Monforte de la sierra

Monforte de la Sierra 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 Francia region and belongs to the judicial district of Ciudad Rodrigo.

Its municipal area is made up of a single population center, it occupies a total area of 4.36 km² and according to the demographic data collected in the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2017, it has a population of 72 inhabitants.

Symbols

Shield

The heraldic shield that represents the municipality was approved on October 1, 2006 with the following coat of arms:

«I hear a match. First quarter, silver mortar, on the field of gules (red). The Guns of the House or State of the Zuñiga will go in the second barracks for the connection of Monforte de la Sierra with the county of Miranda del Castañar. Silver field with a sable band (black) and a gold chain of eight links, set in orla and brocante. Timbre, Royal Crown of Spain»

Official Gazette of the Province of Salamanca No. 19 of 26 January 2007

Flag

The city council has not yet adopted a flag for the municipality.

Demographics

Graphic of demographic evolution of Monforte de la Sierra between 1900 and 2021

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

According to the National Institute of Statistics, Monforte had, as of December 31, 2018, a total population of 70 inhabitants, of whom 38 were men and 32 women. Regarding the year 2000, the census reflects 113 inhabitants, of which 76 were men and 47 women. Therefore, the loss of population in the municipality for the period 2000-2018 has been 43 inhabitants, a 38% decrease.

History

Traditional architecture

Church of San Miguel Archangel

Source

The foundation of Monforte de la Sierra is due to the repopulation process carried out by the kings of Leon in the Middle Ages in the Sierra de Francia. In this way, Monforte became part of the district of Miranda del Castañar after its creation by King Alfonso IX of León in 1213. With the creation of the current provinces in 1833, Monforte de la Sierra was included in the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region, a territorial assignment that has remained in force until today.

Monuments and places of interest

Water Path

The water path is a circular route of about 9 km that runs through the valley of the Milanos river, part of the town of Mogarraz and passes through Monforte de la Sierra to end again in Mogarraz. Some of the artistic works that can be seen are the one entitled K'oa, consisting of two metal cages, by the artist from Salamanca Miguel Poza, the one entitled Serena, by Virginia Calvo, allegory of a nymph with her tail rising in the forest, the titled Cruz de Mingo, by Florencio Maíllo or the metal chairs by Manuel Pérez de Arrilucea. The path also passes through a viewpoint from which you get a wide view of the town of Mogarraz in the middle of the valley and, as its name indicates, the water is the protagonist throughout the path as it crosses the Bocino river, by the footbridge of the Bocino, the Milano stream, by the Los Molinos and Pontón bridges.

Parish Church of San Miguel Arcángel

The Parish Church of Monforte de la Sierra is dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel.

Traditional architecture

Monforte has wooden houses following the traditional aesthetics of the architecture of the Sierra de Francia, with its typical tramoneras.

Illustrious people from Montfort

• Tomás González Hernández (1780-1833), was an outstanding archiver and scholar, a member of the Royal Academy of History since 1816. He worked as a maestrescuela of the Cathedral of Plasencia and later emphasized as the architect of the reorganization of the Royal Archive of Simancas after the War of Independence, highlighting his work Census of population of the Provinces and Parties of the Crown of Castile in the 16th centurywhich is the most important source to know the Spanish population at the time of the Austrias. He died in 1833.
• Felipe Maíllo Salgado, philologist, historian and Spanish novelist. For more than three decades he served as professor of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Salamanca.

Administration and politics

Municipal elections

The mayor of Monforte de la Sierra does not receive any type of financial benefit for his work as head of the town hall (2017).