Apiary of Montemayor

Colmenar de Montemayor is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It is integrated into the Sierra de Béjar region. It belongs to the judicial district of Béjar.

Its municipal area is made up of a single population center, it occupies a total area of 39.98 km² and according to the demographic data collected in the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2017, it has a population of 187 inhabitants.

It is bordered to the northwest by the municipality of Pinedas, to the northeast by Cristóbal de la Sierra, to the east by the municipalities of Horcajo de Montemayor and Aldeacipreste, to the southwest by the municipality of Valdelageve, and to the west by the municipality of Sotoserrano.

Geography

The municipality of Colmenar is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Béjar; where it forms important heights that conform to the Felipe hill, the culminating point of the municipality with about 925 meters high; which is located north of the municipality. Other hills that we can find are those of Cañadas and Hondas, also to the north of the municipal term; the head of Juan Toro, bordering the municipality of Horcajo de Montemayor, and Peña Elvira; which is located on its slopes the head of the municipality. The soil that makes up the municipality is made up of compact rocks —granite, basalt— dating from the Silurian, which for thousands of years, all these rocky materials would compact to form slates, quartzites and sandstones; making a waterproof floor that is perfect while it rains. Then, the Cuerpo de Hombre and Sangusín rivers; they would begin to drill into the ground, forming large and spectacular canyons of great geological interest.

Hydrography

As mentioned before; The municipality is located between the gorges formed by the Cuerpo de Hombre and Sangusín rivers. Cuerpo de Hombre is located to the southwest, making the limit with Valdegelave; while the Sangusín forms a deeper gorge, limiting with Cristóbal. In the municipal term, it crosses two streams of great importance in Colmenar: the Castañar and Valdespino. The Castañar is a tributary of the Sangusín, which forms a closed valley facing its basin to the northeast, heading towards Horcajo de Montemayor; This stream is born in the area of Madroño, under Peña Elvira. The one of Valdespino; It is a tributary of the Alagón River, it is born in the center of the town, and it goes down through an enormous and extensive valley that looks towards the northwest.

Climate

A typical Mediterranean mountain climate predominates, where you have very harsh winters and fairly mild summers, and it usually rains abundantly. Here, the winds circulate from north and south.

History

Laundry

Source

Colegio Los Bardales

The foundation of Colmenar dates back to the repopulation carried out by King Alfonso IX of León around 1227, when this monarch created the council of Montemayor del Río, in which it was integrated, within the Kingdom of León, fact from which he takes his last name "de Montemayor" the location. The toponymic origin of "Colmenar" It could have its origin in the existence or numerous settlements of beehives in the surroundings of the town, a fact that would have given rise to the name of the town.

From the 16th century to the 19th century, various Augustinian friars inhabited the town, their congregation having both urban and rural properties in Colmenar, among them the hermitage they erected in honor of the Virgen de la Consolación, which was abandoned in the 18th century. XIX, when the Augustinians had to leave the town.

With the creation of the current provinces in 1833, Colmenar de Montemayor was integrated into the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region.

Already in the 20th century, and although Colmenar was not a war front in the Spanish Civil War, it did experience a bloody event in it, since the local teacher, Melquiades Rodríguez Tocino, was kidnapped and shot on August 8, 1936, accused of red. In August 2012 the Colmenar town hall dedicated a commemorative plaque to his memory.

In January 1946, in the context of the Spanish post-war period, a group of anti-Franco guerrillas entered Colmenar de Montemayor, a fact that led to the arrest by the Civil Guard of the secretary of the town hall, who was accused of necessary collaborator. Finally, the intercession for him of more than thirty neighbors achieved his release after twenty-one days in prison.

Demographics

Graphic of demographic evolution of Colmenar de Montemayor between 1842 and 2022

Rule population (1842-1991, except 1857 and 1860 which is a de facto population) or resident population (2001-2011) according to the Population Censuses since 1842.Population according to the municipal register of 2022 of the INE.

According to the National Statistics Institute, as of December 31, 2018, Colmenar had a total population of 182 inhabitants, of whom 103 were men and 79 women. Regarding the year 2000, the census reflects 273 inhabitants, of which 153 were men and 120 women. Therefore, the loss of population in the municipality for the period 2000-2018 has been 91 inhabitants, a 33% decrease.

Economy

Due to the rich soil formed by quartzites of a very old volcanic origin; It is a good soil for growing cereals, vines and olive trees; and thanks to the large pastures that dominate the entire territory, cattle farming is the most important in Colmenar.

Administration and politics

House consistorial

Church of Our Lady of Assumption

Municipal elections

Culture

Chantre House

Casa del Hidalgo

Hermitage of Christ

Heritage

• Church of Our Lady of Assumption. Its bill dates from Álvarez Villar between the 13th and 14th centuries, having been subsequently refurbished. In it they surprise their dimensions and especially their altarpiece, originally covered with gold bread. Around the South and West Façades is known as The Portal, a considerably wide area delimited by a wall, containment wall, canyon stones.
• Hidalgo House. Located on Larga Street dates back to the end of the 15th century or early 16th century, highlighting its cover.
• Chantre's house. It is situated in the Plaza Mayor, having been built in the 17th century by Juan Sánchez Grande de Antequera, canon of the Cathedral of Coria that founded the chaplainy of Colmenar. It highlights its chimney, as well as the shield that presides over the flanked facade of two inscriptions in stone.
• Hermitage of Christ. It is located entering Colmenar for its northeast access.
• Hermitage of Our Lady of Consolation. Located next to the dam of the water mill, it is in ruinous state, although there are still remains of the old building, which belonged to the order of the Augustinian Recollects to the liberal decays of the nineteenth century.

Parties

September 14 is their festivities. An important pilgrimage is celebrated in which the Cristo de la Salud is taken out of his chapel, and he is paraded through the streets of the town.