Covarrubias
Encyclopedia
Covarrubias is a village and municipality
in the province of Burgos
in the Spanish
autonomous community
of Castile and León
.
It has 640 inhabitants, and it is near Mecerreyes
and Hortigüela
.
Covarrubias is situated in the valley of the river Arlanza, which is extensively wooded with among other species Spanish Juniper
. Part of the area belonging to the municipality is included within a Special Protection Area
for bird-life such as vultures.
The village itself was declared a Conjunto Histórico-Artístico
, a type of conservation area, in 1965.
Covarrubias with its picturesque vernacular buildings in an unspoilt setting attracts many tourists, some of whom come from abroad. Covarrubias and Tønsberg
in Norway
have entered a friendship agreement as the result of a medieval connection through Princess Kristina of Norway
.
A church honouring Saint Olaf II of Norway
, designed by the architect Pablo López Aguado, is about to be built.
One of the first areas to be reconquered
from the Moors
in the late ninth century, Covarrubias throws light on the origins of Castile
and its language
.
It is a privileged area that offers all the advantages of a bathing and canoeing river, plus the beauty of the surrounding landscape such as in Fuente Azul, 6 km away. It has pure nature in a distinctive valley with mild temperatures and welcoming people. Also its cuisine is diverse: its black pudding is famous in Burgos province, and it produces grapes, Arlanza (DO)
, and cherries.
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 Burgos
Burgos (province)
The province of Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia, Cantabria, Vizcaya, Álava, La Rioja, Soria, Segovia, and Valladolid. Its capital is the city of Burgos...
in the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
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 has 640 inhabitants, and it is near Mecerreyes
Mecerreyes
Mecerreyes is a village and municipality in the province of Burgos in Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon.It has 312 inhabitants, and it is near Covarrubias.-Politics:The mayor is Julián Vicario Alonso, of the Partido Popular....
and Hortigüela
Hortigüela
Hortigüela is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 126 inhabitants....
.
Covarrubias is situated in the valley of the river Arlanza, which is extensively wooded with among other species Spanish Juniper
Juniperus thurifera
Juniperus thurifera is a species of juniper native to the mountains of the western Mediterranean region, from southern France across eastern and central Spain to Morocco and locally in northern Algeria....
. Part of the area belonging to the municipality is included within a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
for bird-life such as vultures.
The village itself was declared a Conjunto Histórico-Artístico
Conjunto Histórico-Artístico
In Spain, the legal designation Conjunto histórico is part of the national system of heritage listing...
, a type of conservation area, in 1965.
Covarrubias with its picturesque vernacular buildings in an unspoilt setting attracts many tourists, some of whom come from abroad. Covarrubias and Tønsberg
Tønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
have entered a friendship agreement as the result of a medieval connection through Princess Kristina of Norway
Princess Kristina of Norway
Christina Haakonsdotter of Norway , sometimes spelled Kristina or Kristín, was a daughter of King Håkon IV of Norway and his wife, Margrete Skuledotter. As part of an alliance she was betrothed to Infante Philip of Castile, brother of King Alfonso X of Castile...
.
A church honouring Saint Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
, designed by the architect Pablo López Aguado, is about to be built.
One of the first areas to be reconquered
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
from the 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...
in the late ninth century, Covarrubias throws light on the origins of Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
and its language
Castilian Spanish
Castilian Spanish is a term related to the Spanish language, but its exact meaning can vary even in that language. In English Castilian Spanish usually refers to the variety of European Spanish spoken in north and central Spain or as the language standard for radio and TV speakers...
.
It is a privileged area that offers all the advantages of a bathing and canoeing river, plus the beauty of the surrounding landscape such as in Fuente Azul, 6 km away. It has pure nature in a distinctive valley with mild temperatures and welcoming people. Also its cuisine is diverse: its black pudding is famous in Burgos province, and it produces grapes, Arlanza (DO)
Arlanza (DO)
Arlanza is a Spanish Denominación de Origen located in the provinces of Burgos and Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. It was officially upgraded from the lower status of QWPSR on 24 January 2008. The DO covers 67 municipalities...
, and cherries.
Places of interest
- the Torreón (a tower associated with Fernán González of Castile),
- the GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Colegiata (collegiate churchCollegiate churchIn Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
) is a designated monumentMonument (Spain)The current legislation regarding historical monuments in Spain dates from 1985. However, Monumentos nacionales were first designated in the nineteenth century. It was originally a fairly broad category for national heritage sites protecting, for example, the Alhambra...
. Its museum contains a painting attributed to Van EyckVan EyckVan Eyck , also Van Eijk is a Dutch surname meaning "of Eyck" or "of Eijk"...
.