Ponferrada

Ponferrada municipality
	Ponferrada - castle and church
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and León
Province :	Leon
Comarca :	El Bierzo
Coordinates	42 ° 33 ′ N , 6 ° 36 ′ W Coordinates: 42 ° 33 ′ N , 6 ° 36 ′ W
Height :	510 msnm
Area :	283.17 km²
Residents :	64,674 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	228.39 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	24400-24404
Municipality number ( INE ):	24115
administration
Website :	Ponferrada

Ponferrada is the capital of the Comarca El Bierzo and a large municipality consisting of numerous villages and hamlets (pedanías) with a total of about 64,674 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León in northwest Spain . Ponferrada is located at St. James ( French Way ) ; the town center is recognized as a cultural asset ( Bien de Interés Cultural ) in the Conjunto histórico-artístico category .

Location and climate

The city of Ponferrada is located at the confluence of the Sil and Boeza rivers in the hilly to mountainous landscape of the Bierzo almost 115 km (driving distance) west of the provincial capital León at an altitude of about 510 m . The climate is temperate to warm; Rain (approx. 650 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter half-year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2017
Residents	3,565	7,188	23,773	62,642	65,788

The rural exodus as a result of the abandonment of small farms and the mechanization of agriculture led to a significant increase in population since the second half of the 19th century.

economy

Due to its long mining tradition, the Bierzo has numerous craft and small industrial businesses. In addition, agriculture in the surrounding area, including viticulture and tourism, play important roles in the city's economic life. Europe's largest factory for pillars for wind turbines is located in Ponferrada with 500 employees . In addition, metal processing, glazing and cement production as well as slate extraction are carried out in Ponferrada . However, the service sector shows the strongest growth.

and display information about the image

Ponferrada Castle

history

While the presence of Celts and Romans in the region is known, there are no archaeological traces of the Visigoths and Moors . At the end of the 11th century, Osmundo, Bishop of Astorga , ordered the construction of a bridge (consisting in parts of iron = Pons ferrata ) over the Sil for pilgrims on the Way of St. James , near which a settlement was built. First in the hands of the Templars , after the dissolution of the order it came into the possession of the Counts of Lemos, among others. On the occasion of a dispute between the Count of Lemos and his son in the 16th century, which led to several fights and changes of ownership around the castle, the Catholic kings declared the castle and town to be their property and thus ended the disputes.

Attractions

The main attraction is the Ponferrada Castle . It dates back to the 12th century and has been rebuilt many times over the course of history. Its outermost wall used to be the city wall of medieval Ponferrada.

The Basílica de la Encina (1614) built in the Renaissance style

Calle Reloj, which connects the Basilica Square with the Town Hall Square

The clock tower Torre del Reloj and the old city gate

The baroque building of the church council (1692)

The Roman fountain in Campo

A railway museum

A radio museum

An art and archeology museum next to the Torre del Reloj

Surroundings

The Mozarabic Church of Santo Tomás de las Ollas in the suburb of the same name (10th century)
The Romanesque church of Santa María de Vizbayo in the suburb of Otero (11th century)
The Mozarabic Church of Santiago de Peñalba in the hamlet of Peñalba de Santiago (11th century)
The Las Médulas , declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are also located near the municipality .