Wikipedia

Benavente, Zamora

Benavente is a town and municipality in the north of the province of Zamora, in the autonomous community Castile and León of Spain. It has about 20,000 inhabitants.

Benavente
Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Benavente.
Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Benavente.
Flag of Benavente
Flag
Coat of arms of Benavente
Coat of arms
Map
Location of Benavente
Coordinates: 42°0′11″N 5°40′27″W / 42.00306°N 5.67417°W / 42.00306; -5.67417
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityCastile and León
ProvinceZamora
ComarcaBenavente y Los Valles
Government
 • MayorLuciano Huerga
Area
 • Total
45.12 km2 (17.42 sq mi)
Elevation
800 m (2,600 ft)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total
18,095
 • Density400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
DemonymBenaventanos
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
ClimateCsb
WebsiteOfficial website

Located north of the capital on an important communications hub, it was repopulated by King Ferdinand II of León, who also awarded it law-codes (a fuero) in 1167. It was originally known as Malgrat or Malgrado.

History

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12th century - Catholic Monarchs

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After the death of Fernando II of León who renamed the town from Malgrat to Benavente and led a campaign in 1164 to repopulate the city, as part of a long process of reconquest from the Moors. Alfonso IX and Alfonso X continued to help the growth of Benavente through privileges and grants. When Alfonso IX of León died, the town was the scene of the definitive union of the Crowns of León and Castile in the Concordia of Benavente, later falling into decline until Sancho IV promoted its aggrandizement in 1285, attracting new settlers with franchises.[2]

In 1352 Fadrique Alfonso, brother of King Pedro I, received the town in exchange for not attacking Pedro. In 1387 Benavente was surrounded by the English and Portuguese troops of the Duchy of Lancaster who tried to besiege it, and the besiegers were defeated in this attempt.[3]

Location

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Benavente is located in the North of Province of Zamora, in the North-West of Spain. It is 65 km away from Zamora City and 260 km from Madrid and its coordinates are 42° 0' N 5° 41' W. The adjacent municipalities of Benavente are Villanueva de Azoague, Manganeses de la Polvorosa, Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa, Villabrázaro, San Cristóbal de Entreviñas, Castrogonzalo, Santa Colomba de las Monjas and Arcos de la Polvorosa, all of them belonging to Province of Zamora.

North-West: Manganeses de la Polvorosa North: Villabrázaro North-East: San Cristóbal de Entreviñas
West: Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa   East: San Cristóbal de Entreviñas
South-West:Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa South: Villanueva de Azoague, Santa Colomba de las Monjas and Arcos de la Polvorosa South-East: Castrogonzalo

Transport

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Roads and Highways

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Benavente is connected to the national road network through different roads and highways:

Towns Distance (km)
Toro 69
Villalpando 30
Puebla de Sanabria 84
Salamanca 134
Zamora 65
Tordesillas 80
Medina de Rioseco 62
Medina del Campo 105
Valladolid 112
Valencia de Don Juan 33
La Bañeza 37
Astorga 65
Ponferrada 124
León 70
Palencia 90
Segovia 235
Ávila 190
Burgos 210
Oviedo 182
Madrid 266
Ourense 238
Gijón 210
Soria 318
Vitoria 347
Oporto 334
Bilbao 388
Lisboa 600
Barcelona 836

Bus Services

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Bus services are provided in the Bus Station by different companies like Alsa, Auto-Res, Empresa Vivas, Linecar or Autocares Julio Fernández. There is a taxi stand in the Bus Station.

National lines

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Daily services to: A Coruña, Astorga, Algeciras, Asturias (Oviedo-Gijón), Ávila, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cáceres, Cádiz, Cangas de Narcea, Irún, La Bañeza, León, Lugo, Logroño, Málaga, Madrid, Mérida, Ourense, Monforte, Palencia, Plasencia, Ponferrada, Pontevedra, Salamanca, San Fernando, San Sebastián, Santiago de Compostela, Sevilla, Valladolid, Verín, Vigo, Villablino, Zafra, Zamora and Zaragoza.

International lines

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  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • Belgium
  • Holland
  • France - (París)
  • France (Lyon - Grenoble)
  • Andorra

Regional lines

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  • Alcubilla de Nogales
  • Alija del Infantado
  • Arcos de la Polvorosa
  • Ayoo de Vidriales
  • Camarzana de Tera
  • Carracedo - 13:00
  • Cubo de Benavente
  • Ferreras de Abajo
  • Milles de la Polvorosa
  • Molezuelas
  • Mozar
  • Puebla de Sanabria
  • Pueblica de Valverde
  • Santa Colomba de las Monjas
  • Santibáñez de Vidriales
  • Tábara
  • Uña de Quintana
  • Valle del Tera
  • Valderas
  • Villafáfila
  • Villalpando
  • Villanueva de Azoague
  • Villarrín de Campos

Local Service

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Senior citizens have a free urban bus service.

Taxi

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The town has several taxi stands, one of them in the Bus Station.

Plaza mayor

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The main square is plaza mayor where the Town hall building is located.

Tourism

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The Tower of the Caracol.
 
Church of Santa María de Azogue.

Parador

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  • Parador de Turismo Fernando II, which occupies the Caracol Tower, a 16th-century castle with wide segmental miradors and a Mudéjar coffered ceiling in the main section

Churches

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  • Church of Santa María de Azogue, in Romanesque style, begun in 1180. It has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles, separated by cruciform pilasters, with five apses. The nave has Gothic cross vaults added in the 16th century. The interior is home of several Gothic sculptures, such as that of the "Annunciation" (13th century)
 
San Juan del Mercado church
  • San Juan del Mercado Church, in Romanesque style (12th-13th centuries). It has three decorated portals with the Adoration of the Magi, the Virgin and Child and scenes of the birth of Jesus.

Hostel

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Hospital of La Piedad.
  • Hospital of La Piedad, an old pilgrim hostel.

Other

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  • Hermitage of Soledad (early 16th century)
  • Caracol Tower

Events

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An enraged bull (2005).

Accommodation

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Parador de Turismo Rey Fernando II.

Hotels

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  • "Parador de Turismo Rey Fernando II de León" (H****) Paseos de la Mota, s/n
  • "Villa de Benavente" (H ****) Avda. de las Américas, s/n
  • "Santiago" (H ***) Avda. Maragatos, 34
  • "Orense" (H **) C/ San Antón Viejo, 4
  • "Arenas" (H *) Ctra. de Madrid, Km 261

Hostels

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  • "Hostal Avenida" (HS**) Avda. El Ferial, 17
  • "Bristol" (HS**) C/ Santa Cruz, 44.
  • "Universal" (HS**) C/ Sancti Spíritus, 17
  • "Alameda" (HS**) Autovía Madrid - Coruña km. 262
  • "Covadonga" (HS**) Avenida Federico Silva, 16
  • "Paradero 3" (HS*) Autovía Madrid – Coruña Km 261
  • "Paraíso" (HS *) C/ los Herreros, 64
  • "La Trucha" (HS) C/ la Viña, 5
  • "Jara" (HS) Autovía Madrid-Coruña km. 261
  • "Pensión La Trapería" (P) C/Agujero de San Andrés, 10

Climate

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It is characterized as a Mediterranean climate with continental characteristics due to the altitude of the municipality and its distance to the sea. The amount of winter frosts is increased, taking place even in spring, with consequential damage to some of the local agriculture.

Climate data for Benavente
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 8.1
(46.6) 		11.0
(51.8) 		15.0
(59.0) 		16.5
(61.7) 		20.5
(68.9) 		26.1
(79.0) 		29.4
(84.9) 		28.9
(84.0) 		24.8
(76.6) 		18.4
(65.1) 		12.3
(54.1) 		9.0
(48.2) 		18.3
(65.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.1
(32.2) 		0.4
(32.7) 		2.7
(36.9) 		4.7
(40.5) 		8.1
(46.6) 		11.9
(53.4) 		14.0
(57.2) 		13.7
(56.7) 		11.1
(52.0) 		7.5
(45.5) 		3.4
(38.1) 		1.0
(33.8) 		6.6
(43.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 35.2
(1.39) 		23.9
(0.94) 		23.0
(0.91) 		39.8
(1.57) 		47.1
(1.85) 		27.6
(1.09) 		13.2
(0.52) 		12.7
(0.50) 		30.8
(1.21) 		56.6
(2.23) 		49.0
(1.93) 		55.7
(2.19) 		414.6
(16.33)
Source: World Meteorological Organization[4]

Twin towns – sister cities

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Dukes of Benavente

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Main article: Duke of Benavente
 
Portrait of Juan Alonso Pimentel de Herrera. Museum Bonnat, Bayonne, France
 
Juan Francisco Pimentel y Ponce de León, 7th Duke of Benavente, deceased 1652, by Diego Velázquez, 1648.
 
12th Countess of Benavente.
Titular Period
Primera creación por Enrique II
I Fadrique de Castilla y Ponce de León 1370–1394
Segunda creación por Enrique IV
I Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel 1473-
II Alonso Pimentel y Pacheco
III Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Herrera de Velasco
IV Luis Alonso Pimentel Herrera y Enríquez de Velasco
V Juan Alonso Pimentel Herrera y Enríquez de Velasco
VI Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Quiñones
VII Juan Francisco Pimentel y Ponce de León
VIII Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Herrera Zúñiga
IX Francisco Casimiro Pimentel de Quiñones y Benavides
X Antonio Francisco Pimentel de Zúñiga y Vigil de Quiñones
XI Francisco Alonso Pimentel Vigil de Quiñones Borja Aragón y Centelles
XII María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna
XIII Francisco de Borja Téllez-Girón y Alfonso Pimentel
XIV Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón y Beaufort Spontin
XV Mariano Téllez-Girón y Beaufort Spontin
XVI Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón y Fernández de Santillán
XVII Ángela María Téllez-Girón y Duque de Estrada actual tituar

Notable people

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Language

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Regional speech is influenced by the Leonese language.

Cinemas and theatres

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  • "Reina Sofía" Theatre.[7]
  • "Multicines Benavente" Cinema.[8]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Benavente, Zamora.

References

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  1. ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  2. ^ "Historia". Benavente.es. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Historia". Benavente.es. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ "World Weather Information Service – Benavente". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  5. ^ José Carlos Guerra
  6. ^ José Carlos Guerra presenta en la Sala Maestra su obra más 'matérica'
  7. ^ Teatro Reina Sofía
  8. ^ Multicines Benavente
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