Frómista

Frómista municipality
	Frómista - Iglesia San Martín
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and León
Province :	Palencia
Comarca :	Tierra de Campos
Coordinates	42 ° 16 ′ N , 4 ° 24 ′ W Coordinates: 42 ° 16 ′ N , 4 ° 24 ′ W
Height :	780 msnm
Area :	46.73 km²
Residents :	767 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	16.41 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	34440
Municipality number ( INE ):	34074
administration
Website :	Frómista

Frómista is a small town and capital of a municipality ( municipio ) with 767 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile and León .

location

Frómista is located on the Way of St. James ( Camino Francés ) on the north-eastern edge of the Tierra de Campos approx. 31 km (driving distance) north-east of Palencia at an altitude of approx. 780 m asl. The climate in winter is quite cold, in summer it is warm to hot; the sparse rain (approx. 515 mm / year) falls throughout the year.

Population development

year	1842	1900	1950	2000	2016
Residents	k. A.	1,748	1,775	980	804

The population decline in the second half of the 20th century is mainly due to the mechanization of agriculture and the associated loss of jobs.

economy

Agriculture (less livestock) has always played the most important role for the population of the region, but as early as the Middle Ages, handicrafts and trade developed alongside pilgrimage tourism.

history

The Celtic tribe of the Vaccaeans were the first known settlers in the region, followed by the Romans and Visigoths who made Frómista an important place. In the course of the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors , the region was devastated and remained uninhabited no man's land for over a century due to the shifting front lines. It was not until the 10th century that people returned to the place, which had fallen into desolation . In 1066 Munia Mayor , Countess of Castile and widow of the Navarre King Sancho III. Mayor , here a Benedictine monastery and was buried there at her request. In the 12th century, the monastery was subordinated to the Monastery of San Zoilo in Carrión de los Condes , its only remnant is the Church of San Martín , one of the most important Romanesque churches on the Camino de Santiago.

San Pedro Church

Santa María del Castillo Church

Attractions

The high Romanesque church of San Martín (Frómista) once belonged to a monastery; it is the undisputed gem of the small town.
The church of Santa María del Castillo , which rises on the highest point of the village, dates from the transition from the late Gothic to the Renaissance ; the three naves are spanned by star vaults. The altarpiece from the 15th century with 29 panels with scenes from the Old and New Testament was well worth seeing . The pictures were stolen but found again; the entire altar is now in the Church of San Pedro .
The construction of the Iglesia de San Pedro began in the 15th century, but the south portal, framed by double columns , dates from the middle of the 16th century. A circular corridor with a representative parapet below the eaves is interesting . Today the church is used as a museum for sacred art. The tall rectangular fields of the high altar are decorated with paintings and figures. The sculpture of a Descent from the Cross and the two statues of the Apostles Peter and Paul are noteworthy .
The Ermita del Otero hides a late Gothic statue of Our Lady from the 13th or 14th century; she is the patron saint of the city.
The northern arm of the Canal de Castilla runs about 500 m southeast of the place. Numerous locks and weirs are worth seeing .