Penarandilla

Peñarandilla is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It is integrated into the region of Tierra de Alba. It belongs to the Salamanca judicial district and to the Rutas de Alba and Tierras del Tormes communities.

Its municipal area is made up of a single population center, occupies a total area of 12.73 km² and according to the demographic data collected in the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2021, it has a population of 175 inhabitants.

Symbols

The flag and shield were adopted on October 1, 2019 after a historical memory study process written by the specialist Ricardo Gil Turrión.

Shield

The heraldic shield that represents the municipality was approved on May 16, 2019 with the following coat of arms:

"The shield is composed of a red grid that represents the Mudejar art of the area. Also by a lion representing the Kingdom of Leon, in addition to another grid, in this case blue, symbol of the House of Alba. The composition is completed with a book and a pen, representation of the last travels of St. Theresa"

Official Gazette of Castile and Leon No. 144 of 29 July 2019

Flag

The flag is made up of a grid and a yellow feather referring to Mudejar art and Saint Teresa of Jesus.

« Square flag composed of 27 scales, 14 reds and 13 whites, with the upper scam of the yellow pen-painted top»

Official Gazette of Castile and Leon No. 144 of 29 July 2019

Toponymy

The first way in which the town is documented dates from December 18, 1217, in a letter from King Alfonso IX of León made in Salamanca, in which he mentions the current Peñarandilla with the name of Penaranda de Sordos. Three decades later, in 1244, the town appears simply as Penaranda, a name from which it later evolved into Peñaranda. Finally, given the greater magnitude of the nearby Peñaranda de Bracamonte, the diminutive -illa would have been added to the locality, giving rise to the current place name of Peñarandilla.

Demographics

According to the National Statistics Institute, as of January 1, 2021, Peñarandilla had a total population of 175 inhabitants, of whom 95 were men and 80 were women. Regarding the year 2000, the census reflects 279 inhabitants, of which 135 were men and 144 women. Therefore, the loss of population in the municipality for the period 2000-2021 has been 104 inhabitants, a 37% decrease.

Graphic of demographic evolution of Peñarandilla between 1900 and 2022

Data according to the nomenclator published by the INE.

History

Church interior.

Consistorial house.

Its foundation dates back to the repopulation carried out by the kings of León in the Middle Ages, the period from which its church dates, in a Mudejar Romanesque style, the town being integrated into the jurisdiction of Alba de Tormes, within the Kingdom of León, naming itself in the XIII century "Penaranda". With the creation of the current provinces in 1833, Peñarandilla was framed in the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region, forming part of the judicial district of Alba de Tormes until its disappearance and its integration into that of Salamanca.

Culture

Parties

The patron saint of Peñarandilla is Our Lady of the Assumption, her feast day is commemorated on August 15. It is also celebrated on Lord's Sunday (Sunday after Corpus Christi) as a local holiday. On May 15, a spiritual celebration is held in honor of all the Farmers and Ranchers of said town.

Administration and politics

Municipal elections