Wild

Vilvestre 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 La Ribera (Las Arribes). It belongs to the judicial district of Vitigudino.

The viewpoint of Cerro del Castillo, Mount Gudín, the church, the roll of justice, the Luisa mill and the La Barca dock are the most outstanding places in this municipality of the Arribes del Duero natural park, which in turn is part of the transboundary biosphere reserve known as Meseta Ibérica. It is made up of a single population center, occupies a total area of 46.52 km² and according to data from the municipal register prepared by the INE in 2017, it has a population of 436 inhabitants.

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 all, silver with a siple olive oil, ripped, snail and fruity, placed on sugar waves. Second, of gold with a castle of gules, surmounted from a cross of Santiago of the same. To the bell, the Spanish Royal Crown»

Official State Gazette No. 112 of 10 May 1997

Flag

The municipal flag was approved with the following textual description:

« Rectangular flag of proportions 2:3, white with the shield of Vilvestre in the center»

Geography

Vilvestre is located in the natural park of Arribes del Duero and in the northwest of the province of Salamanca. It limits to the west with the Duero River, which acts as a natural border separating it from Portugal. It is 96 km from Salamanca capital.

It is part of the La Ribera region. It belongs to the Centro Duero Commonwealth and 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: Mazouco (Portugal)	North: Mieza	Northeast: Cerezal de Peñahorcada
West: Freixo de Espada à Cinta (Portugal)		This: Barruecopardo
Southwest: Freixo de Espada à Cinta (Portugal)	South: Saucelle	Sureste: Barruecopardo

Accesses

Vilvestre is accessed from the charro capital along the CL-517 regional highway, from Salamanca to La Fregeneda. Arriving at Vitigudino, turn off the Provincial Highway DSA-560, from Vitigudino to Mieza to El Milano. From El Milano we can either turn off on the DSA-572, of the secondary network of the Provincial Council, to Barruecopardo and from here on the DSA-575 to Vilvestre, or continue from El Milano, on the DSA-560, to Cerezal de Peñahorcada and there take the paved road CM-VI-1, from Cerezal to Vilvestre, traveling in both cases a total distance of 96 km from Salamanca.

Communications with bordering peoples

City of Vilvestre

The Duero from Portugal

• Mieza through the GR-14 hiking route or the CM-VI-1 asphalt road to Peñahorcada Cerezal and from there take the DSA-560 road to Mieza.
• Peñahorcada Cerezal through the asphalt road CM-VI-1.
• Barruecopardo through the road DSA-575.
• Saucelle through the hiking route GR-14 and the road DSA-576
• Freixo de Espada à Cinta by road go to Saucelle by the DSA-576 and follow 1 km more, approximately by this same road. Then you take the detour that goes to the right and goes down to the Saucelle Fall. When you arrive at the end of the port you turn to the right by the DSA-590, once in it you take the first exit to the left towards the Dam, and you cross it. You're still on this same road for about 1.5 km. Finally you turn right when you arrive at EN221 and continue along this road until you reach Freixo de Espada à Cinta.

Topography

The topography of the municipality of Vilvestre could be defined in general as gently undulating in the northern and eastern part of the municipality, increasing the slopes towards the southern and western part.

The average altitude of the area is 592 meters above sea level, highlighting the Homomula hill with 791 meters as the highest point, descending in the Duero river to 190 meters, which is the normal maximum level from the Saucelle reservoir.

Climate

Vilvestre has a continental Mediterranean climate softened by the proximity of the Duero River and the relative low altitude of the municipality in the context of the northern plateau. It is a Csa (temperate with dry and hot summer) according to the Köppen climate classification. Due to these climatic conditions you can find orange, prickly pear, olive and peach trees.

Vilvestre's average climate parameters in the period 1977-1999
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Average temperature (°C)	5.3	7.3	10.3	11.3	14.4	19.6	23.5	23.7	21.1	15.1	9.9	6.6	14.0
Total precipitation (mm)	71.0	63.8	35.8	58.0	75.2	37.2	16.7	18.9	44.80	77.3	82.6	85.2	666.5
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Hydrography

Vilvestre belongs to the Duero hydrographic basin, this being the main hydrographic accident in the municipality. The streams are of little importance, with a highly variable flow after channeling the runoff and spring waters depending on the season and rainfall, highlighting the La Nava stream, the Fuentesalsa stream, the Las Payitas stream and the Los presses These streams usually dry up regularly in summer due to lack of rainfall.

Paraje de La Barca

Groundwater water resources are not very relevant and are associated with shallow aquifers, such as springs, wells and ponds, which are used both for supplying the population, although this is complemented by a supply network from of the Almendra dam, as to water the livestock in extensive regime.

Transportation

Regarding passenger transport by bus, the company Arribes Bus S.L. It offers road services between the municipality and different provincial and regional destinations, such as Salamanca or Vitigudino. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it leaves Salamanca at 1:15 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays only at 1:15 p.m. From Vilvestre it leaves on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 07:30 and 15:00. Tuesdays and Thursdays only at 7:30 a.m. Another line departs from Vilvestre to Vitigudino on Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.

The closest railway line is the Salamanca-Valladolid line.

As far as air transport is concerned, the closest airport is Salamanca, located between the towns of Machacón, Calvarrasa de Abajo and Villagonzalo de Tormes, 116 kilometers from Vilvestre. Likewise, the other options are closer They are the airports of Valladolid and Madrid, located 223 and 330 kilometers away respectively.

In 2011, the municipality had a total of 296 motor vehicles, of which 198 are passenger cars, 77 trucks and 14 motorcycles. They represent 404.1 automobiles per 1,000 inhabitants. The closest Vehicle Technical Inspection points are in the provincial capital and in Vitigudino.

Economy

Penguinism in the Duero

Its economy is based mainly on livestock, agriculture and the processing industry (Cheese Factory). In addition, tourism is also developing with the opening in recent years of several rural houses as well as a rural tourism center, and the promotion of tourist activities with the construction of new viewpoints, the marking of new hiking routes, river routes by the Duero river, and the municipal offer of two museums, and a hostel.

Land consolidation

The land consolidation of the Vilvestre area (Salamanca) was declared of Public Utility and Urgent Execution by Agreement 18/2008, of March 13, of the Junta de Castilla y León.

The Provisional Bases were published on March 31, 2012, and the term to submit Claims ended on May 10, 2012.

The Final Bases were approved by Resolution of the General Directorate of Agricultural Production and Rural Development dated June 2, 2014, submitting to a public survey for a period of 30 business days, a period of time that ended on August 2 of 2014, term in which a single appeal was filed against them, which was resolved by Order of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of the Junta de Castilla y León dated May 4, 2016. The Final Bases were declared firm on May 5 of the same year.

The Land Concentration Project was approved by the Head of the Territorial Service of Agriculture and Livestock of Salamanca on September 13, 2016. The exposition of the Concentration Project began on September 14, 2016 with the insertion of the corresponding notice in the notice board of the Town Hall, extending the period for submitting allegations for a period of 30 business days, ending said period on October 25, 2016.

It is currently in the Agreement phase, having been published on February 15, 2019. The deadline for filing an Appeal ended on March 29, 2019.

The perimeter of the land concentration zone affects an area of 4,282 hectares, contributed by 536 owners, in 6,009 parcels. 1,155 replacement farms have been assigned. The civil works for the new roads are underway to provide access to the plots, as well as the placement of milestones that will delimit the perimeter of the new plots.

History

Alfonso IX de León donated Vilvestre to the Archbishop of Santiago in 1192

The foundation of Vilvestre dates back to the XII century, within the repopulation process undertaken in the area by the kings of León, probably being repopulated with people from Vilviestre del Pinar, in Tierra de Lara, current province of Burgos, according to the medievalist Ángel Barrios. In the province of Soria, in the current municipality of Royo, we find another Vilviestre, this one and the previous one from nearby Tierra de Lara, are located in the Iberian System area, around the Sierra de la Demanda and the Picos de Urbión. Likewise, in the suburbs of the city of Burgos there is a third Vilviestre (de Muñó), which is part of the municipality of Estépar.^{[citation required]}

Be that as it may, its repopulation, what is documented is the donation of Vilvestre with its term to the Archbishopric of Santiago in 1192 by King Alfonso IX of León, the town becoming part of the diocese of León de Santiago, which grouped the Leonese territories of said Order, not becoming part of the diocese of Salamanca until the XVI century.

On the other hand, the area of Las Arribes del Duero was fortified between the second half of the XII century and the beginning of the XIII once Portugal became independent from the Kingdom of León in 1143, Vilvestre being one of the fortified towns to defend the Leon border. Likewise, along with Vilvestre, other castles and fortresses were erected in Barruecopardo (prior to 1212), Mieza, Aldeadávila (most of the Keep is preserved, although it has been increased), Masueco and Pereña, in some cases part of them has been reused. in parish churches. Part of them later passed to the infantry of Don Pedro de Molina.

Later, in the XV century, Vilvestre, like most of the historical territory of Leon, sided with Juana la Beltraneja, in the civil war opened between the latter and Isabella the Catholic for the thrones of León and Castilla, her castle being defended by the Juanista troops until the defeat of said side, being in the century XVII ruined the castle of Vilvestre in the attack that the Portuguese troops made to the town during the Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668).

Southern Detail of the Lion Kingdom on the map The Spagna 1680, where Vilvestre can be observed

In another order of things, the expulsion of the Jews dictated by the Catholic Monarchs had one of its notable phases in these lands: «Likewise, the justices of Ledesma received orders to go to Pereña, or wherever necessary, to arrest Pedro de Miranda, who was a smuggler for the Jews off the designated paths, and García de Ledesma, and Pedro Herrero, who had tried to kill Alonso de Sejas, who was in charge of ensuring that the Jews were allowed to leave through the stipulated paths for such a thing in the term of the aforementioned town -Ledesma- and in Vilvestre ». And Queen Isabella the Catholic ordered him to be arrested and executed in 1481, and the chronicler Pulgar tells us: "Forty-six fortresses were demolished then, and twenty later: Pedro de Miranda and Marshal Pero Pardo were executed as the main criminals...&#3. 4;. Facts that prove the existence of an important community of Jews in Vilvestre.

During the pontificate of Clemente VII, the possession of the villas of Vilvestre, Yecla de Yeltes, Vitigudino and Palacios del Arzobispo was resolved in favor of the see of Salamanca; being Francisco de Bobadilla (1510-1529) the first bishop who possessed them.

Vilvestre has always been linked to the Duero. The Cadastre of the Ensenada places it to the west of this term and Madoz (Geographic, Statistical and Historical Dictionary) explains how the natives crossed it by boat in the middle of the last century. And the four blue bands placed at the point allude to this river. Given the microclimate of this municipal term, fruit trees have always abounded, dedicating a large part of the territory to the cultivation of olive trees. There is a fairly large area known as Los Olivares. That is why there is an olive tree on the shield.

This town, according to Father Morán (Historical-artistic review of the province of Salamanca), together with Yecla, Moronta and Palacios de Arzobispo, belonged to the Archbishopric of Compostela. This is the reason why the Cross-Sword of Santiago appears on his shield. It was famous for its castle on the border with Portugal, and it seems that it was ruled by Ruy Gómez de Silva, prince of Éboli. The response 23 of the generals of the cadastre of Ensenada says verbatim "that this Town and its council enjoy as their own a ruined fort that they call the castle" (date of June 28, 1752). In the 18th century it was already a useless defense, surely it would be put out of action in the Civil War. A popular saying, contemporary to the time of the fortification, when walls and curtains with pink stone were raised. The most certain thing is that the construction outside the bastioned lines and a room was destined for the chapel of the Virgin. Our Lady of the Castle, which in 1757 had its own hermitage, surely came from the fortress.

The Vilvestre Roll

With the creation of the current provinces in 1833, Vilvestre was included in the province of Salamanca, within the Leonese Region.

Monuments and places of interest

• The Neolithic workshop, located at the top of the municipality, consists of cave paintings, is the second most important workshop found in Europe.
• The roll, sculpted cross in granite located in front of the fronton also made in granite.
• The Church of Our Lady of Assumption begun to build in the centuryXVI being part of Gothic style and another Renaissance part, it also highlights its altarpiece.
• The Chapel of the Castle, located on the top of the hill of the same name, where the remains of the old castle are located.
• The Museo-Biblioteca Casa de los Frailes where among other temporary exhibitions we will find prehistoric and pieces by Professor Luis Benito del Rey.
• Molino de la Luisa, a restored mill that can be seen in operation for a few days of the year, uses the waters of the Nava stream.
• La Barca, located on the banks of the river Duero is an area where besides enjoying the best landscape, and a pleasant microclimate, you can also enjoy the boat trips that are carried out by the Duero.

Viewpoints

View from the viewpoint of the Castle

Cemetery

Hermitage of the Virgin of the Castle

The «Castillo viewpoints» are a set of two viewpoints located in the surroundings of the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Castillo. They are located at the top of the hill from which all of Vilvestre can be seen, near the remains of the old castle of the town. A security barrier has been set up to observe the arrivals of the Duero and it has an information point on the different points of tourist interest in that area. On the hill is the hermitage, the remains of the castle that are still preserved, a cave group and a dovecote that crowns it.

The “El Reventón de La Barca viewpoint” is the most modern and equipped. It is found going down the pass towards the area of La Barca from Vilvestre, at kilometer 1.5 of the VLV-424 road. The viewpoint is located inside a 180 degree curve that is steeper than the other sections of the road at this location. In it, an area with seats has been set up in which you can observe the landscape and in which some explanatory murals of the environment have been placed. It is completely accessible by car and for people in wheelchairs.

The “Monte Gudín viewpoint” is located on top of the hill of the same name, from which you get a wide view of the Duero. It does not have murals or any information point. To access it you have to follow the indicated path that starts from the ball court. Sometimes access by car is closed because the viewpoint is a private communal property. When this happens, you have to park your car at the entrance to the Monte Gudín farm located 0.7 km from the viewpoint and continue walking. If the access to the farm were open, we would continue along the path to the houses on the mountain. From there, in those last meters, it cannot be accessed by any vehicle, so the last stretch must be done on foot.

Hiking

In the municipality of Vilvestre there are several marked hiking trails so that those who wish can hike along them.

In addition, the Vilvestre City Council annually organizes the Arribes del Duero Hiking March on the second Sunday of March to publicize some corners that are not usually covered by pre-established trails.

Demographics

This population structure is due to emigration that took place since the end of the XIX century, when the number of inhabitants reached its historical maximum. From then on the population began to move mainly to America and, later to Europe and other regions of Spain and the province of Salamanca. The process accelerated from the 1960s due to the low profitability of farms in a modern economy and the scarcity of alternatives in the area, among others due to the closure of the Barruecopardo tungsten mine. Emigration not only caused a significant depopulation, but also the aging of the population as seen in the population pyramid. In addition, a large depopulation is taking place, with a loss of 28.93% of the population during the XXI century; Unlike what happened between 1960 and 1981, in which there was a historical drop of more than 50% of the population due to emigration, in this case the drop in population is due to mortality, mainly caused by the aging population.

From the data of the 2015 population pyramid, it can be seen that the population under 20 years of age is 4.92% of the total, that between 20-40 years is 17.23%, that between 40 -60 years is 23.27% and those over 60 years is 54.59%.

Graphic of demographic evolution of Vilvestre between 1857 and 2021

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

Administration and politics

The current Municipal Corporation of Vilvestre was elected in the municipal elections held on May 26, 2019, taking office on June 15, 2019, and is led by Juan Ángel Gorjón Martín, a member of Alternativa por Vilvestre, which governs with a simple majority, having 3 of the 7 members of the Corporation. The rest of the councilors belong 3 to the Popular Party and 1 to Ciudadanos.

Previous mayors since 1979 were Casimiro Hernández Calvo (1979-1995), José Manuel Guarido Mateos (1995-2007) and Manuel Domínguez Hernández (2007-2019).

Municipal elections

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

Featured Vilvestrinos

Blessing of fields

• Juan Fernández de Recalde (1555-1612), a Spanish colonial magistrate and official who held high judicial and academic positions in the Viceroy of Peru. He studied at the Colegio Mayor de Santiago, the Zebedee of the University of Salamanca, where he studied the degree of Doctor in Laws.

Culture

Parties

• San Sebastian, January 20.
• Virgin of the Castle, May 17, or nearest Saturday.
• Bullfights, last weekend of August.