western section with its Renaissance portal could have been added a little later; however, it strengthens the defensive character of the church. The two door wings of the south portal are coffered and carved with various figures (including the apostles Peter and Paul ) as well as vase and flower motifs. The three-aisled interior with a transept shows star vaults and a multi-part altarpiece from the 16th century.

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  West facade with renaissance portal

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  South side with Gothic portal

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  Arabesques with heads

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  Interior of the church

Textile Manufactory

• Under the reign of Ferdinand VI. His first minister, the Marqués de la Ensenada , founded a textile manufacture in Ezcaray in 1752, which was managed by Charles III a few years later . with the title Compañía Real de San Carlos y Santa Bárbara de la villa de Ezcaray . The original building fell victim to a fire in 1785; as a result, a new - largely unadorned - building was erected, which is still standing today and has been used as a hostel for several years. A second, completely identical wing houses the town hall (ayuntamiento) . The main building material used was rubble stone ; only the corner stones and the door and window frames are made of stone . Both buildings frame a square in the center of the village.
• The Palacio del Ángel is a representative residential building of a noble landlord from the 18th century. A niche with a figure of the Archangel Michael is let into its facade; above it is a stone baroque coat of arms .
• The same applies to the Palacio de Barroeta .
• Some traditional half-timbered houses with a lower ground floor are also worth seeing.
• Two stone crosses (Cruz de San Lorenzo and Cruz de San Lázaro) enrich the townscape.
• The Ermita de la Virgen de Allende dates from the 17th century and is richly decorated with several altarpieces and decorative ceiling paintings.
• The Ermita de Santa Bárbara stands on a hill above the village. The bell gable above the rectangular apse is likely to be a later ingredient.

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  Palacio del Angel

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  Cruz de San Lorenzo with a representation of St. Laurentius

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  Ermita de la Virgen de Allende

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  Ermita de Santa Bárbara

Web links

Commons : Ezcaray  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Ezcaray - Photos + Quick Facts (Spanish)
• Ezcaray and surroundings, historical buildings - photos + information (arteguias, Spanish)

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. ↑ Ezcaray - Climate tables
3. ↑ Ezcaray - Population Development
4. ↑ Ezcaray Story