Torija

Torija municipality
Torija - town center
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile-La Mancha
Province :	Guadalajara
Comarca :	La Alcarria
Coordinates	40 ° 45 ′  N , 3 ° 2 ′  W Coordinates: 40 ° 45 ′  N , 3 ° 2 ′  W
Height :	958  msnm
Area :	35.28 km²
Residents :	1,448 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	41.04 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	19190
Municipality number  ( INE ):	19274
administration
Website :	Torija

Torija is a town in central Spain and a municipality (municipio) in the west of the province of Guadalajara in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha ( Spain ).

Location and climate

Torija is located in the southern part of the Iberian Meseta at an altitude of about 960  m at the end of a fertile valley in the mountainous west of the province of Guadalajara. The provincial capital Guadalajara is about 20 km (driving distance) in a south-westerly direction; the Spanish capital Madrid is just under 80 km to the south-west. The climate in winter is temperate, while in summer it is warm to hot; the rather low amounts of precipitation (approx. 415 mm / year) fall - with the exception of the almost rainless summer months - distributed over the whole year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2019
Residents	742	692	638	449	1,448

The population increase at the beginning of the 21st century is due to the proximity to the city of Guadalajara and the Autovía A-2 or the European route 90 .

economy

Torija used to be the handicraft and mercantile center of the agricultural region. With mechanization and the decline of agriculture, many hoped for a better life in the city, but only small businesses have emerged - industrial jobs are lacking.

history

Torija - castillo

Although there are no archaeological finds so far, it can be assumed that the Torija valley was already inhabited in prehistoric times. By Romans , Visigoths and even from the time of Islamic rule relevant certificates are missing. After the recapture ( reconquista ) of the area by King Alfonso VI. From León at the end of the 11th century, the place and its surroundings were given to the Knights Templar (templarios) . In the 14th and 15th centuries, one of the most important families in Castile settled here - the Mendozas . They had the imposing castle built, which became the city's landmark. In the late Middle Ages and early modern times, regional cattle markets and bullfights (corridas) took place on the square in front of the castle . In the 16th century it hosted Charles V and Philip II as guests; after that it was no longer used and gradually fell into disrepair. During the Napoleonic Wars (1807-1814) the castle was badly damaged, but the republican generals Enrique Líster and Hans Kahle moved into the ruins during the Battle of Guadalajara as part of the Spanish Civil War .

Attractions

• The castle (castillo) is an imposing construction from the late medieval period, of which - even after its restoration or reconstruction in the 1960s - essentially only the outer walls ( curtains ) and the round corner towers, between which the battlements ( maschikulis ) , which could be reached both via the corner towers and via small central spiral stairs. In the northeast corner rises - on a square floor plan - the keep (torre del homenaje) framed by four narrow stair turrets . The castle stands on rocky ground on the southern outskirts and today serves as a regional museum.
• The three-aisled Church of the Assumption of Mary (Iglesia de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora) is also known as the Iglesia de los Mendoza ; it was built in the early 16th century - the portal on the south side as well as the outer walls of the church and the tower still date from this time. However, the interior of the church was thoroughly redesigned in the 18th and 20th centuries.
• The main square (Plaza de la Villa) is surrounded by two-story arcade or timber frame houses. In one corner of the square rises the square keep of the castle.
• A court column (rollo jurisdiccional or picota) from the 16th century is to be seen as a sign of local self-determination.
• The Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Amparo , about 400 m southwest of the village, is a building from the 18th century.

literature

• Andrés Pérez Arribas: Historia de Torija. Ed. aache, Guadalajara 2000, ISBN 84-95179-34-2 .

Web links

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

• Torija, sights - photos + info (arteguias, Spanish)
• Torija, castle - photo
• Torija, square - photo
• Torija, court column - photo

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. ↑ Torija / Guadalajara - climate tables
3. ↑ Torija - population development
4. ↑ Torija - Castillo