Orgaz
| Orgaz municipality | |||
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 Orgaz - Castillo
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| coat of arms | Map of Spain | ||
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| Basic data | |||
| Autonomous Community : | Castile-La Mancha | ||
| Province : | Toledo | ||
| Comarca : | La Sisla | ||
| Coordinates | 39 ° 39 ′ N , 3 ° 53 ′ W | ||
| Height : | 745 msnm | ||
| Area : | 154.48 km² | ||
| Residents : | 2,602 (Jan 1, 2019) | ||
| Population density : | 16.84 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Postal code : | 45450 | ||
| Municipality number ( INE ): | 45124 | ||
| administration | |||
| Website : | Orgaz | ||
Orgaz is a small town and a central Spanish municipality ( municipio ) consisting of the main town and the hamlet (pedanía) Arisgotas with 2,602 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the province of Toledo in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha . The historic town center has been recognized as a national cultural asset ( Bien de Interés Cultural ) in the Conjunto histórico-artístico category since 2004 .
Location and climate
The small town of Orgaz is located about 35 km (driving distance) southeast of Toledo in the historical province of La Mancha at an altitude of about 745 m ; It is a good 100 km north to Madrid . The next larger towns are Sonseca (approx. 11 km northwest) and Mora (approx. 11 km northeast). The climate in winter is harsh, but in summer it is dry and warm; the sparse rain (approx. 435 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter months.
Population development
| year | 1857 | 1900 | 1950 | 2000 | 2017 |
| Residents | 4,198 | 3,000 | 3,780 | 2,672 | 2,675 |
The mechanization of agriculture , which has been increasing since the 1950s, and the abandonment of small farms led to a decline in purchasing power and the emigration of part of the population in the small town as well.
economy
The area around Orgaz was and is essentially agricultural; the city itself served as a craft and mercantile center for the surrounding villages. In the 19th century there were two cloth mills and two tanneries, as well as several mills and distilleries. Day tourism has been of greater importance since the 1960s.
history
It is possible that the place was mentioned as Barnices by the ancient geographer Ptolemy ; Roman , Visigoth and Moorish finds were made. In 1085 the area was named by Alfonso VI. recaptured ( reconquista ) and repopulated ( repoblación ) by Christians from the north and south of the Iberian Peninsula . In the Middle Ages it was the walled center of the county of Orgaz , which El Cid also wanted to seize. From the 13th to the 16th century the town changed hands several times until it finally sank into insignificance.
Attractions
- The rather austere three-aisled baroque church of Santo Tomás Apóstol was built in the years 1738–1763 under the direction of the architect Alberto de Churriguera . Since the residents of the city essentially had to pay for the construction costs themselves, construction was repeatedly interrupted. A small museum preserves a u. a. Crucifixion picture by El Greco or his workshop.
- The Orgaz castle (castillo), built in the 14th or 15th century and restored in the 20th century, stands in the west of the old town. Its square floor plan has two outwardly protruding annex buildings: a 20 m high keep ( torre de homenaje ) with a square floor plan and the castle chapel with its apsidal floor plan. Two one-man watchtowers (" pepper cans ") are placed in the corners.
- A five-arched medieval or early modern granite stone bridge (Puente de los cinco Ojos) spans the small river Riánsares , which has hardly any water for most of the year, but can swell significantly after prolonged or heavy rains; it was extensively restored in 2001.
- The city gates Arco de Belén in the west and Arco de San José in the east of the city date from the 15th century.
- The chapel of the Hermitage of the Ermita del Socorro stands in the north of the city.
- The Ermita de la Concepción is halfway between the Church of Santo Tomás Apóstol and the castle; it was restored in 2002.
- In the heart of the city there are still some half-timbered houses in the Castilian style. H. with built-in supports made of stone or wood on the ground floor.
- Surroundings
- About 5 km southwest of Orgaz are the ruins of a Visigothic settlement near the village of Arisgotas . The complex was excavated and expanded into an open-air museum (Museo de Arte Visigodo) . The town's parish church , built in the Mudéjar style and accompanied by a round bell tower (campanario) , also deserves attention.
Personalities
- Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560–1627), painter
- Alberto de Churriguera (1676–1750), architect
Don Gonzalo Ruíz , Count of Orgaz (see: Burial of the Count of Orgaz ), painted by El Greco almost 300 years after his death (1312 ), has many legendary features.
literature
- Jesús Gómez Fernández-Cabrera: La Villa de Orgaz. Textos e imágenes. Toledo 2007, ISBN 978-84-606-4282-4 .
Web links
- Orgaz - website of the city with city map, video and information (Spanish)
- Orgaz, history and sights - plans, photos, videos + information (Spanish)
- Castles in the province of Toledo - photos + quick facts (spanish)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ Orgaz - climate tables
- ^ Orgaz - population development
- ^ Orgaz story