Burgos
Burgos | ||
---|---|---|
View of Burgos Plaza Mayor | ||
Autonomous community Castile and León | | |
Province | Burgos | |
Founded | 884 | |
Founded by | Diego Rodríguez Porcelos | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Cristina Ayala (PP) | |
Area | ||
• Municipality | 107.06 km2 (41.34 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 865 m (2,838 ft) | |
Population (2020)[3] | ||
• Municipality | 176,418 | |
• Density | 1,600/km2 (4,300/sq mi) | |
• Metro | 200,000 | |
• Metro density | 1.642.27/km2 (4.25/sq mi) | |
Time zone | UTC+1 | |
Postal codes | 09001–09007 | |
Area code | 9059 | |
Distances | 122 km (76 mi) to Valladolid 159 km (99 mi) to Bilbao 244 km (152 mi) to Madrid 618 km (384 mi) to Barcelona | |
Rivers | Arlanzón, Vena, Pico, Cardeñadijo | |
Demonym | Burgalés/burgalesa | |
Website | www |
Burgos (Spanish: [ˈbuɾɣos] ⓘ) is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of the Arlanzón river tributaries, at the edge of the central plateau. The municipality has a population of about 180,000 inhabitants. The Camino de Santiago runs through Burgos.
Founded in 884 by the second
The
Toponymy
There are several possible origins for the toponymy. When the city was founded, the inhabitants of the surrounding country moved into the fortified village, whose Visigothic name of Burgos signified consolidated walled villages[citation needed] (Gothic baurgs).[10] The cities Burgas in Bulgaria and numerous cities containing the Germanic burg "city" such as Hamburg have a similar literal composition. The city began to be called Caput Castellae ("Cabeza de Castilla" or "Head of Castile").[11]
History
Early humans occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800,000 years ago. When the Romans took possession of what is now the province of Burgos, the site had been a
Burgos was founded in 884 as an outpost of this
In the 11th century, the city became the see of the
In the century following the conquest of Seville (1248) on the Moors, Burgos became a testing ground for royal policies of increasing power against the consejo, in part by encouraging the right to appeal from the consejo to the king. In 1285, Sancho IV added a new body to the consejo which came to dominate it: the jurado in charge of collecting taxes and overseeing public works; the king reserved the right to select its members. The city perceived that danger to its autonomy came rather from an uncontrolled aristocracy during royal minorities: Burgos joined the hermandades of cities that leagued together for mutual protection in 1295 and 1315. In the 14th century, official royal intrusion in city affairs was perceived as a palliative against outbreaks of violence by the large excluded class of smaller merchants and artisans, on whom the tax burden fell. The alguacil was the royal official instituted to judge disagreements.
On 9 June 1345, sweeping aside the city government,
In 1574, Pope Gregory XIII made the bishopric a Metropolitan archbishopric, at the request of king Felipe II.
Burgos has been the scene of many wars: with the
-
Entrance to Burgos by David Roberts, c. 1838
-
Burgos by Adolphe Rouargue and Émile Rouargue, c. 1850
-
Historic street leading from the cathedral
-
Palace of the Captains General
Geography and climate
At an elevation of 865 metres (2,838 ft), the city of Burgos lies in the transition zone between a
-
River Arlanzón in spring
-
River Arlanzón in autumn
-
River Arlanzón in winter
Climate data for Burgos Airport 891 metres (2,923 ft) (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 19.1 (66.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
29.8 (85.6) |
33.4 (92.1) |
38.8 (101.8) |
39.3 (102.7) |
39.0 (102.2) |
36.8 (98.2) |
32.1 (89.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
39.3 (102.7) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
12.9 (55.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
18.4 (65.1) |
23.7 (74.7) |
27.6 (81.7) |
27.5 (81.5) |
23.3 (73.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
10.9 (51.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
16.6 (61.9) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) |
4.1 (39.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
8.6 (47.5) |
12.2 (54.0) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.5 (67.1) |
16.1 (61.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.9 (39.0) |
10.7 (51.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
1.1 (34.0) |
2.7 (36.9) |
5.9 (42.6) |
9.2 (48.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
8.9 (48.0) |
5.9 (42.6) |
2.1 (35.8) |
0.2 (32.4) |
4.8 (40.6) |
Record low °C (°F) | −22.0 (−7.6) |
−17.6 (0.3) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−17.1 (1.2) |
−22.0 (−7.6) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 44 (1.7) |
35 (1.4) |
34 (1.3) |
61 (2.4) |
63 (2.5) |
41 (1.6) |
23 (0.9) |
23 (0.9) |
38 (1.5) |
60 (2.4) |
60 (2.4) |
63 (2.5) |
546 (21.5) |
Average rainy days | 7.5 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 5.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 83.3 |
Average snowy days | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 19 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 86 | 116 | 175 | 185 | 226 | 277 | 320 | 292 | 220 | 151 | 99 | 78 | 2,223 |
Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[18]
|
Sights
Burgos is rich in ancient churches and convents. The three most notable are the cathedral, with its chapel of the Condestables de Castilla (Lords Constable of Castile), the monastery of Las Huelgas and the
Among the other interesting architectural structures, in the walls of the city are the
Gothic Cathedral
Construction on Burgos' Gothic Cathedral began in 1221 and spanned mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cathedral is the resting place for El Cid (the famous knight from Medieval Spain's history) and his wife Dona Jimena. The west front is flanked by towers terminating in octagonal spires covered with open stonework traceries. The middle section, which serves as an entrance, has three alabaster pilasters, the intercolumnar spaces bearing panel-pictures representing the martyrdom of saints. The façade possesses ornate and fantastic surface decoration.[11]
The octagonal chapel of the Condestable, in florid, thus highly sculpted,
Monasterio de las Huelgas
The Monasterio de las Huelgas Reales (Monastery of the Royal Retreats) on the outskirts of the city, was founded in 1180 by king
Miraflores Charterhouse
The
Castle
Located on a hill 75 meters above the city, it is a medieval defensive fortress built during the time of the reconquest. Used by Castilian kings as accommodation and a place for celebrations, it later became an artillery fort and then a weapons factory. After its destruction by the French during the War of Independence in 1813, there are hardly any buildings left standing. From the Castle it is possible to see fantastic views of the city.
Museums
Burgos has a total of 10 museums, the newest being the Museum of Human Evolution (the 10th most visited museum in Spain).
Museum of Human Evolution
The
The museum also allows the visitor to travel to the archaeological site and biological park.
Museum of Burgos
It summarizes the history of the province of Burgos. It has important objects and documents from all the ages, starting from Atapuerca, passing to the Romans and Iberians, and finishing in the contemporary period. These include the traditional sword of El Cid.
The museum is located in the renaissances palaces, the House of Íñigo Angulo and the House of Miranda, which has a main patio that structures the museum.
Book Museum
Between the Main Square "Plaza Mayor" and the Promenade of the Espolón "Paseo del Espolón," on the side street, Travesía del Mercado nº3, you find the Fadrique de Basilea Book Museum "Museo del Libro Fadrique de Basilea", of the Burgos publisher, Siloé, a cosy museum that shows the history of the book from its first written form to its modern electronic form.
Education
State Education in Spain is free, and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. The current education system is called LOE (Ley Orgánica de Educación).[19]
Universities
- University of Burgos
Often abbreviated 'UBU', the University of Burgos is a public university with about 10,000 students studying over 30 different undergraduate degrees, over 20 PhD Programmes, as well as several Official Masters and other graduate courses. It was established in 1994 when it was divided from the University of Valladolid.
UBU cooperates with the
Isabella I of Castile University
Parks and recreation
Most of the parks in the city of Burgos can be found along the river Arlanzón. Indeed, the banks of the river itself constitute a green corridor along the city. In total, there are nearly 3 square miles (1,878 acres) of parks in Burgos and one tree for every 3 inhabitants.
- El Parque del Castillo (or the Castle Park) is one of the lungs of the city. The city grew from the southern foot of the hill of the castle. Gradually, some of the upper neighborhoods began disappearing. After the destruction of the castle, military installations were established there. In the 1950s, the engineer Jaquotot Mariano, who later became mayor of the city, decided to leave the hill completely bare. Besides the ruins of the castle, this park contains the Bird Conservation Center, as well as play areas for children and spaces for exercise. Also, there is a terraced area with gardens and an ornamental fountain. The highlight of the park is the viewpoint from which you get a great view of the city, especially the cathedral. A metal plaque on the rail at the vista point helps to identify the most characteristic places of the city. The park contains the unique view of the city of Burgos from the viewpoint of the Castle. During special events throughout the year, visitors can see fireworks displays from that same view point. The park can be reached by car where there is parking, and on foot by climbing a series of stairs starting from the church of San Esteban.
- Fuentes Blancas is Burgos' most visited large park extending east from the city along the river Arlanzón. It contains a network of walking and biking paths and includes camping and various outdoor recreational activities.
- El Paseo del Espolón is the tree-lined promenade that is the most emblematic of Burgos. It's situated along the banks of the river Arlanzón, and consists of a landscaped walk that goes from the theater square to the Arc de Santa Maria, passing shops and cafes.
- El Paseo de la Isla is another one of Burgos' tree-lined garden walks. It passes by the Palacio de la Isla which served as one of Franco's headquarters during the Spanish Civil War and is currently the Language Institute of Castilian and Leonese.
- Parque de El Parral is located at the old "Hospital del Rey", a former hospital for pilgrims of the "Way of Saint James", now part of the University of Burgoscampus.
- El paseo de la Quinta is located on the south bank of the Arlanzón River, on the old and new path of the Cartuja de Miraflores. In the natural area of Las Veguillas, the Municipal Nurseries and the Fuentes Blancas Park, a wooded area near the city and close to the extensive pine forests of La Cartuja. It gets its name from old property of Burgos prelates, known as Quinta del Arzobispo.
Economy
Burgos is one of Spain's richest cities, with a GDP above the Spain average. It is an important trade and tourist center with a sizeable manufacturing base.
Agriculture
Wheat is a major crop. The city is surrounded by wheat fields.
Secondary sector
Burgos is a very industrial city, with a secondary sector widely developed. The city has the biggest industrial park of north Spain, called Villalonquéjar.
The city is the headquarters of Grupo Antolin, designer and manufacturer of interior automotive components.
It is also the headquarters for south Europe Benteler International.[22]
Tertiary sector
It employs the bigger percentage in the city and is represented by the public sector (production, delivery and allocation of goods and services), due to the capital status.
Culture
The city has a complete culture infrastructure, remarked by the Auditorio y Palacio de Congresos de Burgos, which opened in mid-2012.
Language
The Spanish language can be traced back to the monastery of Valpuesta located 100 km (62 mi) north-east of the city of Burgos. The Valpuesta cartularies are significant in the history of the Spanish language, and their status as manuscripts containing the earliest words written in Spanish has been officially recognised. The first utterings of Spanish continued in the "Silos Glosses", recorded in the Burgos monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos.[23]
Cuisine
Burgos province is famous in gastronomy for:
Queso de Burgos, a white cheese which is soft and unctuous (because it is made with
Burgos is blessed with a moderate climate and this fresh cheese was able to be conserved there without the need for curing of more than 10 days. With the improvement of aseptic industrial production processes this can be extended to about 30 days at a cool 6 °C. Its production reaches 35,000 tons annually.
Morcilla de Burgos, a pig's-blood sausage (
Even though Burgos is not on a D.O. wine is a fundamental piece in local gastronomy thanks to nearby wine cellars from Ribera de Duero, Rioja and Arlanza D.O.
Festivals
The city's main festival is San Pedro y San Pablo (also referred to locally as "Sampedros") celebrated on June 29. Every year, for about two weeks, the city celebrates with fireworks, concerts, sports, folklore, games for children, theater and other activities.[24]
Transportation
Burgos Airport
Railway
The city is considered a first-class rail route through which one rail lines circulate, operated by
2010 marked 150 years since the arrival of the first railway to the city; the first train was present on 25 October 1860. Madrid was joined with the French border and this was considered the main route of railway communication between Spain and Europe. Located at the halfway point, Burgos soon become an important hub of communications between the centre and the north.
Since December 2007, the city has been connected to the main provincial capitals by high-speed service Alvia. It also provides other services, middle and long distance, which connect with the main population centres of the country. 18 long distance trains and 12 middle distance trains circulate through the station each day, which results in around 330,000 yearly users.
The new railway station was opened on 12 December 2008 under the name Burgos-Rosa de Lima, belonging to ADIF. It is located in the neighbourhood of Villímar, northeast of the city, and was adapted for the arrival of AVE. Bus 25 takes travellers direct to the city centre.
In July 2022, AVE high speed trains started serving the city, connecting it to cities such as Madrid in 1 hour and 33 minutes with a stop in Valladolid,[25] or Bilbao in 70 minutes. Starting in January 2023, AVE will connect Burgos to Valencia in 3 hours and 30 minutes without the need to transfer in Madrid.[26]
Trams
A project to implement a tram for the city has been planned, which would run the length of the Boulevard, officially called the Avenida de Valencia. It would consist of a line of about 12 km (7 mi) long and will originate from the Burgos-Rosa de Lima railway station and end at the University of Burgos. Its cost is estimated between 80 and 120 million euros.
Due to the economic crisis and real estate, the project has been postponed temporarily until further funding becomes available. In February 2010 work began on the development of the Boulevard, which reserves a lane for public transport: first buses, and eventually the tram.
Bus
Burgos has an international bus station located in the city centre, just one hundred meters from the
Bicycle
The city has its own public bicycle rental system, called Bicibur. It has been designed by a local company and has more than 20 points of distribution throughout the city. A network of over 100 km (62 mi) of bicycle lanes net the city making it the 6th largest bicycle lane network in Spain and the first in kilometres per resident.
Twin towns – sister cities
In media
Segundo de Chomón filmed a short documentary about Burgos in 1911.[28][29]
Scenes from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly were filmed near Burgos, which doubled for the Southwestern United States.[30] The location called Sad Hill Cemetery (specifically in Santo Domingo de Silos), was where the last sequence of the film was shot.[31]
Burgos is the setting for a scene in the 2010 film The Way, directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father Martin Sheen.
Sports
The
See also
- Burgos Airport
- University of Burgos
- List of municipalities in Burgos
- Province of Burgos
References
- ^ Datos Generales Archived 4 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Invertirenburgos.es (in Spanish)
- ^ Himno a Burgos Aytoburgos.es (in Spanish)
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- ISBN 978-84-614-3758-0.
- ISSN 0211-8998.
- ^ Seoane, Andrés (1 December 2014). "Burgos, metamorfosis industrial" (PDF). El Correo de Burgos: 1.
- ^ Romero, M. (20 July 2016). "La economía consolida el eje Valladolid-Burgos-Palencia". Diario de León.
- ^ "World Heritage List". UNESCO.
- ^ "Burgos | Creative Cities Network". es.unesco.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ Wright, Joseph, 1892, A Primer of the Gothic Language, glossary & section 182.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Burgos". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Teofilo F. Ruiz, "The Transformation of the Castilian Municipalities: The Case of Burgos 1248–1350" Past and Present 77 (November 1977, pp. 3–32), p. 5.
- St. Ferdinand III(c. 1200–1252), Leon and Castile were united, but they continued to be called respectively the Kingdom of Leon and the Kingdom of Castile until the 19th century.
- Camino de Santiagopassed directly through the city, where an urban section of it was called the "French Road" (Ruiz 1977:13).
- ^ Ruiz 1977:10.
- ^ Ruiz 1977:6–9.
- ^ Ruis 1977:23.
- Agencia Estatal de Meteorología. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Sistema Educativo LOE by the Spanish Ministry of Education(Spanish Only)" (in Spanish). Mec.es. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ [1] Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [2] Archived 3 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Hiperbaric amplía en Villalonquéjar y tendrá récord de pedidos en 2013". Diario de Burgos. 2013.
- ^ "Travel routes in Spain: The Route of the Spanish language in Spain | Spain.info in english". Spain.info. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ^ "San Pedro y San Pablo | Ayuntamiento de Burgos". www.aytoburgos.es. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ "El trayecto en AVE Madrid-Burgos se reducirá a 1 hora y 33 minutos". El Independiente (in Spanish). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- Vocento. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ "Lacalle promete estrechar en 2018 las relaciones con Loudun y Pessac" (in Spanish). El Correo de Burgos. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- Vocento. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- Vocento. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ Alonso, Javier (22 July 2019). "Burgos, escenario de "El bueno, el feo y el malo"". Diario Salir (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- El Diario(in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ "Un club refundado en 1994 tras desaparecer el anterior Real Burgos". El Correo. 21 October 2011.