Villatoro

Template: Infobox church in Spain / Maintenance / Province Villatoro is a centrally Spanish municipality ( municipio ) in the province of Ávila in the Autonomous Community of Castile -Leon.

Location

Villatoro is located in the center of the province of Ávila on the north side of the Iberian vagina Mountains (Sierra de la Serrota ) at a height of about 1180 meters above sea level.. inst The city of Ávila is about 42 km ( driving distance ) in a northeasterly direction away; the charming small town Piedrahíta is about 22 kilometers south-west. Near the south-west border of the municipality stems from the Río Adaia, a tributary of the Duero.

Demographics

In the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century the place had 750-1000 people. As a result of the loss of jobs due to the mechanization of agriculture, the population has since declined to the current low.

Economy

Agriculture (mainly livestock ) has traditionally played the largest role in the economy of the community. Revenue from tourism in the form of the rental of apartments ( casas rurales ) have been added in recent decades.

History

From the 4th millennium BC, the remains of the grave chambers of two adjacent megalithic dolmens come. In the first millennium BC, the town belonged probably to the east of the settlement area of Celtic tribal groups of Vettones. After the reconquest ( Reconquista ) of the lands from the hands of the Moors and the subsequent recolonization ( repoblación ) in the 11th and 12th centuries was the site of a castle ( castillo ), from the remains of the keep ( torre de homenaje ) at the highest office in the place are. The appearing in the city armorial with the year 1503 reminds us of the written record of a catalog of rights by the then lord ( señor ) the resort, Fernán Gómez Dávila.

Attractions

• In the vicinity of the place two animal sculptures were found in granite belonging to the group of Verracos. When these were set up in the square outside the church of the village, is unclear.
• The round keep of the former castle with its added later wreath of horizontal loopholes and some windows overlooks the town.
• The late-Gothic parish church with its squat bell tower acting in the northwest corner and its two doorways on the west and on the south side is from the 15-16. Century. Originally even a second tower in the southwest corner of the facade was provided, which was not carried out. The closed by a wooden ceiling nave of the church has three naves; it reminds with its far-flung arches almost a hall church. The choir area is rib- vaulted.

• In the surroundings of the place are the remains of the grave chambers of two megalithic dolmens (40 ° 33 ' 13 " N, 5 ° 5' 24 " W40.553611111111 - 5:09 ).
• The ruins of an embedded into an impressive rock country Schadt Monastery ( Monasterio de Nuestra Señora del Risco ) can be explored in the context of a hike (40 ° 35 '30 " N, 5 ° 5' 35" W40.591666666667 - 5.0930555555556 ). The monastery is one of the most important panel paintings of the late Middle Ages was once: A Madonna and Jesus child standing by Petrus Christus (now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid).