La Fregeneda
La Fregeneda is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It is integrated into the Vitigudino region and the sub-region of El Abadengo. It belongs to the judicial district of Vitigudino. Its municipal area is made up of the population centers of La Fregeneda, Valicobo, San Martín and Valdenoguera, the last two uninhabited, it occupies a total area of 28.46 km² and according to the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2017, it has 363 inhabitants.
Its territory is located at the confluence of the Duero and Águeda rivers, bordering Portugal. The Vega Terrón river dock and the one known as Camino de Hierro are two of the most attractive tourist places within the Arribes del Duero Natural Park.
Etymology
The place name of La Fregeneda, indicated in old documents as "La Frexeneda", comes from the name "La Fresneda" which in the Leonese language means "field or forest of ash trees", a word that comes from the Latin word "fraxinus", ash tree in Spanish In this sense, during the Middle Ages in the area of Leon it was quite common to use the names of trees or plants to name the towns that were founded, such as Hinojosa de Duero, Cerezal de Peñahorcada, La Zarza de Pumareda, Saucelle, El Manzano, Moral de Sayago, Carbajales de Alba, etc. There are also other towns with the same toponymic origin as La Fregeneda, such as Fresno de la Ribera in the province of Zamora or Fregenal de la Sierra in the province of Badajoz, both also repopulated by the kings of León.
Symbols
Shield
The heraldic shield that represents the municipality was approved on April 11, 1997 with the following coat of arms:
«I hear a match. First, of azur with three silver almonds, torn and blossomed. Secondly, with a golden castle, cleared of gules, placed on silver waves. To the bell, the Spanish Royal Crown»Official State Gazette No. 112 of 10 May 1997
Flag
The municipal flag was approved on March 30, 2009 with the following textual description:
«Cuartelada en sotuer, de gules y plata loaded from the heraldic shield itself, timbrado de la Corona Real de la Monchy Española»Official Gazette of Castilla y León no 110 of 12 June 2009
Geography
La Fregeneda is located in the northwest of Salamanca. It borders with Portugal. It is 110 km from Salamanca capital.
It is integrated into the region of El Abadengo. It belongs to the El Abadengo Mancomunidad and to the judicial district of Vitigudino.
Its municipal area is located within the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, a protected natural area of great tourist attraction.
| Northwest: Barca de Alba (Portugal) | North: Poiares (Portugal) | Northeast: Saucelle Salt |
| West: Escalhão (Portugal) |  | This: Hinojosa de Duero |
| Southwest: Escalhão (Portugal) | South: Mata de Lobos (Portugal) | Sureste: Sobradillo |
Demographics
| Graphic of demographic evolution of La Fregeneda between 1900 and 2021 |
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Source: Spanish National Statistical Institute - Graphical development by Wikipedia. |
According to the National Statistics Institute, as of December 31, 2018, La Fregeneda had a total population of 362 inhabitants, of whom 182 were men and 180 women. Almost all of this figure corresponds to the town of La Fregeneda, since only 1 inhabitant is recorded in Valdenoguera. Both San Martín and Valicobo are considered depopulated. Regarding the year 2000, the census reflects 554 inhabitants, of which 271 were men and 283 women. Therefore, the loss of population in the municipality for the period 2000-2018 has been 192 inhabitants, a 35% decrease.
History
Historical vicissitudes and border fights between the Kingdom of León and Portugal caused these lands to suffer looting and invasions by the Portuguese armies. A significant event was the loss of Riba-Coa by León in the Treaty of Alcañices (1297), which made the pass between La Fregeneda and Barca de Alba a border crossing, which until then had also formed part of León, since until then The Portuguese-Leonese border was located on the Coa River, which led to the subsequent fortification of La Fregeneda. Previously, La Fregeneda, together with the rest of the Abadengo, had become dependent on the Order of the Temple by assignment from King Ferdinand II of León in the XII century , a situation that lasted until the disappearance of said Order by papal mandate, La Fregeneda then becoming dependent on the Diocese of Ciudad Rodrigo.
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La Fregeneda was segregated from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo in 1574, although it continued in the Mirobrigensian diocese, becoming a royal town. Subsequently, the open wars in the 17th and 18th centuries led to the looting of La Fregeneda by Portuguese troops in 1664 and 1707, the Duke of Wellington having located his headquarters in this town in 1811 during the War of Independence.
With the territorial division of Spain in 1833 in which the current provinces are created, La Fregeneda is framed within the Leonese Region, formed by the provinces of León, Zamora and Salamanca, of a merely classificatory nature, without administrative operation, which roughly would come to collect the old demarcation of the Kingdom of León (without Galicia or Asturias or Extremadura), becoming part of the Vitigudino judicial district in 1844. In 1887 the La Fuente de San Esteban-Barca railway line was opened de Alba, which would link Salamanca with Porto, thanks to which La Fregeneda became an important customs station and had rail services for almost a century until its closure in 1985.
Monuments and places of interest
Parish Church of San Marcos Evangelista
The parish church of La Fregeneda has elements of the Gothic style and others of the Baroque style as construction began in the XVI century and would be finished in the 18th century. The main altarpiece, from the XVII century, is dedicated to Saint Mark, accompanied by the figures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, above there is also the image of San Gregorio, as well as two tables, of the Immaculate Conception and the Annunciation. The two central chapels respectively have an altarpiece dedicated to the Virgen de la Paz and another to Santo Cristo. In the first case, the Virgin is accompanied by images of Saint Luke and Saint John, in the second case, the Holy Christ is represented together with Jesus the Nazarene and Our Lady of Sorrows.
The Hermitage of the Announced
It is a small hermitage, painted white and blue, located in the old town of Valicobo with views of the Duero.
Railway
Until 1985, when the railway line was closed, Fregeneda was the last station on the La Fuente de San Esteban-Barca de Alba Line that connected Salamanca with Porto, with regular passenger and freight trips.
The section between the stations of La Fregeneda and Barca de Alba is known as the Camino de Hierro de La Fregeneda, which crosses the banks of the Águeda river, a complicated geography that establishes the natural border between Spain and Portugal and in the that 20 tunnels and 12 bridges had to be built to save its complicated slopes. Some sources indicate that there are 20 tunnels and 13 bridges, including the one that crosses the Froya river, but it is already outside this section, after La Fregeneda station.
The line has become one of the most attractive tourist places within the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. The most visited points on the line are those around the abandoned stations of Barca de Alba and La Fregeneda due to their ease of access, but, without a doubt, the most striking places are those on the most complicated section, the one that crosses the above the Águeda river, due to the succession of tunnels and bridges as it passes through a vertiginous landscape. Until 2019, Adif totally discouraged the visit, since there were areas in a poor state of conservation. It was then that the Salamanca Provincial Council adapted the line to comply with safety regulations and to be able to be traveled on foot without danger.
Vega Terrón Pier
In La Fregeneda is the river port of Vega Terrón, from where you can navigate the Duero river to its mouth. There are two piers, the old one, from the XIX century, no longer in use, and the new one, built between the 80s and 90s XX century.
Mafeito Viewpoint
From this viewpoint, set up by the Salamanca Provincial Council, with information and wheelchair access, you can get a wide view of the banks of the Duero in its final stretch, between the Salto de Saucelle and the mouth of the Águeda.
Administration and politics
Municipal elections
The mayor of La Fregeneda does not receive any type of financial benefit for his work as head of the town hall (2017).