Fermoselle is a small
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
village located in the province of
Zamora, western Spain, and is part of the region of
Castile and León in the south-west region of the province. It has a population of fewer than 1500.
The village of Fermoselle dates back more than 2,000 years to pre-Roman times, and has been well preserved through the centuries. It is the birthplace of
Juan de La Encina (born Juan de Fermoselle), considered 'the father of Spanish theatre' by
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
. Fermoselle stands at over 700 metres (2,310 feet) above sea level on the
Duero
The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...
, near the edge of the
Arribes cliffs over that river's 163 kilometre-long gorge.
The gorge is noted for green rock formations, some exceeding 150 metres in height, and is known as the Arribes del Duero.
Nearby is the largest natural park in Castile and León, the
Arribes del Duero Natural Park, at the confluence of the Duero and the Tormes; the Duero forms the border with
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. It is a sanctuary for several endangered bird species, including as the
black stork
The black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Measuring on average from beak tip to end of tail with a wingspan, th ...
and the royal owl.
Fermoselle has been named a Historic, Cultural, Artistic and Architectural Conjunct of the Patrimony of Spain, as designated by The Commission of Spaniard Patrimony of Castile and León.
There are many extant examples of Roman architecture, including stellas found at the pilgrimage chapel of Santa Cruz, and working Roman water fountains. The area has many rustic stone houses, and narrow medieval streets set on stone pavers.
Fermoselle has a long history of
viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...
. It harvests an autochthonous grape variety called Juan García, a survivor of the
phylloxera blight, from terraced vineyards on the rim of the river gorge. The local micro-climate and terrain conditions are similar to Tuscany in Italy.
A Centre for the Interpretation of the Natural Park of The Arribes del Duero offers information, in various media, about the park environment.
:1."Duero" is the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
name of the river, while "Douro" is the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
.
{{Authority control
Populated places in the Province of Zamora