Alfoz (territory)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The

autonomous political division. At the center of this community, the town (or sometimes a city) comprised an urban area
and usually boasted of a castle and a fortified wall.

By the 12th century, the alfoces had fiscal, judicial and military functions.

, an act that undermined the very purpose of the alfoz.

The alfoz and its villa formed what would later be known as a municipality. The word alfoz comes from the Arabic al-hawz, meaning "rural district".[2] It is currently preserved in several placenames in Spain[n. 2] as well as is occasionally used as a modern-day common noun.

Notes

  1. ^ Not to be confused with villa, a type of residence.
  2. ^ Including Alfoz (Lugo), Alfoz de Bricia (Burgos), Alfoz de Lloredo (Cantabria), Alfoz de Quintanadueñas (Burgos), Alfoz de Santa Gadea (Burgos)

References

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