Lerma is a village in the
province of Burgos
The Province of Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia, Cantabria, Vizcaya, Álava, La Rioja, Soria, Segovia, and Valladoli ...
, part of the
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administra ...
of
Castile and León, Spain. It has important monuments dating from the 17th century, which were built by the
Duke of Lerma
Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma, 5th Marquess of Denia, 1st Count of Ampudia (1552/1553 – 17 May 1625), was a favourite of Philip III of Spain, the first of the ''validos'' ('most worthy') through whom the later H ...
.
The village is home to the headquarters of the Spanish wine ''denominación de origen protegida''
Arlanza DOP.
History
The town of Lerma dates back to at least as far as the Iron Age, when the
Celtiberian tribe of the ''vacceos'' lived in the area. The town was formed in a strategic position on a hill overlooking the
Arlanza River
The Arlanza River rises in the Sierra de la Demanda, near Quintanar de la Sierra in an area known as Fuente Sanza. As it flows through the province of Burgos, Spain, it passes through the municipalities of Castrovido, Salas de los Infantes, C ...
. The area was then conquered in turn by the Romans, the Visigoths, and the Berbers, and in the 10th century was conquered by the Christians during the
Reconquista
The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
when the Arlanza River became the border.
From then Lerma grew as a medieval walled town, and witnessed a period of significant growth and wealth in the 17th century. This growth included the construction of buildings in
Herrerian style
The Herrerian style ( es, estilo herreriano or ''arquitectura herreriana'') of architecture was developed in Spain during the last third of the 16th century under the reign of Philip II (1556–1598), and continued in force in the 17th centu ...
under the patronage of the
Duke of Lerma
Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma, 5th Marquess of Denia, 1st Count of Ampudia (1552/1553 – 17 May 1625), was a favourite of Philip III of Spain, the first of the ''validos'' ('most worthy') through whom the later H ...
that today are among the best-preserved
historical-artistic complexes in Spain. After the death of the duke, the town went into slow decline. During the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
the town was occupied by French troops, who burned and looted the town and convents on their retreat
Gallery
Image:Lermacolegiata lou19.JPG, Collegiate church of San Pedro.
Image:Lerma - Palacio Ducal 2.jpg, Ducal palace of Lerma
The Lerma Ducal Palace is the palace of the dukes of Lerma in Lerma (Burgos) in Spain, occupying the whole of one side of the city's Plaza. Originally it had immense gardens below it, on the banks of the river, with fountains, stately homes and ...
.
Image:Lermaclasisas lou16.JPG, Monastery of la Ascensión de Nuestro Señor, also known as the Convento de Santa Clara.
See also
*
Spanish wine
Spanish wine () includes red, white, and sparkling wines produced throughout the country. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 1.2 million hectares (2.9 million acres) planted in wine grapes, making it the most widely pla ...
References
External links
Lerma munincipality official website
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Municipalities in the Province of Burgos
{{Burgos-geo-stub