La Velles

La Vellés 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 La Armuña. It belongs to the judicial district of Salamanca and to the La Armuña Commonwealth.

Its municipal area is made up of the population centers of La Vellés and the Fuente Vieja Urbanization, it occupies a total area of 25.50 km² and according to the demographic data collected by the INE in 2017, it has a population of 549 inhabitants.

Geography

The municipal term occupies an area of 25.50 km², located northeast of Salamanca and at an altitude of 812 m above sea level. It limits to the north with Arcediano and Aldeanueva de Figueroa; to the east with Pajares de la Laguna, Villaverde de Guareña and Pedrosillo el Ralo; to the south with Castellanos de Moriscos; to the southwest with San Cristóbal de la Cuesta and Monterrubio de Armuña and to the west with Castellanos de Villiquera and Negrilla de Palencia.

Accesses

The main access road to the town from the capital is the SA-605 highway, which runs between Salamanca and Toro (Zamora).

Additionally, it can be accessed by the SA-601 highway:

• By the southeast, from the Autovía de Castilla (A-62), taking Exit 225, or from the N-620 from Pedrosillo el Ralo.
• In the northwest, from the highway Ruta de la Plata (A-66), taking exit 322 towards La Vellés, or from the N-630, taking the detour to Topas and La Vellés.

History

The foundation of La Vellés in its current location is due to the monarchs of the Kingdom of León, who founded and repopulated it in the High Middle Ages under the name of Avilés, as stated in the documentation from the XIII century, which suggests that its repopulation was carried out with people from Asturias (then part of the Kingdom of of Lion). The original "Avilés" derived over time in the current name "La Vellés". With the creation of the current provinces in 1833, it was framed in the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region.

Panoramic photograph of La Vellés. Made from the road between Palencia de Negrilla and which goes to La Vellés.

Demographics

Parroqual Church of Santa Ana.

Pyramid of the population of La Vellés.

Graphic of demographic evolution of La Vellés between 1900 and 2022

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

Population centers

The municipality is divided into two population centers, which had the following population in 2019 according to the INE.

Administration and politics

Municipal elections