Endrinal (municipality)

Endrinal is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It is integrated within the Guijuelo region, the sub-region of Entresierras (Alto Alagón) and the micro-region of Las Bardas.

Its municipal area is made up of the towns of Casas de Monleón, Endrinal and Villar de Leche, it occupies a total area of 33.54 km² and according to the demographic data collected in the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2017, It has 232 inhabitants.

History

Detail of the map A new and accurate map of Spain & Portugal, performed in 1700 by A. G. Whitehead, which collects the location of Endrinal as Landrina.

Details of "Nouvelle Carte d'Asturie, Galice et Leon, avec les grands chemins" performed in 1800 by Array, which collects The Andrinal.

The oldest remains of human settlement in the municipality have been found in the area of Lombo, where prehistoric pieces of quartzite have been found. Also, at the top of the Peña Milanera, late Roman tombs and pottery were found.

However, the foundation of Endrinal as a town dates back to the repopulation carried out by the kings of León between the end of the XII century and early XIII, being integrated into the Alfoz de Monleón, within the Kingdom of León. At this time, the castle of Valdemedina, of Arab origin and later used by the Leonese monarchy for the defense of this part of its kingdom, would have been renovated in Villar de Leche.

Finally, already in the Contemporary Age, with the creation of the current provinces in 1833, the municipality of Endrinal was integrated into the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region.

Monuments

Villar de Leche Castle.

• Church of Saint Peter. It is built on an earlier church that had a crypt placed under the present sacristy. The previous construction would date, at least, from the centuryXI, since around it have been found several tombs made of slate tiles. The present temple dates from the centuryXVI and has a granite chair header with ribbed vaults in the main chapel and ball decoration on the outside.
• Hermitage of the Virgin of El Mensegal. It is located about 2 km south of the urban center of Endrinal, being built in the centuryXVI, although the current building sits on another previous one. It consists of one ship. In its interior the Virgin of Mensegal and Saint John are venerated.
• Hermitage of the Humilladero. Located next to the cemetery, it is a small construction of the centuryXVII, although its cover, facing south and preceded by a porch with four granite columns, is of the centuryXVI.
• Bullring. Located next to the hermitage of the Mensegal, it is semi-excavated on the ground, being documented the existence of a corral-place of bulls in this place already in the centuryXV.
• Villar de Leche or Valdemedina Castle. It is located in the Alqueria de Villar de Leche, on a hill next to the Alagón River. It is a castle of which only part of the homage tower is preserved. It was built in the centuryVIII by the Muslims, taking it in the centuryX the Kingdom of Leon, whose monarchs who committed various reforms in the castle until the centuryXIIIreforms to which your current image owes.
• Church of San Fabian and San Sebastian (Houses of Monleon). Built in the centuryXVIIt consists of a single nave, being built with masonry and argamasa. It is currently in a state of progressive ruin, after being abandoned in 1980, having collapsed its cover in 2011.

Demographics

Graphic of demographic evolution of Endrinal between 1900 and 2021

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

According to the National Institute of Statistics, Endrinal had, as of December 31, 2018, a total population of 225 inhabitants, of whom 122 were men and 103 women. Regarding the year 2000, the census reflects 301 inhabitants, of which 167 were men and 134 women. Therefore, the loss of population in the municipality for the period 2000-2018 has been 76 inhabitants, a 25% decrease.

The municipality is divided into three population centers. Of the 225 inhabitants that the municipality had in 2018, Endrinal had 204, of which 110 were men and 94 women, and Casas de Monleón had 21, of which 12 were men and 9 women. Villar de Leche is depopulated.

Culture

Endrinal houses an ethnographic museum, the Casa de la Cultura Tradicional, where the usual uses in a traditional house are represented and a sample of work tools: cellar, kitchen, landing, agriculture and livestock room, trades room, etc

Administration and politics

Municipal elections

Transportation

The municipality is well connected by road, being crossed by the SA-212 that connects Tamames with Guijuelo in the connection with the N-630. From there it is also possible to access the Ruta de la Plata highway that connects Gijón with Seville and allows faster communications with the municipality.

As far as public transport is concerned, after the closure of the Vía de la Plata railway route, which passed through the municipality of Guijuelo and had a station there, there are no train services in the municipality or in the neighbors, nor regular line with bus service, the closest station being Guijuelo. On the other hand, Salamanca airport is the closest, being about 69km away.

Parties

• Saint John, Saint Peter and the Christ of the Humbler. Festivals that begin on June 24, and continue during the first week of July. In addition to the traditional mass and pilgrimage, bullfights are held in the Mensegal Square and various games.