Riocavado de la Sierra

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Municipality of Riocavado de la Sierra
Riocavado de la Sierra - the townscape
Riocavado de la Sierra - the townscape
coat of arms Map of Spain
Coat of arms of Riocavado de la Sierra
Riocavado de la Sierra (Spain)
Finland road sign 311 (1994-2020) .svg
Basic data
Autonomous Community : Castile LeonCastile and León Castile and León
Province : Burgos
Comarca : Sierra de la Demanda (Comarca)
Coordinates 42 ° 9 ′  N , 3 ° 12 ′  W Coordinates: 42 ° 9 ′  N , 3 ° 12 ′  W
Height : 1160  msnm
Area : 43.32 km²
Residents : 60 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density : 1.39 inhabitants / km²
Postal code : 09615
Municipality number  ( INE ): 09318
administration
Website : Riocavado de la Sierra

Riocavado de la Sierra is a mountain town and a municipality ( municipio ) belonging to the poorly populated region of the Serranía Celtibérica with only 60 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the autonomous community of Castile-León .

Location and climate

The mountain village of Riocavado de la Sierra is located in the heart of the Sierra de la Demanda at an altitude of about 1160  m . The closest city is the Salas de los Infantes , about 20 km (driving distance) to the southwest ; the provincial capital, Burgos, is about 70 km to the north-west. The climate is temperate to warm; Rain (approx. 655 mm / year) falls over the year.

Population development

year 1857 1900 1950 2000 2018
Residents 286 365 368 71 60

The mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms have led to a lack of jobs since the 1950s and, as a result, to a migration of a large part of the population to the larger cities ( rural exodus ).

economy

Like the inhabitants of most mountain towns in Europe, the riocavadeños also lived for centuries as a self-sufficient source of livestock ( sheep and goats ) and a little agriculture ( barley and wheat ). A long-life cheese was made from the milk of the animals , which could be sold in the markets of distant cities. The same applies to sheep's wool , which, however, was also required for the manufacture of one's own clothing; ropes, etc. were woven from the goat hair. In the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, many immigrants tried their luck as miners in the mines (iron, copper, lead and coal) in the area. In the meantime, day and weekend tourism and the rental of holiday homes (casas rurales) play an important role in the economic life of the place.

history

Celtic , Roman , Visigoth and even Islamic-Moorish traces are missing. It can be assumed that Riocavado was founded in the period of repopulation ( repoblación ) of the largely deserted areas in the north of the Iberian Peninsula after the conquest by the Moors . The first written mention of the place comes from the year 1028; Due to its remote location, the place was largely protected from renewed attacks by the Moors, who had retreated to the regions further south. From the 11th to the 14th century, the place belonged to the historically significant community of Alfoz de Lara . Due to the nearby ore and coal mines, the place experienced a brief heyday in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Attractions

Iglesia de Santa Columba
  • The Romanesque parish church (Iglesia de Santa Columba) , dating to around the middle of the 12th century, impresses above all with its perfectly crafted house stones - an aspect that suggests wandering stonemasons. The apse is divided into vertical fields by half-column templates , which are loosened up by blind arches , which are usually windowless and slightly pointed at the apex . A slender and largely undivided bell tower rises on the north side , which also serves to stabilize the outer wall. The southern nave wall , in which the portal, which was added later in the 16th century, is, however, statically secured by buttresses . In the completely unadorned west facade, the walled-up former portal can still be clearly seen. The single nave interior of the church was given a rib vault in the 16th century ; the apse, bounded by a choir arch , is still covered by the original semi- dome- shaped dome .
  • Some houses in the village are decorated with coats of arms etc.

Web links

Commons : Riocavado de la Sierra  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

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. ↑ Riocavado de la Sierra / Pineda de la Sierra - climate tables
  3. ↑ Riocavado de la Sierra - Population Development
  4. ↑ http://www.riocavadodelasierra.es/content/historia Riocavado de la Sierra - history