Matanza de Soria

Municipality of San Esteban de Gormaz: Matanza de Soria
	Matanza de Soria - Church of San Juan Bautista
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and León
Province :	Soria
Comarca :	Burgo de Osma
Coordinates	41 ° 38 ′ N , 3 ° 13 ′ W Coordinates: 41 ° 38 ′ N , 3 ° 13 ′ W
Height :	914 msnm
Residents :	42 (2013) INE
Postal code :	42351
Area code:	42162000400

Matanza de Soria is a small village with only about 40 inhabitants in the northern Spanish province of Soria , which administratively belongs to the municipality ( municipio ) of San Esteban de Gormaz .

location

The village of Matanza de Soria is about 915 meters above sea level. d. M. in the west of the province of Soria. The distance to San Esteban de Gormaz is about eight kilometers (driving distance) in a southerly direction; the provincial capital Soria is about 80 kilometers to the northeast.

Population development

In 1879 the town still had 225 inhabitants and in 1981 it was 116, now there are only about 40.

economy

For centuries, the inhabitants of Matanza lived mainly from growing grain; animal husbandry, d. H. the milk and cheese industry only played a subordinate role. In the last few decades tourism (day trippers and rental of holiday apartments) has been added as a source of income for the small town.

history

According to a legend, the founding of the place goes back to Christians who stood in the way of the Moorish general Almansor on his return from one of his campaigns in the Christian north and fought him a bloody battle ( matanza ).

Attractions

Apse window

The late Romanesque parish church ( San Juan Bautista ) already shows early Gothic influences. In the course of its history it was changed again and again through the addition of side chapels - only the Romanesque apse with its narrow walled-up window and a console frieze under the eaves as well as parts of the outer walls still correspond to the original condition. In the apse there is a simple baroque altarpiece ; In the side chapels there are further altar retables - one with twisted Solomonic columns in the late Baroque Churrigueresque style , another with obelisk-like pilasters from the same period on top .
The hermit church Ermita de la Virgen de la Guía stands in the middle of the village.
A few cellars ( bodegas ), in which wine and other food were previously stored in a cool place, are still preserved.

Web links

Commons : Matanza de Soria - collection of images, videos and audio files

Matanza de Soria, church - photo + info (Spanish)
Matanza de Soria, restoration of the church - photo video (Spanish)