Drovers' road
The drift paths in Spain are a dense network of cattle trails that are traditionally under the transhumance, the transhumance used.
Their length is in individual cases up to 800 km, the sum of all the Spanish way gives about 125,000 km. With 450,000 ha take an approximately 1 % of Spain's land area.
Initial situation
Drift paths are paths to cattle pasture or between different pastures.
The climatic conditions on the Iberian Peninsula complicate the year-round local pastoral industry: areas with a temperate winter and Extremadura lacks in summer due to high temperatures and dryness of green fodder and water, fodder rich in summer pasture regions such as the Cantabrian Mountains in contrast, have very cold winter.
The farmers drove their animals accordingly very early in the climatically more suitable regions. In Spain, a distinction is made between two types of Viehtrift: Transterminanz at distances up to 100 km, transhumance at a distance of more than 100 km.
At the time of the Reconquista difficult military campaigns during the summer months in addition to field crops in the disputed areas. The only way to use these areas for agriculture, was also the transhumance, which no longer grazed this area for summer main battle time. After the Reconquista, the ownership structure of the conquered territories resulted especially in the south (a few owners, large areas ) and the lack of manpower as a result of armed conflict to an expansion of transhumance especially with Merino sheep. The representation of these sheep farmers took the Mesta was founded for this purpose true.
Lane ways
After their use, livestock paths differ in length and width. Regional routes are quite dependent on the same named differently.
These widths were fixed by law and are today the basis of the Law on the protection of drift paths. However, there were different dimensions: in the 18th century, the width of the Vereda Mayor del Valle de Alcudia was (part of the Cañada Real Soriana Oriental ) at its entrance into the Alcudia Valley partially between 300 and 800 m.
Cañadas Reales
The Cañadas are the longest and widest Spanish drift paths. They were protected in the Middle Ages with special royal privileges and played an important role for the Spanish wool industry and exports. Because of their ecological importance of their protection in 1995 was resumed in modern Spanish law.
Other names for the Cañadas Reales are:
- In Andalusia: veredas de Carne ( Vieh-/Fleischweg )
- In Aragon: Cabañeras
- In Castile: Cordones, Cuerdas, Galianas or Cabañíles
- In Catalonia: Carreradas
Of the nine most important royal Cañadas the Royal Soria niche Cañadas is the longest. It leads from the province of Soria to the province of Seville, and measures 800 km.
Additional facilities
In addition to the described cattle paths are or were complementary devices for transhumance in Spain.
- Descansaderos / Majadas - Resting Places / pens: An extension of the road or a temporary fenced area to rest and sleep.
- Contaderos - Zählplätze: Scenic given narrow passages or places with means for counting the animals, even bridges were used to.
- Abrevaderos - Soak: Depending on the circumstances, a fountain with trough or seasonally present in Wegvorlauf streams, rivers or ponds.
- Mojones / Hitos - km / Landmarks: Road marking and delineation of adjacent land
- Puerto Real (literally: Royal passports) - toll stations: points where the crown exacted her rightful taxes on the transhumance
- Puentes - Bridges
- Chozos - rundkegelige shepherds huts: accommodation for nomadic shepherds outside the home community
- Casas de esquileo - shearing stations
- Lavaderos de lana - wool wash houses
- Sociedad Ganaderas - farmers associations
- Ermitas mesteñas - Houses of the Mesta.
- Ventas de trashumancia - Livestock sales courses
- The Posters indicadores de vía Pecuaria - summary tables of the drift paths
Footnotes and References
- Livestock
- Road in Spain