Zamora, Spain

Zamora [ θamɔɾa ] is the capital of the eponymous province in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon in Spain. It is located about 250 km north- west of Madrid in 652 m height at the Duero on a rocky hill and has 64 986 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2013). The medieval old town is surrounded by an old city wall with gates.

Location

The city is situated on the western border of Spain still on the Meseta southwest of the Montes de Torozos and north of Tierra del Vino, in the valley of the Duero. To the north lies Benavente, northeast Palencia, Valladolid east, south-east of Medina del Campo, south of Salamanca, west of Bragança (Portugal) and north-west of the village Andavías. After Madrid (south-east ) is 200 km.

History

There is already a Bronze Age settlement detectable. In ancient times the place as Ocelum or Ocelodurum was a city of Vettones, later it belonged to the Roman province of Lusitania. The city was a station on the built by Emperor Augustus Roman road from Mérida to Astorga, who was known as Silver Street later. Zamora was destroyed in 981 by the Moors. In the 11th century it was rebuilt by Ferdinand I. again. After his death in 1065, the city became the residence of his daughter Urraca.

Sights and culture

The city has a Romanesque cathedral dating from the 12th century as well as many other Romanesque churches:

  • San Cipriano
  • San Claudio de Olivares
  • Espíritu Santo
  • San Isidoro
  • Santiago de los Caballeros
  • Santa María Magdalena

Zamora is known for its Semana Santa and the production of leather goods and textiles.

The town has a charming Parador Hotel which is set up at the Palacio de los Condes de Alba y Aliste (15th century).

The feta cheese Zamorano D.O.P. is named after the city.

Additional points of interest

See also: List of cultural monuments in Zamora

  • Casa del Cid, built in the 11th century
  • Aceñas de Olivares, water mills
  • Palacio de los Momos
  • Opened Teatro Principal, 1876
  • Mercado de Abastos ( market hall )
  • Casino de Zamora, built 1905-1910
  • San Pedro de la Nave, Visigoth church from the 7th century

Museums

  • Museo de Zamora
  • Museo de Semana Santa
  • Centro de Interpretación de las ciudades Medievales ( exhibition on medieval history )
  • Museo Baltasar Lobo
  • Museo Etnográfico de Castilla y León ( Ethnographic Museum )

Medieval bridge over the Duero

Market hall ( Mercado de Abastos )

Church of San Cipriano

Twinning

Zamora has twinning closed with

  • Bragança, Portugal ( 1984)
  • Oviedo, Spain ( 2001)
  • Yaritagua, Venezuela
  • Altagracia de Orituco, Venezuela

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Alfonso de Castro (1495-1558), a Franciscan theologian and jurist
  • Juan Nicasio Gallego (1777-1853), Spanish poet
  • Leopoldo Alas (1852-1901), writer, journalist and professor of Roman Law at the University of Oviedo
  • Agustín García Calvo (1926-2012), Spanish grammarian, translator, philosopher, poet and essayist
  • Ángel Nieto ( born 1947 ), Spanish motorcycle racer
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