The Sierra de Francia is a comarca located at the southern end of Salamanca Province,

Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is located about 70 km from Salamanca city. It borders with the

Las Hurdes Las Hurdes (; Extremaduran: ''Las Jurdis'') is a ''comarca'' in the Sistema Central, at the northern end of the province of Cáceres in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, Spain. A well-known historical region, Las Hurdes is currently a Site ...

and

Las Batuecas Las Batuecas is a Spanish valley region of the Sierra de Francia in Salamanca Province, Castilla y León. It is located in the vicinity of La Alberca and is named after the river that runs through Las Batuecas. It has a monastery of cloistered ...

comarcas of Extremadura to the south; the

Campo Charro Campo Charro is one of the 11 comarcas in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León. It contains 42 municipalities: Aldeatejada, Aldehuela de la Bóveda, Arapiles, Barbadillo, Barbalos, Berrocal de Huebra, Buenamadre, Calvarrasa de Aba ...

to the north and the Sierra de Béjar to the east. The region is sparsely inhabited and its few towns have great cultural value.

Geography

The mountain range

Sierra de Francia The Sierra de Francia is a mountain range located in Sierra de Francia Comarca at the southern end of Salamanca Province, Castile and León, Spain. It is located about 70 km from Salamanca city. The region is sparsely inhabited and its few ...

belongs to the Sistema Central. Its slopes are covered with forests of alder,

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

and

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

. They rise over the Northern Castilian Plateau and mark the geographical limit of its southwestern plains (''Llanura Salmantina''). From its southern side this mountain chain marks the northern limit of

, the legendary Extremaduran comarca. The mountain range consists of a quite regular succession of peaks of moderate height, of which the

Pico de La Hastiala Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribeir ...

(1.735 m) is the highest. At the top of the

Peña de Francia The Peña de Francia is a mountain that rises to , south of the Salamanca, Autonomous Region of Castile and León, Spain, whose peak belongs to the municipality of El Cabaco. Location It belongs to the municipality of El Cabaco, it is one of t ...

(1723 m) stands one of the highest

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

shrines of the world, as well as a

RTVE The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española or RTVE, is the state-owned public corporation that assumed in 2007 the indirect management of the Spanish public radio and television service know ...

antenna. Other summits worth mentioning are the

Mesa del Francés A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...

(1.638 m) and the

Pico Robledo Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribeir ...

(1.614 m). All these peaks are usually covered with snow in the winter season. Among the rivers that cut valleys in the sierra, the most famous is the Río Francia, which gives the mountain chain its name, as well as the Alagón.

Natural park and biosphere

Most of Sierra de Francia's territory, together with the valley of

was declared

Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park The Natural Park of Las Batuecas - Sierra de Francia is a protected natural area in the west of Spain and particularly in the south-west of the Salamanca region. In the autonomous community Castile and Leon, along the border with Extremadura. ...

in 1978. Together with the neighboring

Sierra de Béjar (comarca) Sierra de Béjar is a comarca in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León. It contains the following municipalities: * Aldeacipreste * Béjar * Candelario * Cantagallo * El Cerro * Colmenar de Montemayor * Cristóbal de la Sierra * Fresn ...

it constitutes a Biosphere Reserve. Some of the towns of the comarca have been officially declared

Conjunto Histórico-Artístico The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...

owing to their cultural and architectural value.

Municipalities

Sierra de Francia contains the following 26 municipalities: * Aldeanueva de la Sierra * Cepeda *

Cereceda de la Sierra Cereceda de la Sierra is a municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)( ...

Cilleros de la Bastida Cilleros de la Bastida is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of only 19 peo ...

El Cabaco El Cabaco is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 248 people. Geography T ...

El Maíllo El Maíllo () is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y Leon, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , na ...

El Tornadizo El Tornadizo is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 88 people. Geography ...

Escurial de la Sierra Escurial de la Sierra is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 246 people. G ...

Garcibuey Garcibuey is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 232 people. Geography ...

Herguijuela de la Sierra Herguijuela de la Sierra is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 299 peopl ...

* La Alberca (capital of the comarca and declared Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) *

La Bastida La Bastida is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. References

Municipalities in the Province of Salamanca {{Salamanca-geo-stub ...

La Rinconada de la Sierra La Rinconada de la Sierra is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 120 peop ...

Las Casas del Conde Las Casas del Conde is a tiny village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of only 55 p ...

Linares de Riofrío Linares de Riofrío is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. I ...

Madroñal Madroñal is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was crea ...

Miranda del Castañar Miranda del Castañar is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. As of 2016 the municipality has a population of 426 inhabitants. The town of Miranda del Castañar is labeled "Historic-Artistic Grouping" fo ...

(Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) *

Mogarraz Mogarraz is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, Valla ...

(Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) * Molinillo *

Monforte de la Sierra Monforte de la Sierra is a village and small Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital (pol ...

Nava de Francia Nava de Francia is a municipality in the province of Salamanca, autonomous community of Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwest ...

Navarredonda de la Rinconada Navarredonda de la Rinconada, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, is a village and municipality in the western province of Salamanca in Spain. It is located from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 185 ...

* Pinedas *

San Esteban de la Sierra San Esteban de la Sierra ( or simply in local dialect) is a village and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located 65 ki ...

San Martín del Castañar San Martín del Castañar is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces ...

(Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) * San Miguel de Valero * San Miguel del Robledo * Santibáñez de la Sierra *

Sequeros Sequeros is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was create ...

(Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) *

Sotoserrano Sotoserrano is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was cre ...

* Valero *

Villanueva del Conde Villanueva del Conde is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located 78 kilometres from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of ...

(Conjunto Histórico-Artístico)

References

External links

Diputación de Salamanca - Turismo - Sierra de Francia.

Web de Turismo de la Junta de Castilla y León.

{{coord, 40, 15, N, 6, 00, W, region:ES_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Geography of the Province of Salamanca Comarcas of the Province of Salamanca