250px, Castle of Villafranca.
Villafranca del Bierzo is a village and municipality located in the
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
of
El Bierzo
El Bierzo (; ; gl, O Bierzo) is a ''comarca'' in the province of León, Spain. Its capital is the town of Ponferrada. Other major towns are Bembibre and Villafranca del Bierzo, the historical capital.
The territory of El Bierzo includes m ...
, in the
province of León
León (, , ; ; ) is a province of northwestern Spain in the northern part of the Region of León and in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.
About one quarter of its population of 463,746 (2018) lives in the cap ...
,
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.
Villafranca del Bierzo lies 187 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela and is located between
Ponferrada
Ponferrada () is a city of Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Ponferrada, the second most populated municipality of the Province of León, is also the capital city of El Bierzo, the only ''comarca'' recognized as an ...
and
O Cebreiro
Pedrafita do Cebreiro is a municipality in the province of Lugo in Galicia, Spain. It borders the Lugo municipalities of As Nogais, Cervantes, Folgoso do Courel, Samos and Triacastela. Its eastern boundary borders the province of León. It b ...
on the
Way of St. James
The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the Twelve Apostle ...
pilgrimage route to
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
.
History
The first human settlements in the area date to the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
age, while the first historically known people living here were the
Celtiberians
The Celtiberians were a group of Celts and Celticized peoples inhabiting an area in the central-northeastern Iberian Peninsula during the final centuries BCE. They were explicitly mentioned as being Celts by several classic authors (e.g. Strab ...
, who lived in ''Bergidum'', later known as ''Bergidum Flavium'' after the
Roman conquest.
In the Middle Ages, the town is first mentioned in 791. The origin of the modern town is connected to the
Way of St. James
The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the Twelve Apostle ...
, as a rest place for the pilgrims on their way to
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
beginning in the 9th century. In the ''
Codex Calixtinus
The (also ''Compostellus'') is the main witness for the 12th-century , or the Book of Saint James. It is a pseudepigraph attributed to Pope Callixtus II; its principal author or compilator is referred to as "Pseudo-Callixtus", often identified wi ...
'' Villafranca is mentioned as an intermediate stage between
Rabornal and
Triacastela
Triacastela is a municipality in the province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain. It gets its name from the three castles that once stood here, none of which exist today. Norman (Viking) invaders in 968 A.D. pillaged here, eventually to be defeated at Cebre ...
. In 1070, during the reign of
Alfonso VI of León
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
, a
Cluniac
The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement began wit ...
monastery was founded here to cultivate wine, and a borough of French pilgrims rose around it, from which the town's name (meaning "French Town") stems. Numerous hotels and hospitals were established in the town for the pilgrims.
In the late 12th century
Alfonso VII of León
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
gave the lordship of Villafranca to his sister Sancha. Later it went to Urraca, wife of King
Ferdinand II and then to
Teresa
Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name.
It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...
, wife of
Alfonso IX
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
, and then to numerous other noble people. In 1486 the lordship became a marquisate assigned to Luis Pimentel y Pacego: his daughter married
Pedro Álvarez de Toledo
Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter.
The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...
, whose family thenceforth held the marquisate for centuries. In 1619 saint
Lawrence of Brindisi
Lawrence of Brindisi (22 July 1559 – 22 July 1619), born Giulio Cesare Russo, was a Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest and a theologian as well as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. An accomplished linguist, in addit ...
was brought here after his death in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and buried in the Monastery of the Assumtiion, which still contains his spoils.
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 ...
Villafranca was the headquarters of the Galician army and was sacked three times by the English troops, and was later occupied by the
French troops. The Spanish general
Antonio Filangieri
Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...
died here. The town was freed in 1810.
Main sights
*Collegiate church of ''Santa María'' (16th-17th centuries)
*Church of St. John (12th century)
*Church of St. Nicholas (17th century)
*Church of Santiago the Apostle (12th-13th centuries)
*Monastery of the Annunciation: hosts the spoils of saint
Lawrence of Brindisi
Lawrence of Brindisi (22 July 1559 – 22 July 1619), born Giulio Cesare Russo, was a Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest and a theologian as well as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. An accomplished linguist, in addit ...
*Monastery of St. Francis de Asís (13th century), of which only the late Romanesque church remains, with the upper façade and the two bell towers added in Baroque style during the 18th century.
*Castle of the Counts of Pena Ramiro (16th century), with four towers
*Palace of the Marquisses of Villafrance (18th century)
*Palace of Torquemada (18th century)
Villages
The municipality comprises several villages:
*Villafranca del Bierzo
*
Vilela
*
Valtuille de Arriba
Valtuille de Arriba is a locality and ''minor local entity'' located in the municipality of Villafranca del Bierzo, in Province of León, León province, Castile and León, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 85.
Geography
Valtuille de Ar ...
*
Valtuille de Abajo
*
Paradaseca
*
Puente de Rey
Puente de Rey is a locality located in the municipality of Villafranca del Bierzo, in León province, Castile and León, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, na ...
*
Cela Cela may refer to:
People
* Cela (surname), a Spanish-Galician surname
* Çela, an Albanian surname
* Ćela, nickname of Stevan Nedić (1875–1923), Serbian Chetnik commander in Old Serbia and Macedonia
Placenames and jurisdictions Spain ...
*
Ribón
*
Veguellina
*
Tejeira
*
Villar de Acero
Villar de Acero is a locality and '' minor local entity'' located in the municipality of Villafranca del Bierzo, in León province, Castile and León, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo d ...
*
Campo del Agua
Campo del Agua is a locality and ''minor local entity'' located in the municipality of Villafranca del Bierzo, in León province, Castile and León, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de ...
*
Aira da Pedra
''Aira'' is a genus of Old World plants in the grass family, native to western and southern Europe, central and southwest Asia, plus Africa.
The common name, shared with the similar related genera ''Deschampsia'' and ''Koeleria'', is hair-gr ...
*
Pobladura de Somoza
*
Prado de Paradiñas
*
Prado de la Somoza
The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the ...
Local festivities
* January 28, Santo Tirso
* February 3, San Blas
* May 1, Festa do Maio
* June, Poetry festivity
* July 25, Santiago
* August, Tourist festivities
* September 14, El Cristo
Marquesses of Villafranca del Bierzo
*1st Luis Pimentel y Pacheco (1486-1497)
*2nd
Pedro Álvarez de Toledo
Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter.
The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...
(1497-1539)
*3rd Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio ; no issue (1539-1569)
*4th
García Álvarez de Toledo, brother (1569-1577)
*5th
Pedro Álvarez de Toledo
Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter.
The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...
(1577-1627)
*6th
García Álvarez de Toledo; no Issue; brother of
Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza
Fadrique de Toledo or Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza, 1st Marquess of Valdueza (Naples, 30 May 1580 – Madrid, 11 December 1634), was a Spanish noble and admiral.
He was a Knight of the Order of Santiago and Captain General of the Spani ...
(1627-1649)
*7th
Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Ponce de León; son of Mendoza (1649-1705)
*8th
José Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo Osorio y Córdoba y Cardona (1705-1728)
*9th
Fadrique Vicente Álvarez de Toledo Fadrique may refer to:
*Fadrique Alfonso, Lord of Haro (1334–1358), illegitimate son of King Alfonso XI of Castile
*Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Duke of Alba (c. 1460-1531), Spanish military leader and politician
*Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, ...
; married sister of
13th Duke of Medina Sidonia (1728-1753)
*10th
Antonio Álvarez de Toledo y Pérez de Guzmán (1753-1773)
*11th
José Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba
Don José Álvarez de Toledo Osorio y Gonzaga, 11th Marquess of Villafranca, Grandee of Spain, '' jure uxoris'' Duke of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain (16 July 1756 – 9 June 1796) was a patron of the artist Francisco Goya.
Biography
Álvarez ...
(1773-1796)
*12th
Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo Osorio (1796-1821)
*13th
Pedro de Alcántara Álvarez de Toledo y Palafox (1821-1867)
*14th
José Álvarez de Toledo y Silva (1867-1900)
*15th
Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo y Caro (1900-1915)
*16th
Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo y Caro (1915-1955)
*17th
Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo y Maura (1957-2008)
*18th
Leoncio Alonso González de Gregorio y Álvarez de Toledo Leoncio or Leôncio is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Leoncio Afonso, (born 1916), Spanish academic in the geography, history and toponymics of the Canary Islands
*Ricardo Leoncio Elías Arias (1874–1951), Peruvian soldier a ...
(since 2010)
Church of Saint Nicolas
The Church of Saint Nicolas (Iglesia de San Nicolas) was founded in 1638 and is currently run by the
Paulist Fathers
The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle ( la, Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded ...
. The costs of the original construction were paid by Gabriel Robles, a native son who got rich mining silver in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
[Gitlitz & Davidson, The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook, 2000, St Martin's Press, ]
References
External links
www.villafrancadelbierzo.org
{{Authority control
Municipalities in El Bierzo
Populated places in the Province of León
Astures