Sonseca

Sonseca municipality
Sonseca - Iglesia de San Juan Evangelista
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile-La Mancha
Province :	Toledo
Comarca :	La Sisla
Coordinates	39 ° 41 ′  N , 3 ° 58 ′  W Coordinates: 39 ° 41 ′  N , 3 ° 58 ′  W
Height :	755  msnm
Area :	59.56 km²
Residents :	11,067 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	185.81 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	45100
Municipality number  ( INE ):	45163
administration
Website :	Sonseca

Sonseca is a small town and a central Spanish municipality ( municipio ) consisting of the main town and the hamlet Casalgordo with 11,067 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the province of Toledo in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha .

Location and climate

The small town of Sonseca is about 28 km (driving distance) south of Toledo in the historical province of La Mancha at an altitude of approx. 755  m ; to Madrid it is a good 110 km north. The next larger towns are Orgaz (about 10 km southeast) and Mora (about 22 km east). The climate in winter is harsh, but in summer it is dry and warm; the sparse rain (approx. 430 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter months.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2017
Residents	4,546	4,415	5,825	9,467	11,068

The small town's population has grown significantly since the rural exodus began in the 1950s.

economy

The area around Sonseca was and is essentially agricultural, with viticulture ( La Mancha DO ) playing an important role; the small town itself served as a craft and mercantile center for the surrounding villages.

history

Prehistoric , Roman , Visigoth and Moorish finds have been made in the region. 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 . Many new settlers worked as weavers of sheep's wool . In the 16th century the city experienced a heyday until it finally - like many places in the La Mancha region - sank into insignificance.

Attractions

Casalgordo - Church of San Ildefonso

• The most important sight of the city is the Iglesia de San Juan Evangelista with its bell tower (campanario), built in the 16th century in the Mudéjar style from broken stone and bricks . The vault of the nave dates from the 18th century and is provided with stitch caps . The flat closing, but star-vaulted apse holds a puppet and pictures adorned altarpiece (retablo) from around the 1600th
• In the city center is the Ermita del Cristo de la Vera Cruz , built in the 16th century ; its facade is made of stone and is raised by a bell gable (espadaña) .

Surroundings

• In the hamlet of Casalgordo there is the simple village church of San Ildefonso , the outer walls of which are made of broken stone and bricks; only the belfry, which was built later, is made of precisely worked house stones.
• The ruins of the Visigothic monastery church of San Pedro de la Mata are located near the hamlet .

Web links

Commons : Sonseca  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Sonseca, sights - photos + information (arteguias, spanish)

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. ↑ Sonseca - climate tables
3. ^ Sonseca - population development
4. ^ Sonseca - history