Gumiel de Izán

Gumiel de Izán municipality
	Gumiel de Izán - Church of Santa María de la Asunción
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and León
Province :	Burgos
Comarca :	Ribera del Duero
Coordinates	41 ° 46 ′ N , 3 ° 41 ′ W Coordinates: 41 ° 46 ′ N , 3 ° 41 ′ W
Height :	855 msnm
Area :	75.5 km²
Residents :	556 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	7.36 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	09370
Municipality number ( INE ):	09151
administration
Website :	Gumiel de Izán

Gumiel de Izán is a town in northern Spain and a municipality ( municipio ) with only 556 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the south of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile-León . The place belongs to the wine region Ribera del Duero ; the old town center is recognized as a cultural asset ( Bien de Interés Cultural ) in the Conjunto histórico-artístico category .

Location and climate

The place Gumiel de Izán is located in the hilly wine-growing region of Ribera del Duero about 1 km north of the Río Gromejón at an altitude of about 855 m . The city of Burgos is about 71 km (driving distance) to the north. The closest town is Aranda de Duero (about 14 km south); the worth seeing place Haza is located about 26 km southwest. The climate in winter is harsh, but in summer it is temperate and warm; Rain (approx. 480 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter half-year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2017
Residents	1,893	2,458	2,053	610	545

The mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms led to a lack of jobs and a significant decline in the number of inhabitants since the 1950s.

economy

In earlier times Gumiel de Izán was a farming village in the valley of the Río Gromejón. The field work is done today by only a few farmers and winemakers; some houses are rented out as holiday apartments (casas rurales) in summer .

history

So far, no evidence of settlement has been found from the Celtiberian , Roman , Visigothic and Islamic periods; however, the Roman road from Clunia to Asturica Augusta (Astorga) ran through the municipality. The establishment of the place could go back to Fernán González , the first largely independent Count of Castile , but a later settlement cannot be ruled out, because the first mention of the place name dates back to 1042. In 1326 Alfonso XI gave the place . royal city rights (Villa Real) and other privileges ( fueros ) . The existing city fortifications were expanded in the 15th century.

Attractions

Altarpiece of the Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción

The Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary . The three-aisled building was built in the 16th century in place of a previous medieval church, of which parts of the bell tower (campanario) and the north portal have been preserved; The facade is extraordinarily richly designed in the classicist Baroque style . The nave (nature) is of star vaults spans whose keystones the crest show several founders. A real showpiece is the late Gothic altarpiece (retablo) from the early 16th century. There are also two side altars and numerous furnishings and figures.
The historical center is characterized by several half-timbered houses with a stone ground floor; In addition, stone coats of arms can be found on several buildings .
A neo-Romanesque building in the style of a castle from the beginning of the 20th century is now used as a restaurant.

Surroundings

In the middle of the vineyards there is a winery ( bodega ) planned by the British architect Sir Norman Foster .

Approx. 1 km outside of the village is the Ermita de la Virgen del Río, which was newly built in the 1950s instead of a previous building .

From vanished hamlet revêche about 4km north is still built from the exact hewn stone, but covered only with an open roof Romanesque Hermitage of Santo Cristo de revêche ; The archivolt portal is noteworthy .