San Martín del Castañar
| San Martín del Castañar municipality | |||
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 San Martín del Castañar - the townscape
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| coat of arms | Map of Spain | ||
 Help on coat of arms |
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| Basic data | |||
| Autonomous Community : | Castile and Leon | ||
| Province : | Salamanca | ||
| Comarca : | Sierra de Francia | ||
| Coordinates | 40 ° 31 ′ N , 6 ° 4 ′ W | ||
| Height : | 835 msnm | ||
| Area : | 15.5 km² | ||
| Residents : | 223 (Jan. 1, 2019) | ||
| Population density : | 14.39 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Postal code : | 37659 | ||
| Municipality number ( INE ): | 37286 | ||
| administration | |||
| Website : | San Martín del Castañar | ||
San Martín del Castañar is a place and a municipality ( municipio ) with 223 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile-León in Spain . The partially medieval-looking place was classified as a cultural asset ( Bien de Interés Cultural ) in the category Conjunto histórico-artístico in 1982 .
location
The mountain village of San Martín del Castañar is located about 500 m north of the Río Francia on a hilltop of the Sierra de Francia , part of the Iberian Mountains , at an altitude of about 835 m above sea level. d. M. in the north of the Natural Park Las Batuecas - Sierra de Francia. It is approx. 74 km (driving distance) in a north-easterly direction to Salamanca ; the lovely city of Ciudad Rodrigo is located about 53 km to the northwest. The places Miranda del Castañar and San Esteban de la Sierra , located approx. 14 and 25 km to the southeast, are also worth seeing. Due to the altitude, the climate is moderate; Rain falls mainly in the winter months.
Population development
| year | 1857 | 1900 | 1950 | 2000 | 2017 |
| Residents | k. A. | 842 | 945 | 291 | 225 |
The significant population decline since the 1950s is mainly due to the mechanization of agriculture and the associated loss of jobs.
economy
For centuries the population lived on agriculture (especially cattle breeding) and forestry (especially the production of charcoal ) as a self-sufficient living ; The craft ( wheelwright , blacksmith, etc.) and retail trade also played a certain role. In the area around the village there was and is still a small amount of viticulture. Since the 1960s, many vacant houses have been rented out as holiday homes (casas rurales) .
history
A Roman grave stele and remnants of an iron melt from the Visigothic period were discovered in the municipality ; However, it is unclear whether the place was already settled at the time. The emergence of today's mountain village can be seen in connection with the reconquest ( reconquista ) and subsequent repopulation ( repoblación ) of the areas in the north and in the center of the Iberian Peninsula that were depopulated during Muslim domination by the Leonese kings in the 11th and 12th centuries. The place was founded in 1225 by Alfonso IX. handed over to the diocese of Salamanca .
Attractions
- The townscape with its medieval bridge and the quarry stone and half-timbered houses with the mostly south-facing wooden balconies is one of the most beautiful in the Sierra de Francia area.
- The parish church of San Martín with its portico, which was added later, and the soaring bell gable (espadaña) is originally a 13th century building.
- Only a few remains of the former Franciscan monastery ( Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Gracia ) have survived.
- The irregularly laid out and primeval bullring ( plaza de torros ) is one of the oldest in Spain.
- The ruins of the castle (castillo) from the 15th century with its keep ( torre del homenaje ) rise at the highest point of the village .
- There are some hermit chapels in and around the village ; the most beautiful is probably the Ermita del Socorro with a small bell gable.
Web links
- San Martín del Castañar, sights - photos + brief information (Spanish)
- San Martín del Castañar, history and places of interest - photos + information (Spanish)
- San Martín del Castañar, history and places of interest - photos + information (Spanish)
- San Martín del Castañar, sights - photos + information (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).
- ↑ San Martín del Castañar - Map with altitude information
- ↑ San Martín del Castañar - climate tables
- ↑ San Martín del Castañar - population development
- ↑ San Martín del Castañar - Castle