The Causeway of Béjar

La Calzada de Béjar 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 Béjar region. It belongs to the judicial district of Béjar.

Its municipal area is made up of a single population center, it occupies a total area of 9.46 km² and according to the demographic data collected in the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2017, it has a population of 87 inhabitants.

Demographics

Graphic of demographic evolution of La Calzada de Béjar between 1900 and 2022

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

History

Upon his death, Alfonso VII of León established the border located to the south of the council of Salvatierra in the Quinea or de la Plata road. La Calzada de Béjar, then simply Calzada, being located to the west of the Vía de la Plata, formed part of the Kingdom of León and the Diocese of Coria, a fact that lasted at least until the XIX, since it still appears as a town of the Caurian bishopric in the Madoz Dictionary in the XIX. At that time, the street located to the east of the Vía de la Plata was called Casas de la Calzada and, theoretically, it depended on Plasencia in ecclesiastical matters, although since it did not have its own church, its parish for all intents and purposes was that of La Calzada, and therefore the Diocese. of Coria.

In this way, from the beginning of the XIII century and throughout the Middle Ages, this territory was part of the council of Montemayor del Río being in a border situation, and outside the Community of Villa and Tierra de Béjar. Later, with the structuring of the province of Salamanca into judicial districts, La Calzada remained within the district of Béjar, giving it the last name 'de Béjar'. to the locality to distinguish it from other localities such as Calzada de Don Diego.

Finally, in the division of 1833 in which the current provinces were created, La Calzada was integrated into the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region.

Transportation

The municipality is very well connected by road, with several local roads that connect it with other surrounding municipalities and being crossed by the SA-220 road that connects Ciudad Rodrigo with Béjar, at the link with the Ruta de la Plata highway that connects Gijón with Seville, thus allowing faster communications between the municipality and the exterior.

As far as public transport is concerned, after the closure of the Vía de la Plata railway route, which passed through the municipality of Béjar 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 Béjar. On the other hand, Salamanca airport is the closest, being about 80km away.

Monuments and places of interest

Hermitage of the Christ of Mercy.

• Church of Our Lady of Assumption.
• Hermitage of the Most Holy Christ of Mercy.
• Roman foreground of La Calzada de Béjar.

Culture

Parties

The patron saint festivities of La Calzada de Béjar are on August 31, when the festival of San Ramón Nonato is celebrated.

The other festival that La Calzada de Béjar has is celebrated on September 14, it is the festival of Christ, in which in the afternoon there is an offertory and, after nightfall, the neighbors take the Christ in procession offering songs to the houses that so wish.

Administration and politics

Municipal elections