Velamazan

Velamazán municipality
Velamazán - townscape with Santa Cruz church and court column (roller blind )
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Help on coat of arms
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile and León
Province :	Soria
Comarca :	Comarca de Almazán
Coordinates	41 ° 27 ′  N , 2 ° 42 ′  W Coordinates: 41 ° 27 ′  N , 2 ° 42 ′  W
Height :	975  msnm
Area :	71.59 km²
Residents :	76 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	1.06 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	42210
Municipality number  ( INE ):	42200
administration
Website :	Velamazan

Atalaya de Velamazan

Palacio del Marquesado

Ermita de la Virgen de la Dehesa

Velamazán is a small mountain village and at the same time the center of a municipality ( municipio ) with only 76 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the Spanish province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile-León . The parish belongs to the Diocese of Osma-Soria .

location

Velamazán is located in the barren mountain landscape south of the Duero in the center of the Soria province at an altitude of approx. 975  m . The provincial capital Soria is about 60 km (driving distance) northeast; the town of Almazán is about halfway. The climate is harsh, sometimes temperate to warm; Rain (approx. 490 mm / year) falls over the year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2001	2010
Residents	488	465	504	147	108

The mechanization of agriculture and the increasing aridity of the mountain region led to a loss of jobs in the second half of the 20th century, which in turn triggered a rural exodus.

economy

With the exception of barley , hardly any grain was possible to grow on the barren soils of the plateaus of the province of Soria, which are cold in winter . For centuries, the population lived mainly from breeding sheep and goats, whose milk was used to make cheese, which after laborious transport could be sold at the market in Burgo de Osma or Almazán or exchanged for flour, etc. The wool of the sheep was spun and in winter it was woven into lengths of fabric from which simple clothing was made. Goat hair was only suitable for making weatherproof throws ( ponchos ) or sacks, ropes, etc.

history

The Celts , Romans and Visigoths have left no archaeologically usable traces; It was probably hunters and shepherds who first explored the area that was once more heavily forested. The verifiable history of the place goes back to the Moorish- Islamic times when a watchtower ( atalaya ) was built on a nearby hilltop . The first mention of the place name Balamuzam comes from the year 1136. During this time Christians from the north but also from the south of the Iberian Peninsula ( Mozarabers ) settled the region. In 1675 a margraviate (marquesado) Velamazán was created under King Charles II , which nominally still exists today.

Attractions

• The single-aisled, but equipped with a transept , Santa Cruz parish church essentially dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. Century. The bell tower is more recent.
• A court column (roller blind) from the same period stands on the church square.
• The margrave palace (palacio) dates from the end of the 17th century. A simple hotel (casa rural) is housed in it today .
• A source version connected with livestock watering (Abrevadero) located at the entrance.

outside

• The (restored) 7.50 m high round stump of a Moorish-Islamic watchtower (atalaya) rises on a neighboring hilltop .
• On the flank of the hill are the ruins of a Romanesque church, within the walls of which the local cemetery is located.
• The Ermita de la Virgen de la Dehesa stands lonely in the field.

Web links

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

• Velamazán, history - photos + information (Spanish)
• Velamazán, sights - photos + brief information (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. ↑ Velamazán / Almazán - climate tables
3. ↑ Velamazán - Palacio