Sierra de Francia
| Sierra de Francia | |
|---|---|
 Summit landscape on the Peña de Francia (1727 m) |
|
| Highest peak | Pico de La Hastiala ( 1735 msnm ) |
| location | Salamanca Province , ( Spain ) |
| part of | Iberian Divisional Mountains |
| Coordinates | 40 ° 31 ′ N , 6 ° 10 ′ W |
| rock | Granite etc. |
The Sierra de Francia is part of the Iberian Divisional Mountains . It is located in the south of the province of Salamanca in the autonomous region of Castile and León along the border with the Extremadura region . A community association ( comarca ) is also named after her, although the respective areas differ significantly from each other.
Mountains
The highest peak of the Sierra de Francia, which is largely forested, is the Pico de La Hastiala (1735 m), but the Peña de Francia (1727 m) is more well-known in Spain and accessible by car until just below the summit ; he was already mentioned by Cervantes in his novel Don Quixote . Other peaks are the Mesa del Francés (1638 m) and the Pico Robledo (1614 m). In addition, the Sierra de Francia is the headwaters of several rivers, all of which belong to the area of influence (cuenca) of the Tagus; the most important are: Río Alagón , Río Batuecas , Río Cuerpo de Hombre , Río Francia and Río Quilamas .
Comarca
To 628.43 km² approximately 9,000 inhabitants and Comarca Sierra de Francia include 32 municipalities ( municipios ): Aldeanueva de la Sierra , Cepeda , Cereceda de la Sierra , Cilleros de la Bastida , El Cabaco , El Maíllo , El Tornadizo , Escurial de la Sierra , Garcibuey , Herguijuela de la Sierra , La Alberca , La Bastida , La Rinconada de la Sierra , Las Casas del Conde , Linares de Riofrío , Madroñal , Miranda del Castañar , Mogarraz , Molinillo , Monforte de la Sierra , Nava de Francia , Navarredonda de la Rinconada , Pinedas, San Esteban de la Sierra , San Martín del Castañar , San Miguel de Valero , San Miguel del Robledo , Santibáñez de la Sierra , Sequeros , Sotoserrano , Valero and Villanueva del Conde .
The place La Alberca lies roughly in the geographical center of the comarca, but Miranda del Castañar is considered the actual historical and cultural capital.
economy
Before the Sierra de Francia was settled in the Middle Ages, the area served as a summer pasture for the herds of the shepherds ( transhumants ) who mostly lived in the valleys and were largely self-sufficient . Because of the poor road connections, the market places in question were often too far away. Barley , olives and wine formed the basis of human existence ; in addition, cattle breeding (sheep, goats, chickens, pigs) was operated. The most important commodity was charcoal . Today forestry and tourism are the region's main sources of income.
history
Both the Celts and the Romans , Visigoths and Moors cared little about the remote mountain region. After the recapture ( reconquista ) further areas in the north of the Iberian Peninsula and their by Alfonso IX. (ruled 1188–1230) advanced settlement ( repoblación ) in the 12th and 13th centuries, the area formed the southern border of the Kingdom of León to the Islamic-Moorish sphere of influence for several decades . Many French came to the country as new settlers, succeeding Raimund of Burgundy , which explains the frequent nickname Francia . The places, mostly built on hilltops between 500 and 1000 m high, were secured by castles and walls.
Attractions
Through the establishment of a large natural park within the mountains ( Parque natural de Las Batuecas - Sierra de Francia ), large parts of the landscape have been placed under protection. In addition, UNESCO has classified the area as a biosphere reserve .
Apart from the natural sights that can be explored on various hiking trails, some places still offer a relatively unadulterated image due to the centuries-old seclusion of the region - as cultural assets ( Bienes de Interés cultural ) in the category Conjunto histórico-artístico are recognized: La Alberca , Miranda del Castañar , Mogarraz , San Martín del Castañar and Sequeros .
Movie
It is remarkable that the Spanish director Luis Buñuel shot his famous documentary Las Hurdes - Tierra sin Pan in 1932 in the area around La Alberca and not in the actual core area of the Hurdes, which is further south-west.
Web links
- Sierra de Francia, tourism site - photos + information (Spanish)
- Las Batuecas Natural Park - Sierra de Francia - Photos + Info (Spanish)
Remarks
- ↑ the altitude information varies depending on the source