Béjar
Encyclopedia
Béjar is a town and municipality
in the province of Salamanca
, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León
. It lies 72 km (44.7 mi) had a population of 15,016 .
who settled an area to the south of the city now known as La Antigua around 400 BC. The city was made part of Roman
Hispania
in the beginning of the 1st century BC. In AD
713, the city was taken by Muslim Berbers
(Moors
) from the Visigoths and in the 11th century it was conquered by King Alfonso VI of Castile
. Following this, numerous fortress and the walls, many which still stand, were constructed to repel frequent Arab incursions that took place until the definitive expulsion of the Muslims.
The city was later the center of the Duchy of Béjar ruled by the powerful House of Zúñiga.
." An older spelling of the city's name is Béxar.
Bexar County, Texas
acquired its name indirectly from this city.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the province of Salamanca
Salamanca (province)
Salamanca is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, Valladolid, Ávila, and Cáceres; and by Portugal....
, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
. It lies 72 km (44.7 mi) had a population of 15,016 .
History
The first inhabitants of what is now Béjar were the VettonesVettones
The Vettones were one of the pre-Roman Celtic peoples of the Iberian Peninsula .- Origins :...
who settled an area to the south of the city now known as La Antigua around 400 BC. The city was made part of Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
in the beginning of the 1st century BC. In AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
713, the city was taken by Muslim Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
(Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
) from the Visigoths and in the 11th century it was conquered by King Alfonso VI of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
. Following this, numerous fortress and the walls, many which still stand, were constructed to repel frequent Arab incursions that took place until the definitive expulsion of the Muslims.
The city was later the center of the Duchy of Béjar ruled by the powerful House of Zúñiga.
Name
The name Béjar is of pre-Roman origin. The original form was Bigerra and is said to mean "place of the beehives." "Béjar" could be an adaption from the Spanish word abeja, which means "beeBee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
." An older spelling of the city's name is Béxar.
Bexar County, Texas
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
acquired its name indirectly from this city.
External links
- i-Béjar web portal