Zafra

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Zafra municipality
Zafra - the townscape
Zafra - the townscape
coat of arms Map of Spain
Zafra coat of arms
Zafra (Spain)
Finland road sign 311 (1994-2020) .svg
Basic data
Autonomous Community : Extremadura
Province : Badajoz
Comarca : Zafra - Río Bodión
Coordinates 38 ° 26 ′  N , 6 ° 25 ′  W Coordinates: 38 ° 26 ′  N , 6 ° 25 ′  W
Height : 510  msnm
Area : 62.6 km²
Residents : 16,797 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density : 268.32 inhabitants / km²
Postal code : 06300
Municipality number  ( INE ): 06158
administration
Website : Zafra

Zafra is a small town and a municipality ( municipio ) with 16,797 inhabitants (as of 2019) in the south of the Spanish province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura . The center of the city is recognized as the conjunto histórico-artístico .

location

Zafra is located approx. 75 km southeast of the provincial capital Badajoz and approx. 63 km south of Mérida at an altitude of approx. 510 m above sea level. d. The climate in winter is temperate, in summer it is warm to hot; the rather low amounts of precipitation (approx. 600 mm / year) fall - with the exception of the almost rainless summer months - distributed over the whole year.

Population development

year 1857 1900 1950 2000 2016
Residents 5,965 6.136 9,301 15,158 16,855

The significant increase in population in the second half of the 20th century is mainly due to the city's convenient location in terms of transport and the settlement of medium-sized industrial companies.

economy

The people of earlier times lived essentially on farming as self-sufficiency ; Traders, craftsmen and service providers of all kinds also settled in the city. Today the city is an important location for the metalworking and furniture industries of the province.

history

East facade of the Palacio de los Duques de Feria

In ancient times , Zafra was on the Via de la Plata , a road that was fortified by the Romans between Hispalis ( Seville ) and Asturica Augusta ( Astorga ); In the area there are ruins of several Roman country estates ( villae rusticae ) . There is, however, no trace of the Celts and Visigoths . In the early 8th century the region was overrun by the Moors , whose rule under the Umayyads , Almoravids and Almohads lasted until the 13th century; The place name Safra or Çafra comes from this time . In 1241 the area was occupied by the troops of the Leonese - Castilian king Ferdinand III. (ruled 1230–1252) recaptured ( reconquista ) and then repopulated ( repoblación ) by settlers from the north of the Iberian Peninsula . In 1394 Heinrich III handed over . (r. 1390–1406) the places Feria and Zafra to Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago . In 1460 his descendant was raised to count and Philip II (r. 1556–1598) created the title of Duke of Feria in 1567 . Zafra men played an important role in the conquest and colonization of America.

Attractions

Altarpiece of the Iglesia de la Candelaria
  • The old center of the city is the Plaza Chica ("small square"), built in the 15th century by the Moors, or rather Mudéjares , whose houses lined with brick arcades give an impression of tranquility.
  • The Plaza Grande ("large square"), which was built in the 16th century, is also framed by arcade houses, but the square is much larger and livelier.
  • The fortress-like palace (palacio) of the counts or dukes of Feria dates from the 15th century; However, it was rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries - it is the best preserved late medieval non-sacred building in the province of Badajoz and is now used as a Parador .
  • Not far from there is the church of the Convento de Santa Clara from the middle of the 15th century with a remarkable baroque altar from the 1670s.
  • Originally a noble residential building, the Hospital de Santiago , built in 1438, was later converted into a nursing home. The building, located in a cul-de-sac, has a beautiful late-Gothic portal and an inner courtyard with elements of the Mudejar style .
  • Two gates ( Arco de Jerez and Arco de Cubo ) of the medieval city wall (muralla) have been preserved.
  • The most important sacred building in the city is the single-tower and single-nave Iglesia de la Candelaria from the mid-16th century. It was built on the site of a synagogue that was demolished after the expulsion of the Jews and was raised to the rank of collegiate church in 1609 at the instigation of the Duke of Feria . The eye-catcher in the star-vaulted interior is the late Baroque altarpiece in the main apse, framed by twisted Solomonic columns .
  • The Museo del Convento de Santa Clara , inaugurated in 2007, presents works of sacred art.
  • A medical history museum is more for specialists.

Festivals

  • On the first Sunday after Easter (Domingo de Quasimodo) , the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Belén is the scene of the city's most important religious event (romería) .
  • For five centuries, the Feria Internacional Ganadera , an important cattle market, has been held every year at the end of September / beginning of October .

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Zafra  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

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. ^ Zafra - Map with altitude information
  3. ↑ Zafra - climate tables
  4. ↑ Zafra - Population Development
  5. ^ Zafra Industry
  6. ^ Zafra - Palacio de los Duques de Feria
  7. ^ Zafra - Convento de Santa Clara
  8. ^ Zafra - Hospital de Santiago
  9. ^ Zafra - former collegiate church