Mieza (Salamanca)

Mieza municipality
Mieza - Iglesia de San Sebastian
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and Leon
Province :	Salamanca
Comarca :	La Ribera
Coordinates	41 ° 10 ′  N , 6 ° 41 ′  W Coordinates: 41 ° 10 ′  N , 6 ° 41 ′  W
Height :	680  msnm
Area :	34.82 km²
Residents :	196 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	5.63 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	37254
Municipality number  ( INE ):	37190
administration
Website :	Mieza

Mieza or Mieza de la Ribera is a northwestern Spanish town and a municipality ( municipio ) with about 196 inhabitants (at January 1, 2019) in the province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon .

Location and climate

The town of Mieza is located high above the Duero Valley in the extreme west of the Salamanca province at an altitude of approx. 680  m in the barren and rocky landscape of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park near the border with Portugal formed by the Duero River . The city of Ledesma is approx. 70 km (driving distance) to the east; the provincial capital Salamanca is about 100 km away. The climate in winter is often harsh, but in summer it is mostly temperate and warm; Rain (approx. 720 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter half-year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2018
Residents	1,174	1,181	1,043	354	208

As a result of the mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms, the population has fallen to its current low since the middle of the 20th century.

economy

Agriculture, especially cattle breeding, traditionally plays the largest role in the local economy. The community is also part of the Arribes wine-growing region . Income from tourism in the form of renting out holiday homes (casas rurales) has been added since the last decades of the 20th century.

history

After its reconquest ( reconquista ) from the hands of the Moors and the subsequent repopulation ( repoblación ), the place was a border town to the rival kingdom of Portugal . The border area was temporarily taken by the Portuguese King Dinis in 1296 . During the reign of the Castilian kings Alfonso XI. , Pedro I and Enrique II formed independent manors (señorios) and the place was fortified; it experienced its heyday in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Attractions

• The Iglesia de San Sebastian is a building from the 17th / 18th centuries. Century, which replaced a previous medieval building. The towering west facade with its three-part bell gable (espadaña) framed by baluster-like ornamental obelisks is remarkable .

Surroundings

• The Ermita del Santo Cristo del Humilladero is located a little outside the center of the village.
• There are numerous hiking trails in the area with viewpoints over the Duero Valley.

Web links

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

• Mieza, tourism site - photos + brief information (Spanish)
• Mieza, tourism site - photos + brief information (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. ↑ Mieza - climate tables
3. ↑ Mieza - population development
4. ↑ Mieza - hiking trails and viewpoints