Villamañán - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Villamañán
Province Province A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...	León León (province) León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, León. The weather is cold and dry during the winter....
Autonomous community	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...
Postal code Postal code A postal code is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. Once postal codes were introduced, other applications became possible.In February 2005, 117 of the 190 member countries of the Universal Postal Union had postal code systems...	24234
Coordinates	42°19′0"N 5°34′59"W
Altitude Altitude Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...	751 m
Surface Surface In mathematics, specifically in topology, a surface is a two-dimensional topological manifold. The most familiar examples are those that arise as the boundaries of solid objects in ordinary three-dimensional Euclidean space R3 — for example, the surface of a ball...	57,8 km²
Distance Distance Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. In physics or everyday discussion, distance may refer to a physical length, or an estimation based on other criteria . In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical distance... s	302 km to Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... 37 km to León 152 km to Valladolid Valladolid Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales... 320 km to La Coruña
Population Population A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...	1,287 (2005)
Demonym Demonym A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one...	Spanish: Sardinero,a
Anthem Anthem The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...	Himno de Villamañán
River River A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including... s	Esla
Mayor	José Segundo Tejedor Gancedo (Partido Popular People's Party (Spain) The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship... )

Villamañán (biʎamaˈɲan) is a town located in the south-west of the province of León, Spain

León, Spain

León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...

, in the area known as Esla
Esla
Esla can refer to:* Əşlə, Azerbaijani municipality* Esla * Esla river, Spain* Esla-Campos, Leonese comarca, Spain...

, in 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...

in Spain

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...

.

It was originally known as Villamagna, but the name evolved to its current version, Villamañán.

Demographics

Villamañán has a population of 1,287 as of the INE
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....

s (Spanish Census Bureau) 2005 estimate. 633 of the population are males and 654 are females. Its total area is of 57,8 km².

Villamañán (the town)

Villamañán is located in the south-west of the province of León, Spain
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...

in 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...

in Spain
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...

.
It is located within a distance of 37 km of the city of León
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...

. There are 736 households and its population is of 1,287.

Some of the most famous places in town are Plaza Mayor or La Plaza (the town's biggest and main square where the Villamañán's historical church and its tower are located, along with a famous candy and magazine shop), the historical and legendary church of La Zarza (literally means Church of the Blackberry, where the legend says the ghost of Virgin Mary appeared on a blackberry shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

and told the people who saw it to build a church there in her honor, hence the name Church of the Blackberry) and the park known as el Jardín (the Garden).

During the summertime every year Villamañán becomes a touristic spot and many visitors from all over Spain

Spain

and even from other countries worldwide come visit and stay in town, but definitely most of the visitors who come to Villamañán come from the area in Spain

Spain

called Asturias

Asturias

The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...

. There are two swimming pools in Villamañán open to the public which also happen to be social spots for everyone in town, one, located right next to the Villamañán's soccer field, visited every afternoon/evening by huge numbers of people, which is public and belongs to the Villamañán City Hall in which there are three different sized swimming pools, a big grass area to tan and relax on, a tennis court and a coffee shop that sells all kinds of drinks as well and is also a candy shop known as el bar de la piscina (the swimming pool's bar/coffee shop); and the other swimming pool, which happens to be private but open to the public, located outside of town but very close to it, in the Mayorga-Astorga drive which leads to Villamañán's neighbor town Valencia de Don Juan
Valencia de Don Juan
Valencia de Don Juan is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 4,165 inhabitants.It's well known by its medieval castle....

. This swimming pool and its number of visitors are much smaller than the public one's and it belongs to a small resort/hotel originally known as Covadonga but nowadays called Palazuelo.
There are many places for fun and partying in Villamañán. There are many coffee shops and bars in town such as Villamagna, Dacha, Casino, El Café de Curro, Casa Miro (this one is a restaurant as well), El Espolón and el bar de la piscina (this one open only during the summertime). There's also a club in Villamañán called Pub Savoy and many restaurants such as La Bodega "La Regenta", El Mirador or Los Girasoles (this one is a coffee shop and a bar as well).

Plus, every Wednesday morning and afternoon of the year nonstop there's a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...

in Plaza Mayor where from food to clothes and accessories can be found.

Geography

42º 19' 00" North

005º 34' 59" West

Economy
Villamañán's most important economic activity is corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

and wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

.
There's a brick factory in operation as well.

Fiestas de la Zarza (Blackberry Holiday)

This is the biggest and most important holiday in Villamañán. It takes place in early September, usually between the 5th, 6th or 7th and the 11th, 12th or 13th of the month. This holiday is celebrated in honor of Virgen de la Zarza or the Virgin of the Blackberry, who happens to be Virgin Mary, known as Virgin of the Blackberry because of the legend that says she appeared on a blackberry
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...

shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

in Villamañán and told the people who saw her to build a church right there in her honor. The holiday is celebrated between those dates because those are the dates the legend says the Virgin of the Blackberry appeared on. Even though the holiday originally comes from something religious, the current way the holiday is celebrated absolutely lacks anything to do with religion, nor are the people who celebrate it religious or interested in religion at all for the most part.

One of the most important things of these holidays are the infamous Peñas -groups of people from Villamañán or somehow related to it, who usually are friends, that get together and create "clubs" in different places of the town, under certain requirements, to celebrate these holidays-. Peñas are definitely the life of the party and the most important aspect of the celebration of these holidays. It's a very big tradition for people who celebrate the Blackberry Holiday or Fiestas de la Zarza to ir de peñas (go from "peña" to "peña"), for the most part late at night until well past the down and enjoy everything they have to offer, mostly, but not limited to, alcoholic drinks and music.

During Fiestas de la Zarza many events and activities for all ages such as contests, sport games and championships, etc, take place in the afternoons and evenings thanks to the peñas and to Villamañán's City Hall. Also, every year art galleries from town show exclusive and private artwork owned and/or created by people from Villamañán for a limited time only, while Fiestas de la Zarza last.
The most famous of all events that take place during these holidays is Concurso de Paellas or the Paella

Paella

Paella is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain's national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish...

Contest, in which all peñas cook paella

Paella

s and compete for the price of the best paella
Paella
Paella is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain's national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish...

of them all. People can go and freely eat as much paella

Paella

as they wish. This event takes place right next to a private swimming pool property of an apartment complex known as El Palacio and it's infamous because every year, it has become a tradition that almost every visitor to the Paella

Paella

Contest ends up in the swimming pool, by their own will or if not, being thrown in by others. It is also a big tradition that every evening and night during Fiestas de la Zarza different bands from all over Spain
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...

play in Plaza Mayor until the morning hours. Two nights during Fiestas de la Zarza there's a fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...

show.

The big number of rides and attractions spread all over Plaza Mayor and its surroundings is also very popular during Fiestas de la Zarza, as well as the Fiestas de la Zarza inauguration, which consists on throwing fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...

and bells from the Plaza Mayor historical church's tower ringing so hard that they can be heard from anywhere in the town and a parade that goes through almost every street in Villamañán.

San Antonio (St. Anthony)

Even though its official date is June 13, it's celebrated the prior or next Saturday to the official date.

This holiday is celebrated in honor of St. Anthony

Anthony the Great

Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...

, and even though the holiday is in honor of a religious figure, nowadays its celebration has nothing to do with religion. Neither are the people who celebrate it religious at all for the most part, which happens with every holiday in Villamañán. It's believed in Villamñán that St. Anthony brings good luck to the single and helps them find a significant other. It's famous for the beautiful bonfire

Bonfire

A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...

that is made at night right next to the park known as el Jardíns entrance and that various people jump off. Traditions of this night are the band that plays all night in Plaza Mayor and each year comes from different places in Spain

Spain

, a local contests, celebrated only this night, which consists of selling numbered tickets and then one ticket is chosen and its owner gets several prices and the free cookies and Spanish extremely strong alcoholic drink orujo that are given by volunteers late at night to everyone. Nowadays, when the band finishes their show, people continue partying around town until well past the down in places such as the club Puv Savoy and the park el Jardín.

Santiago (St. Jack)

Event though its official date is July 25, it's celebrated the prior or next Saturday to the official date.

St. Jack is a national holiday in Spain

Spain

but it's celebrated in a very special way in Villamañán. It's a big tradition that this day people get together, usually in el Jardín, in the late afternoon and evening to have different kinds of food and drinks that are given for free by volunteers and paid by Villamañán's City Hall. The biggest food of them all is the famous Spanish food called chorizo
Chorizo
Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....

and bread. The celebration lasts all night long and there's also a band, each year from different places from all over Spain

Spain

, playing in Plaza Mayor.

San Marcos (St. Mark)

This holiday takes place on April 25. It's probably the smallest and less celebrated holiday in Villamañán. This day, people from Villamañán go in the morning and afternoon to la Ermita de San Pedro (the Church of St. Peter) located between the town of Villamañán and its neighbot town Villacé right in front of a cemetery

Cemetery

A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...

and eat bread and cheese

Cheese

Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....

and have various drinks that are given away free by volunteers and paid by Villamañán's City Hall. Some years there has been a band playing in Villamañán on this holiday as well.

Sábado de Piñata (Pinhata Saturday)

It's celebrated the next Saturday after Spain

Spain

's carnival

Carnival

Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

takes place. Along with the holiday of San Marcos, this one has the smallest number of visitors. A costume contest and dance is celebrated late at night, usually in the building known as el Salón Cultural, which lasts until the morning hours. Everyone in town wears a costume this night and a band also plays in the dance. Originally this dance and contest used to take place at the coffee shop / bar Casino.

Monuments, historical buildings and places of interest

Some of the most notorious historical buildings in Villamañán are la Ermita de la Zarza (Church of the Blackberry), where the legend says the ghost of Virgin Mary appeared on a blackberry shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

that was right where the church is nowadays and told the people who saw it to build a church there in her honor, hence the name Church of the Blackberry), as well as the historical church located in Plaza Mayor along with its big tower that can be seen from anywhere in the town and even from outside of it and its bells that ring every hour and every half an hour nonstop, being heard from anywhere in town.

Typical foods

Villamañán is famous for its wine, whose kind is known as Prieto Picudo
Prieto Picudo
Prieto Picudo is a red wine grape that is grown primarily in Spain. It is a grape of Valdevimbre, in León, Spain. Valdevimbre is an international place of wines. The Prieto Picudo is sometimes blended with the grape Mencia and as a varietal it produces wine with similar characteristics to...

. It's made in small and private wine cellar

Wine cellar

A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...

s as well as in the biggest wine cellar

Wine cellar

and factory in Villamañán known as Miñambres.

External links

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