Villar de Cañas

Villar de Cañas municipality
Villar de Cañas - town center
coat of arms	Map of Spain
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Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Castile-La Mancha
Province :	Cuenca
Comarca :	Mancha Alta
Coordinates	39 ° 47 ′  N , 2 ° 34 ′  W Coordinates: 39 ° 47 ′  N , 2 ° 34 ′  W
Height :	820  msnm
Area :	70.36 km²
Residents :	374 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	5.32 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	16433
Municipality number  ( INE ):	16253
administration
Website :	Villar de Cañas

Villar de Cañas is a place and a municipality ( municipio ) with only 374 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the southwest of the province of Cuenca in the autonomous region of Castile-La Mancha . The place belongs to the Serranía Celtibérica, which has suffered severe population decline .

Location and climate

The place Villar de Cañas is located in a valley basin in the headwaters of several streams in the southern part of the Castilian plateau ( meseta ) at an altitude of approx. 820  m . The provincial capital Cuenca is located approx. 67 km (driving distance) to the northeast. The climate in winter is temperate, while in summer it is warm to hot; the rather low amounts of precipitation (approx. 495 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	1,338	1,243	1,633	446	374

Due to the mechanization of agriculture , the abandonment of small farms and the resulting loss of jobs, the population of the municipality has declined sharply since the middle of the 20th century ( rural exodus ).

economy

For centuries the town's economy was largely self-sufficient ; Surplus of food as well as animal skins and wool could be sold to traveling traders or exchanged for other products. The situation improved significantly in the 20th century due to the expansion of the infrastructure.

In December 2011, after several years of nationwide discussion, the site was awarded the contract to build a central Spanish interim storage facility for nuclear waste ; At the time of the location decision, a storage period of approx. 60 years was planned. Local people and leaders reportedly welcomed the decision on economic grounds, while opponents cited the risk of earthquakes in the region.

history

There is no evidence of settlement in the Celtic , Roman , Visigothic and Islamic-Moorish periods. After the reconquest ( reconquista ) of the city of Cuenca and its surroundings (1177–1180) by the troops of the Castilian king Alfonso VIII , a policy of repopulation ( repoblación ) of the conquered areas by Christians from all parts of the Iberian Peninsula was pursued.

Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza

Attractions

• With the exception of the corner stones , the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción , built from rubble stones , is a three-aisled building from the 16th century with later changes; the sundial on the south facade bears the year 1776. The upper floor of the bell tower (campanario) is a little finer overall. The Renaissance portal leads into the church space formed by three naves of equal height ( hall church ).
• Opposite the church is a former inn (posada) from the 17th century.
• Some of the plastered and whitewashed houses still have clay walls and wooden ceilings.
• In the cemetery (cementerio) , which is about 500 m from the village, is the single-nave Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza , which was built mainly from rubble stones in the 17th century but has no tower .

Web links

Commons : Villar de Cañas  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Villar de Cañas - Photos + Info (Spanish)
• Villar de Cañas, tourism site - photos + 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. ↑ Villar de Cañas - population development
3. ↑ Villar de Cañas - History
4. ↑ Villar de Cañas - Church
5. ↑ Villar de Cañas - traditional architecture
6. ↑ Villar de Cañas - Ermita