Miranda del Castañar

Miranda del Castañar, Spain
Seal
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Castile and León
Province	Salamanca
Municipality	Miranda del Castañar
Government
• alcalde (mayor)	Juan Manuel Sánchez Santos (IU)
Area
• Total	21 km2 (8 sq mi)
Elevation	649 m (2,129 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	538
• Density	25.53/km2 (66.1/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Miranda del Castañar is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 576 inhabitants.

The town of Miranda del Castañar is labeled "Historic-Artistic Grouping" for being part of the Spanish national system of heritage listing. The town is set on a mountainside and is encircled by a medieval wall with four gates. To the south and the east stand the Gates of Saint Postigo and Saint Genesius respectively. To the west stands the Gate of Nuestra Señora de la Cuesta (Our Lady of the slope), the town's patron saint whose festivity is celebrated on either the 8th or the 9th of September. Finally, the Town Gate stands in the north. The most noteworthy monument is the Castle of Miranda del Castañar.

The current castle was rebuilt in the early 14th century over the remains of an older castle dating from the 12th. There is a coat of arms belonging to the House of Zuñiga engraved in the westernmost part of the castle. Some parts well preserved are the castle wall, a parapet walk, and some footbridges. The Castle is eyewitness to a past splendor time. The town was founded in the 12th century by the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem and was reinforced by the repopulating carried out by the king Alfonso IX of León in the 13th century. Currently, the castle belongs to the town council, but it first belonged to the Duchess of Alba, who also owns the title of Countess of Miranda del Castañar and donated the castle to the town council in 1954.

Heritage

• The Castle of the Zuñigas or of the County of Miranda del Castañar
• The current Bullring and former castle inner ward (the oldest square-shaped bullring in Spain)
• The Calle Derecha (Right street) and adjacent streets, the best-preserved main street of the old town.
• The medieval wall encircling the old town. Miranda del Castañar is one of the handful of villages and towns keeping a complete and intact medieval wall with its gates looking to the four cardinal points.
• The Ronda Nocturna (night watch walk), an inner alley walk under the houses clinging to the wall that the town watchmen used to stand guard over Miranda del Castañar in the nighttime. The most prominent part of this walk is the vaulted lancet arch stretch next to the town church.
• The church The inside is plain because the coffered ceiling collapsed. In spite of the past looting, the church still keeps some artistic masterpieces.
• The Belfry A lavish belfry overlooking the whole town. It belongs to the town council.
• The Chapel of Nuestra Señora La Virgen de la Cuesta (Our Lady the Virgin of the Slope) A beautiful well-preserved chapel which houses the patron saint of Miranda del Castañar. It offers impressive views of Peña de Francia.
• The warehouse A public market belonging to the town hall where formerly people could store, sell and buy grain.
• The Scrivener's House The most beautiful manor house in Miranda del Castañar
• The Royal Butchery A quaint example of civil architecture; it has the showcase off the street and an abattoir at the back.
• The Priest's House
• The Royal Prison
• the Hunting Pavilion of Marquis of Selva Alegre also known as Pando House (because of the General Pando, a hero of the Philippines War), or also called El Coto Escolar (former agronomy school).
• The Inquisition House

Demography

The depopulation of the town is causing concern. One of the top priorities for the town council is to keep locals in the town and to attract new people and new workers.

• Population 2011: 505 inhabitants (INE 2009: 522 inhabitants.)
• Density 2011: 23.97 inhabitants/km² (INE 2009: 27.28 inhabitants/km²)

Castle of Miranda del Castañar.

See also

• Province of Salamanca
• Sierra de Francia
• Castile and León

References

External links

• Índice de municipios de la Diputación de Salamanca (in Spanish)
• Miranda del Castañar en la página de los Conjuntos Históricos de Salamanca (in Spanish)

Municipalities in the province of Salamanca
Abusejo Agallas Ahigal de Villarino Ahigal de los Aceiteros Alaraz Alba de Tormes Alba de Yeltes Alconada Aldea del Obispo Aldeacipreste Aldeadávila de la Ribera Aldealengua Aldeanueva de Figueroa Aldeanueva de la Sierra Aldearrodrigo Aldearrubia Aldeaseca de Alba Aldeaseca de la Frontera Aldeatejada Aldeavieja de Tormes Aldehuela de Yeltes Aldehuela de la Bóveda Almenara de Tormes Almendra Anaya de Alba Arabayona de Mógica Arapiles Arcediano Armenteros Añover de Tormes Babilafuente Barbadillo Barbalos Barceo Barruecopardo Bañobárez Beleña Bermellar Berrocal de Huebra Berrocal de Salvatierra Boada Bogajo Brincones Buenamadre Buenavista Béjar Bóveda del Río Almar Cabeza del Caballo Cabezabellosa de la Calzada Cabrerizos Cabrillas Calvarrasa de Abajo Calvarrasa de Arriba Calzada de Don Diego Calzada de Valdunciel Campillo de Azaba Candelario Canillas de Abajo Cantagallo Cantalapiedra Cantalpino Cantaracillo Carbajosa de la Sagrada Carpio de Azaba Carrascal de Barregas Carrascal del Obispo Casafranca Casillas de Flores Castellanos de Moriscos Castellanos de Villiquera Castillejo de Martín Viejo Castraz Cepeda Cereceda de la Sierra Cerezal de Peñahorcada Cerralbo Cespedosa de Tormes Chagarcía Medianero Cilleros de la Bastida Cipérez Ciudad Rodrigo Coca de Alba Colmenar de Montemayor Cordovilla Cristóbal de la Sierra Dios le Guarde Doñinos de Ledesma Doñinos de Salamanca Ejeme El Arco El Bodón El Cabaco El Campo de Peñaranda El Cerro El Cubo de Don Sancho El Manzano El Maíllo El Milano El Payo El Pedroso de la Armuña El Pino de Tormes El Sahugo El Tejado El Tornadizo Encina de San Silvestre Encinas de Abajo Encinas de Arriba Encinasola de los Comendadores Endrinal Escurial de la Sierra Espadaña Espeja Espino de la Orbada Florida de Liébana Forfoleda Frades de la Sierra Fresnedoso Fresno Alhándiga Fuenteguinaldo Fuenteliante Fuenterroble de Salvatierra Fuentes de Béjar Fuentes de Oñoro Gajates Galindo y Perahuy Galinduste Galisancho Gallegos de Argañán Gallegos de Solmirón Garcibuey Garcihernández Garcirrey Gejuelo del Barro Golpejas Gomecello Guadramiro Guijo de Ávila Guijuelo Herguijuela de Ciudad Rodrigo Herguijuela de la Sierra Herguijuela del Campo Hinojosa de Duero Horcajo Medianero Horcajo de Montemayor Huerta Iruelos Ituero de Azaba Juzbado La Alameda de Gardón La Alamedilla La Alberca La Alberguería de Argañán La Atalaya La Bastida La Bouza La Cabeza de Béjar La Calzada de Béjar La Encina La Fregeneda La Fuente de San Esteban La Hoya La Mata de Ledesma La Maya La Orbada La Peña La Redonda La Rinconada de la Sierra La Sagrada La Sierpe La Tala La Vellés La Vídola La Zarza de Pumareda Lagunilla Larrodrigo Las Casas del Conde Las Veguillas Ledesma Ledrada Linares de Riofrío Los Santos Lumbrales Machacón Macotera Madroñal Malpartida Mancera de Abajo Martiago Martinamor Martín de Yeltes Masueco Matilla de los Caños del Río Membribe de la Sierra Mieza Miranda de Azán Miranda del Castañar Mogarraz Molinillo Monforte de la Sierra Monleras Monleón Monsagro Montejo Montemayor del Río Monterrubio de Armuña Monterrubio de la Sierra Morasverdes Morille Moriscos Moronta Moríñigo Mozárbez Narros de Matalayegua Nava de Béjar Nava de Francia Nava de Sotrobal Navacarros Navales Navalmoral de Béjar Navamorales Navarredonda de la Rinconada Navasfrías Negrilla de Palencia Olmedo de Camaces Pajares de la Laguna Palacios del Arzobispo Palaciosrubios Palencia de Negrilla Parada de Arriba Parada de Rubiales Paradinas de San Juan Pastores Pedraza de Alba Pedrosillo de Alba Pedrosillo de los Aires Pedrosillo el Ralo Pelabravo Pelarrodríguez Pelayos Peralejos de Abajo Peralejos de Arriba Pereña de la Ribera Peromingo Peñacaballera Peñaparda Peñaranda de Bracamonte Peñarandilla Pinedas Pitiegua Pizarral Poveda de las Cintas Pozos de Hinojo Puebla de Azaba Puebla de San Medel Puebla de Yeltes Puente del Congosto Puertas Puerto Seguro Puerto de Béjar Retortillo Robleda Robliza de Cojos Rollán Rágama Saelices el Chico Salamanca Saldeana Salmoral Salvatierra de Tormes San Cristóbal de la Cuesta San Esteban de la Sierra San Felices de los Gallegos San Martín del Castañar San Miguel de Valero San Miguel del Robledo San Morales San Muñoz San Pedro de Rozados San Pedro del Valle San Pelayo de Guareña Sanchotello Sanchón de la Ribera Sanchón de la Sagrada Sancti-Spíritus Sando Santa Marta de Tormes Santa María de Sando Santiago de la Puebla Santibáñez de Béjar Santibáñez de la Sierra Santiz Sardón de los Frailes Saucelle Sepulcro-Hilario Sequeros Serradilla del Arroyo Serradilla del Llano Sieteiglesias de Tormes Sobradillo Sorihuela Sotoserrano Tabera de Abajo Tamames Tarazona de Guareña Tardáguila Tejeda y Segoyuela Tenebrón Terradillos Topas Tordillos Torresmenudas Trabanca Tremedal de Tormes Valdecarros Valdefuentes de Sangusín Valdehijaderos Valdelacasa Valdelageve Valdelosa Valdemierque Valderrodrigo Valdunciel Valero Vallejera de Riofrío Valsalabroso Valverde de Valdelacasa Valverdón Vecinos Vega de Tirados Ventosa del Río Almar Villaflores Villagonzalo de Tormes Villalba de los Llanos Villamayor Villanueva del Conde Villar de Argañán Villar de Ciervo Villar de Gallimazo Villar de Peralonso Villar de Samaniego Villar de la Yegua Villares de Yeltes Villares de la Reina Villarino de los Aires Villarmayor Villarmuerto Villasbuenas Villasdardo Villaseco de los Gamitos Villaseco de los Reyes Villasrubias Villaverde de Guareña Villavieja de Yeltes Villoria Villoruela Vilvestre Vitigudino Yecla de Yeltes Zamarra Zamayón Zarapicos Zorita de la Frontera

Coordinates: 40°29′N 6°00′W / 40.483°N 6.000°W / 40.483; -6.000