MaragaterÃa
The Maragatería is a Comarca (administrative unit ) in the northwest of the province of León Autonomous Community of Castile -Leon. It is divided into the Subcomarcas Upper ( Alta Maragatería ) and Lower Maragatería ( Baja Maragatería ), the total area covered 400 km ². The highest elevation is 2,188 m of Maragatería the Teleno in the Montes de León.
Administrative seat and the main town is Astorga, for the Alta Maragatería it is Santa Colomba de Somoza, Santiago Millas for the Baja Maragatería. Bishopric for Maragatería is also in Astorga, another religious center located with the miraculous image of the Virgen de los Remedios, patron saint of Maragatos, Luyego de Somoza.
Maragatería would translate with the country Maragatos. Until the 16th century, however, the name Somoza was common for these lands and is found even today as part of many village names.
History
In the year 17 BC the Maragatería came after submission of the Celtiberian Asturians the Roman Empire. As a result, Gold was mined on the flanks of Mount Teleno and Astorga expanded to become the main administrative center in western Spain. To protect the gold train, which also led by Las Médulas from over Astorga, there a strong garrison was established.
With the decline of gold mining, the economic structure changed again towards agriculture. Due to the rocky soil and the unfavorable climate in the Montes Leonés the Maragatos searched repeatedly other sources of income. This developed after the discovery of America: On the one hand, they settled in the Spanish colonies in an area where that belongs partly to mostly Argentina to Uruguay. Their descendants also call themselves today Maragatos. On the other hand, took to the carriage of goods between ports in Galicia and Madrid: Goods from the colonies had to be transported into the interior and to the capital. The Maragatos were successful carters who were appreciated for their punctuality and reliability. With the construction of the railway, the vehicle industry lost importance again.
Of advertising and packaging manufacturers and mechanical engineering - - grouped various suppliers Commercial Contact with colonial goods such as sugar and cocoa a center for confectionery production to the soon evolved into Astorga. In the course of industrialization, many of these businesses had to close, Astorga, however, is still known for its sweet dishes.
Origin and customs of the Maragatos
The people of the Maragatos been the subject of anthropological speculation because of their strange clothes and customs from the 19th century. This dealt first with the origin of the Maragatos and tried this preferably to fathom about the folk names. The remaining variants Berber tribe, sons of the evil Asturierkönigs Mauregatus, former Moorish slaves ( Mauritian Capti ), the last Celtiberian and a mixture of Moors and Goths were introduced into the discussion. It is thought that the name of mercatores (dealer ) because Maragatos and Maragatería be used only since the 16th century for people and the country and the area was originally Somoza and developed at this time of the above- mentioned long-distance freight traffic.
This branch of industry influenced the appearance of the maragatischen villages: well-paved roads, farms with ample space for carts, driveways, which according to the car Type of farm owner about ( wagon ) or square (open two-wheeled carts ) designed were stone benches, which facilitated the seating. Excellent to visit these formations in the restored village of Castrillo de los Polvazares.
The traditional clothing of the men consisted of a broad-brimmed hat, white shirt, vest, jacket, bloomers and high boots and was also matched to the vehicle industry: hat and jacket to at to be protected against the weather, high boots for muddy paths, bloomers, which can wear well with boots. Women wore skirt and white blouse, a red or black, embroidered bodice, a red apron, Mantilla and a headscarf according to their status: white for unmarried, red for married couples. This costume is very expensive to produce, it is now only worn on special festival days. Such is the annually held in Astorga Boda Maragata, in a traditional maragatische wedding is celebrated. A pair of figures in this costume strikes at the town hall clock in Astorga the full hours.
Great veneration enjoyed Santiago Alonso Cordero (* 1791 - † 1865) from Santiago Millas, called Maragato Cordero, not only because of his fight against Napoleon's troops, but because he was the as a deputy in the Cortes, which he joined in 1836, despite in Madrid current fashion occurred in maragatischer costume.
A perceived as strange custom was the common childbirth. Here, the man is said to have cried together with his wife and taken her place in childbirth after giving birth. Background was the belief that women in childbirth were particularly weak and vulnerable and defenseless against an attack by evil spirits. So the man protected his wife by conjured the spirits to be weakened recently given birth.
The maragatische music tradition and practice uses as in other parts of Spain the instruments drum, flute and castanets.
Schmeckenswürdigkeiten
The cocido Maragato is a serious and complicated stew is cooked for several meat and sausages and chickpeas. Broth, meat and chickpeas are then served separately.
Other specialties are found in Astorga:
- Hojaldres - a puff pastry
- Mantequadas - a clarified butter biscuits
Links and literature
- Spanish site with information about the Maragatería
- Spanish side over the cocido Maragato, including recipes
- Website of the traditional costume of Val de San Lorenzo ( Span. )
- Ulrich Wegner, The Spanish Way of St. James, Dumont, Cologne, 1995, ISBN 3-7701-3415- X
- Comarca in Castile and León
- Province of León