Calvarrasa de Arriba

Calvarrasa de Arriba is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It is integrated within the region of Campo de Salamanca (Campo Charro). It belongs to the judicial district of Salamanca.

Its municipal area is made up of a single population center, it occupies a total area of 25.73 km² and according to the demographic data collected in the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2017, it has a population of 603 inhabitants.

Etymology

The term Calvarrasa de Arriba comes from the name given by the kings of León, "Calvarrasa de Genescal". It evolved to this day. Its name is formed by "Calva", which means "bare, without vegetation" and "rasa", meaning "high, clear plain". The second part of the name is due to the political situation in which it was framed. It could be said that thus the name would mean "high plain without vegetation". This may be due to the highlands located a short distance from the town.

Symbols

Shield

The heraldic shield that represents the municipality was approved on December 28, 2000 with the following coat of arms:

"The split and half shield, the principal being the right hand, the cut media are sinister, superior and inferior. Tenth Quartet: Gules, symbols of having fought, all of silver. Upper sinister quartel: Sugar with a gold nutted with a virginal crown, also gold. Lower sinister table: Silver, with three oaks torn, to the natural, two one. Timbre: From the house Reigning Bourbon»

Geography

Calvarrasa de Arriba is located in the heart of Campo Charro, which gives it a moderate continental climate. Its large plains and esplanades allow you to grow dryland cereals. There is an area of steep cliffs in the area of the Virgen de la Peña hermitage due to the passage of a river that has been eroding the entire hill on which it is located.

Hydrography

The town of Calvarrasa de Arriba is not directly crossed by a river, but its surroundings have different bodies of water. The Arroyo de la Ribera river passes through the left slope. This river caused by erosion, the esplanade of the Arapiles and the abrupt relief of the area of the hermitage of the Virgen de la Peña. In the town there is a pond that maintains water throughout the year. There is another pond on the Camino del Encinar, of less importance and which loses its water in summer.

Transport and communications

The town of Calvarrasa de Arriba has different communication routes, which connect it with nearby population centers and the provincial capital. The most important road that crosses it is the CL-510, a road that connects Salamanca and Piedrahíta passing through Alba de Tormes. In addition, there is a local road, the DSA-106, which connects this town with the nearby Arapiles. It is connected by MOGA company buses with Salamanca, Alba de Tormes and other different towns. In the past, it was connected to Salamanca by the Vía de la Plata Railway, although it did not have a station or halt, since the population center was a little distant from the place where the train passed.

History

Church of Saint Peter the Apostle.

Detail of the map Spain & Portugalperformed in 1864 by Keith Johnston, where Calvarrasa de Arriba can be observed.

Founded by the kings of León in the Middle Ages, Calvarrasa de Arriba was framed in the Peña del Rey quarter of the jurisdiction of Salamanca, within the Kingdom of León, then called "Calvarrasa de Genescal" In 1812, during the War of Independence, the Battle of the Arapiles took place a few kilometers from the town, which resulted in a decisive allied victory. With the creation of the current provinces in 1833, Calvarrasa de Arriba was included in the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region. Later, in the Spanish civil war, eight projectiles fell in the vicinity of the town and the farmhouse of Otero by Maria Asensio.

Demographics

Graphic of demographic evolution of Calvarrasa de Arriba between 1900 and 2021

Source: Spanish National Statistical Institute - Graphical development by Wikipedia.

Administration and politics

The current mayor's office is governed by the PSOE and the current mayor is Julián Mateos. The mayor's office has been changing its position throughout the different elections, although the only political parties that have governed to date have been the PP and the PSOE.

Municipal elections

Transportation

Consistorial house.

The municipality is well connected by road, with the CL-510 road that crosses it in a north-south direction that connects Salamanca with Piedrahíta and allows access to the Culture highway, thus facilitating connections with the rest of the country. Also noteworthy is the DSA-106 highway that emerges from the municipal capital in a southeasterly direction, allows communication with the neighboring municipality of Arapiles and ends at a crossroads that joins the N-630 national highway that connects Gijón with Seville, access to the Ruta de la Plata highway that has the same route as the national highway and the DSA-202 highway that connects with Miranda de Azán, so Calvarrasa has access to two important communication routes, both located 6km from the town center.

As far as public transport is concerned, after the closure of the Vía de la Plata railway route, which passed through the neighboring municipality of Arapiles, where it had a stop, there are no train services in the municipality or in the neighbors, nor regular line with bus service. On the other hand, Salamanca Airport is the closest, being about 18km away.

Economy

The economy of Calvarrasa de Arriba is based on agriculture and livestock, although there are also economic activities corresponding to other economic sectors.

Agriculture and livestock

The economy of Calvarrasa de Arriba is based on agriculture and livestock. There are quite a few dry farming plots around the towns and farmhouses. There is also cattle, sheep, pig and horse farming

Industry

There are different locksmiths, forges and artisan workshops in the town and its surroundings.

Service sector

The service sector is established in the town with the different bars along the CL-510 road

• Bar Bala
• Bar The Yugos
• Bar La Peña

On the same CL-510 road, when leaving the town, there is a gas station on the right hand side

Monuments and places of interest

• Hermitage of the Virgin of the Peña: Baroque hermitage under the avocation of the Virgin of the Peña. Legend has it that the Virgin of the Peña was stolen and located in the area of the Battle of the Arapiles.
• Church of Saint Peter Apostle: Church located in the Plaza Mayor de Calvarrasa de Arriba. Under the advocation of St.Peter Apostol, the feasts are celebrated in its name on June 29.
• Bullring: dated from the centuryI. It has a square shape and is made of stone. It does not consist of stalks and there are few taurin celebrations.
• Water silo: with ovoidal shape on its upper part, provides water to Calvarrasa de Arriba and the surrounding villages.

Culture

Literature

Last year it received the festival "Danzar de los Danzares" and is waiting to be done again, since it was a real success.

Parties

View from the road.

The festivities in Calvarrasa are celebrated in honor of the Virgen de la Peña and San Pedro. On both dates, processions, dances, festivals and popular paellas are held. On both dates, there is a deep-rooted veneration of the saints, since the majority of the population is Catholic.

Folklore and music

There is a popular couplet that goes like this:

"The calvarrasa know how to sing,

Start your elbow and work too. If we're bluffing anywhere,

There joy is noticed. "

Sports

The town consists of swimming pools, a pavilion and several parks. The pools are open in summer, they have two pools (large and small) and a bar. The pavilion is open throughout the year, but reservations must be made in advance with the Calvarrasa de Arriba Town Hall.

Parks

There are different parks in Calvarrasa de Arriba. The Hoyo Maza stands out, which consists of swings, slides and castles. The second park is at the back of the Municipal Pavilion and has bio-healthy machines.

Football

The town has a team called CF Calvarrasa de Arriba, which plays its games at the Monumental de la Peña.

Cycling

Calvarrasa de Arriba can be reached by the Vía Verde Ruta de la Plata Carbajosa de la Sagrada-Alba de Tormes, which passes next to the Arapiles.