Wine morals
Morales del Vino is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Zamora and the autonomous community of Castilla y León.
The municipality has a surface area of 23.68 km² and, according to data from the INE's 2017 municipal register, has a population of 2,950 inhabitants. At the beginning of the 1990s it only had 1,200 inhabitants, so it can be said that the town has experienced significant demographic growth since then, mainly due to the creation of residential areas near the city of Zamora. As a consequence, Morales has positioned itself as the fourth town in the province of Zamora by population, has significantly reduced its average age and is in a better purchasing power situation.
Morales has the hamlet or annex of Pontejos, a beautiful town located just 2 km away, described by some experts as one of the oldest towns in the south of the province of Zamora and the oldest in the region of Land of Wine.
Place name
The place name Moral, according to Riesco Chueca, responds to a traditional model of the Leon area, consisting of a tree name in the singular, feminine and with or without an article. This is how La Moral is frequent, with or without an article, as well as its diminutives, which preserve the feminine gender, of Latin tradition. In the province of Zamora, the place names Moral, Moraleja or Moralina are frequent. The origin of all of them is the totemic Morus nigra or black mulberry (Latin mōrus, -i), still called moral in a large part of the Leonese linguistic domain. This is a tree of ancient council tradition, frequently planted before many of the rural churches. In most cases, its diminutive form does not usually refer to a small moral, but to a town called Moral that is of lesser rank than another locality of the same name.
Faced with this theory, it is also indicated that in origin it could refer to people from Africa if we pay attention to the meaning derived from the Latin word 'maurus'; (Mauritanian), and this from the Greek 'mαῦρος' (maûros), meaning dark, alluding to the color of their skin.
"Of Wine" It is, as in many localities in the area, the geographical specification that in this case is necessary to differentiate it from other towns such as Morales de Toro, Morales de Valverde and Morales del Rey.
Symbols
The heraldic shield that represents the municipality was officially approved on February 11, 1999 with the following coat of arms:
« Half-gamed and cut. 1st silver leon rampant lined and nailed gules. 2.o gold vine fruit of siple. 3.o de gules hermit of silver. To the royal crown bell closed. »Official Gazette of Castile and Leon No. 238 of 13 December 1993
Physical environment
Situation
Morales del Vino is located about 7 km south of the city of Zamora, in the natural region of Tierra del Vino. Close to the towns of Pontejos, Entrala and El Perdigón. The town is situated at an altitude of 697 ms. no. m..
| Northwest: Zamora | North: Zamora | Northeast: Arcenillas |
| West: Get in. |  | This: House of the Chanas |
| Southwest: The Lost | South: Casaseca de Campeán | Sureste: Cazurra and bass fights |
Geography
It is an area with few trees, with small slopes corresponding to the fluvial terraces of the Duero valley. Due to the proximity to the river, there are irrigated areas with corn, beets and alfalfa, which maintain their greenness in summer, but most of the dry land, dedicated to cereals, legumes and sunflowers, turns yellow during the summer. It is an area with few trees, highlighting the Pontejos groves as the largest extensions of poplar groves and groves and the occasional grove near the town. Sporadically, walnut, almond, chestnut and poplar trees appear, and brambles and brooms abound on the edges and ravines.
Geology
Geologically, it settles in sedimentary zones of the Tertiary Era, generally conglomerates, marls and sandstones, with few rocky outcrops.
Wildlife
The wild fauna that can be found is made up of foxes, weasels, rabbits and hares, rodents and rarely a wild boar or snake. In addition, there are frogs and toads in the wet areas, as well as water snakes. Another element of the landscape, without being wild fauna, are the flocks of Castilian sheep that graze in the fields, especially in the border area with Pontejos.
Climate
The climate of Morales del Vino is typically continental Mediterranean, with little rainfall (400 l/m2 per year), concentrated in autumn and spring, and extreme temperatures, being able to exceed 40 °C in summer and below -10 °C in winter. Foggy days nestled in the Duero Valley are frequent in winter, keeping days very cold. In summer it is not uncommon for a storm to escape with electrical equipment and small waterspouts, but it is normal for rainfall to come from fronts and Atlantic storms. It also snows, usually once or twice a year during the month of January, associated with inlets from the North Pole.
History
This town has traditionally been known as Morales de Zamora, since ancient times it has been one of the most important nuclei of its judicial district, something to which its wealth of wine undoubtedly contributed.
During the Middle Ages, the town was integrated into the Kingdom of León, being repopulated by its monarchs. Thus, historically we know of the existence of Morales since the year 1106, the date of a donation of houses, vineyards and dovecotes located here. Another document with the same content is recorded in 1208 and a will from 1236 donates vineyards to the cathedral chapter. At the end of the s. XIII is mentioned in the Fuero de Zamora and in 1307 it is considered a village of Zamora, according to the deed of sale granted by María Miguélez.
Later, in the Modern Age, Morales formed part of the Partido del Vino of the province of Zamora, as reflected in 1773 by Tomás López in Map of the Province of Zamora. Thus, when the provinces were restructured and the current ones were created in 1833, the town remained in the province of Zamora, within the Leonesa Region, integrating in 1834 into the Judicial District of Zamora.
Finally, in 1971, the old municipality of Pontejos was integrated into that of Morales del Vino.
Demographics
Its demographic evolution is based on the following data: it had 245 residents at the end of the s. XVI; 300 two centuries later (according to undocumented sources), between 1,300 and 1,400 in 1857-60 (INE data, of which at least 1,300 were legal residents) and then fell to around 1,000 inhabitants according to the 1960 census. Today it has almost 3000 neighbors (2017).
The municipality, which has an area of 23.68 km², has 2,950 inhabitants and a density of 124.58 inhabitants/km² according to the municipal register for 2017 of the INE.
| Graphic of demographic evolution of Morales del Vino between 1842 and 2021 |
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Rule population (1842-1897, except 1857 and 1860, which is a de facto population) according to population censuses of the nineteenth century.Population of Law (1900-1991) or resident population (2001) according to population censuses of the INE. Population according to the 2011 and 2019 municipal standards of the INE. |
Monuments and traditional architecture of interest
Monuments in the town
Regarding religious architecture, the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción stands out, located on a plinth that accentuates towards the east as if it were the edge of a valley that had formed the little stream. It is possible that in this plinth there are remains of another or other previous constructions.
Its floor plan is rectangular, with three naves, separated by large arches and built in ashlar masonry, the construction of which was completed in 1522, which is why late Gothic architectural elements appear in it, such as the ribbed structure that crowns the main altar or the south portico. From later centuries is the bishop's chapel, whose name is due to the fact that it was dedicated to Manuel de Luelmo y Pinto, prelate of the diocese of Calahorra and La Calzada. Another important point to highlight in the church is its north portal, a rare example of Plateresque in the province of Zamora, and of important artistic value. Inside, the main altarpiece is of Renaissance or Mannerist art, a documented work by Juan de Montejo.
The baroque finds a good example of forms and reliefs in the bishop's chapel, and in the spectacular organ that, located in the choir or tribune, was made by Andrés Tamame in 1773 and preserves all the original pieces in good condition after having been restored by the General Council of Castilla y León in 1981. Finally, the Virgin of the Angels stands out inside, a work carried out by Alejo de Vahía at the end of the s. XV and consisting of a seated image on a throne, in which the child rests on the right knee, while two angels place a crown on the virgin's head.
In addition to the parish church and the Cristo de Morales hermitage, there were two other hermitages: Nuestra Señora and San Sebastián, in the center of town, and El Salvador, well prepared and rebuilt in 1708. The latter, that of El Salvador, was on the road to El Perdigón and a payment with that name is still known there today. The town also had a corn exchange and a hospital run by the Brotherhood of San Tirso, whose house was declared ruinous in 1839.
In terms of civil architecture, the palace of the Bishop of Luelmo y Pinto stands out, located on El Cortina street with a façade made of piedra de mollar from Salamanca (the typical yellowish or orange sandstone that makes up the houses of Tierra del Vino and neighboring Salamanca).
This façade has a symmetrical composition with respect to the entrance door in which there are also three coats of arms of the bishop's family (his own in the center), this symmetry is difficult to appreciate due to the unevenness of the street and its little width in relation to the length of the building's façade. It has a high-rise noble floor on a stone base of different tones and composition and on this other lower floor as an attic, storage room or warehouse.
Under the first floor, you can sense a huge cellar revealed by the two vents that the façade has, one on the plinth (the right one) and another on it (the left one).
Currently the palace is privately owned, but it is, except for a few specific elements, well preserved.
Traditional architecture in the village
In Morales you can find numerous emblazoned houses, among which the Bishop's Palace stands out, in "el cortinal", as well as other dwellings made of thick brick together with crushed stone around the doors and windows, as is the case in the house where Bishop Hernández was born.
There are also some daily houses of popular architecture in mud, adobe and "mollar" salmantina together with white lime plaster and/or mortar. Most of these houses are found on the main streets of the Old Town, such as (from more to less examples): Corrales street and Zamora street, Obispo Hernández street (also called Trascastillo street), El Cortinal street, the Calle Iglesia, Calle Oro, Calle del Castillo...
The town hall building is also noteworthy, which was a "manor house" particular that the city council acquired and transformed into municipal offices at the end of the last century. Behind it there is a beautiful patio with a brick archway on stone pillars currently known as "Patio del Flamencólogo José Blas Vega" due to the fact that the Flamenco Festival of the Land of Wine is held annually. The courtyard is normally used as a car park by the council workers and therefore, except for events held in it, it is usually closed to the general public.
Although they are not classified as monuments, the presence of buried cellars, fresh and beautiful, for the elaboration of the wine that gives the town its last name, is also noteworthy. Currently, due to the abandonment of wine production since the middle of the XX century, many of them are in disuse or, worse still, abandoned and/or buried (the latter circumstance that usually entails more problems than advantages for the new houses located on them). Despite their value as fundamental elements in the identity of the old town as well as their peculiarity, being constructions very uncommon in other populations, it is beginning to favor their enhancement and conservation. Today it is still possible to identify how important these constructions have been in the history of this town by observing how many houses in the "old town" They have cellar ventilation grills (or vents) close to ground level, in the baseboards, even in some cases blocked with mortar or pieces due to disuse of the cellar).
Monuments outside the town, in the municipal area
The town has the well-known hermitage of Cristo de Morales, located next to the Ruta de la Plata, inside which houses a medieval Christ who is the creator, every May 9, of the celebration of the Pilgrimage of Cristo de Morales, of great tradition and devotion not only in Morales, but also in its region of Tierra del Vino and in the city of Zamora itself, the latter located just 3 km from the hermitage. About the capital's devotion to this image, there is a well-known locution from Zamora that says: How many are there in Zamora who go to the Christ; and how many in Morales who have not seen him!, in clear reference to the devotion that there is in the city of Zamora to the Crucified Christ that is found there, a fervor that supposedly is not maintained by the inhabitants of Morales according to a popular saying that makes reference to the historical disputes between Moralinos and Zamoranos for the possession of the hermitage.
However, the non-festive nature of May 9 in the city of Zamorana has blurred a long pilgrimage tradition that brought together residents of Morales and Zamora in the hermitage and its adjacent meadow, the main consequence of which is a decrease appreciable in the number of pilgrims from the capital, which is why most of them are from Morales who are in charge of maintaining the special devotion to the Christ of Morales, the main demonstration being its popular Romería, among whose acts the procession of the Virgin stands out, accompanied by the playful snack in the beautiful wooded meadow of the hermitage.
Traditional architecture outside the town, in the municipal area
Outside the town there are many fields dedicated to agricultural cultivation, many of them with small huts of little importance. As it is rainfed land, in Morales as in other towns on dry land (eg Tierra del Pan, Monfarracinos...), a peculiar element of the area appears again rarely seen in other places such as the Buchina . The Buchina is a generally circular construction (from 5 to 10 meters in diameter) similar to a swimming pool but barely excavated below the ground (except for the Buchinas-wells) and protruding 1 to 2 meters above this entity. In it, the water extracted from nearby wells was stored as a pond or pool to later use it to irrigate the crops on the land (which is why many are located in the center of the land). Also in the summer months it was common to use them as swimming pools by their owners.
Today, modern irrigation methods have made this peculiar element practically useless, most of it falling into abandonment and/or ruin. If we observe the Moralino municipality by aerial photo and orthophoto, it will not be difficult for us to observe these elements in the middle of large lands with trees next to them or even within them.
The word "buchina" as well as the construction to which it refers, are one of the most peculiar localisms in the south of the province of Zamora, hardly heard outside of it. Another very clear example in the area is the word "encholar": fit a ball on a roof or garden (also heard in other Spanish rural areas).
Parties and events
Fiestas del Cristo (May 1 - 9, 10 and 11)
The main festivities in the town coincide with the first half of May.
The 1st of May begins with the traditional putting of the May for the Quintos of the current year. The acts of this popular festivity consist of a previous preparation phase, consisting of the felling, clearing and transfer of a green tree (usually a poplar) to a farm near the pavilion, schools and gas station of the town. The act itself begins at 12:00 a.m., at which time the Fifths proceed to place, in collaboration with the rest of the Moralinos, the tree cut in the hole that the protagonists of this festival have previously prepared. Once definitively placed, the Quintos offer a chocolate to the attendees and, in recent years, the party continues in the municipal hall with a festival, dance or mobile disco.
From May 1 to 8, a series of masses take place in the Cristo, generally around 7 pm, which serve as preparation for the big day, they are colloquially called "Novenas" in addition to other "rogatives".
On the night of May 8, a festival is held in the Prairie del Cristo in which the Quintos offer a bar service in their traditional booth.
May 9, "Día del Cristo," is the great festivity of Morales. The Moralinos in early procession accompany their patron saint, the Virgin of the Assumption, from the parish church to the hermitage of Christ. The march, enlivened by the town band, can be considered to consist of & # 34; the visit of the mother to her son & # 34;, led by any inhabitant who offers to collaborate. The procession speeds up during its journey along the road, except at a milestone marked by a cross where the whole town sings a prayer according to an ancient tradition. Once the Virgin arrives at the hermitage, she is placed next to the Christ and the High Mass takes place. Subsequently, the events take place in the attached meadow, where all attendees can enjoy the market, the children's games, the terraces and bars (among which the Quintos stands out for its popularity) or the wooded landscape among which It is tradition to have a snack. The acts in the meadow culminate at 9:00 p.m. with the farewell to the Virgin and her return in procession to the town. Subsequently, and to culminate the day, natives and foreigners are offered the traditional festival or dance that usually takes place in the municipal pavilion.
On the 10th, "Christ Day" and on the 11th, "foreigners day", together with the following weekend, various activities take place such as meals for all attendees, dances, children's games, matches between singles and married couples, bowling competitions, exhibitions of motorcycles or vintage cars, bullfights and "vaca prix" and other activities that culminate on the last day with a closing of fireworks.
Festival of the Quintos (May 1-11 and January 5-6)
Other festivities that Morales celebrates are Los Quintos, which begins with the Festividad de los Mayos and the caseta de los quintos, continuing at Christmas with the Christmas bonus on the eve of Three Kings Day, and playing and dancing through the streets on the day Three Kings after mass, with dancing at dusk.
Cultural Week in Summer (August)
In summer (at the end of August) the "Cultural Week" is celebrated, which includes the annual celebration of the Flamenco Festival of the Land of Wine a bicycle route by all the residents to the neighboring town of Pontejos with chocolate and a raffle for bicycles around the corner (at the end of August), nightly dances and a Judo exhibition among other activities, as well as entertainment for the clubs.
Other celebrations
You can also find specific less renowned celebrations, but which follow ancient traditions, such as Santa Águeda on February 5, in which the Águedas dressed in their traditional clothing walk through the town encouraging the neighbors and asking for a donation; San Isidro, on May 15, Corpus Christi in June or the Holy Week processions (the Cristo de Morales Bugle and Drum Band participates) in the town, or Fonfala Day, on Pentecost, which is still celebrated with a snack and games in the prairie of the Christ, although formerly it was held in "la Fonfala", a place with a natural meadow and a spring near "la Corneja".
Economy
The town currently has numerous companies from various sectors, highlighting the agri-food sector. Most of the establishments dedicated to the service sector are located on Calle la Solana (next to the N-630).
Hotels and restaurants
In hotels, you can find a wide variety of places to eat or dine, from fast food to haute cuisine, including the most traditional dishes of the area, such as good cod, stew or good lamb or beef from the province. You can have tapas and coffees, as well as a few drinks at night. Thus, it has 7 establishments of this type (Bar Ceis, Bar Barbelú, Bar Lovdrin, Bar La Solana, Bar Maikel, the Pool Bar and the Retirees Bar), most of them located on La Solana street.
Wholesale food distribution
National supermarkets have settled in the town, such as the Día and Lupa chains, both on Calle la Solana
Food manufacturing
In the town there are factories of some of the best cheeses of the D.O. Zamorano cheese (Vicente Pastor in the center of town and Marcos Conde next to the N-630), sausages and hams, sweets and bread.
Industry
In terms of industry, there is a small industrial estate next to the N-630 where some companies are based (Cortizo, Aspiraciones Zamoranas, Cárnicas Díaz de Zamora...). Since 2010, an attempt has been made to promote the creation of a new Industrial Estate near the previous one but next to the North access to the Town (next to the cemetery), despite the low demand and the current crisis has stopped this project.
Small business
In the town there are also workshops, carpentry, marble, furniture factory, food stores (self-service Ana, Casado Butcher, Jose Miguel Butcher), clothing stores, kiosks, dentist, veterinarian, pharmacy, bazaar...
Others
Next to the N-630 on both sides we can find several banks and savings banks (Caja España, Caja Rural de Zamora, La Caixa, Banco Santander)
In the access to the town from Zamora, to the left, in addition to the center of the Association for the Protection of the Mentally Disabled (Asprosub), is the Technical Vehicle Inspection Station (ITV) that serves the area (including the capital).
Public centers
The Morales del Vino Town Hall is located in an old house in the Plaza de la Ermita, at the exit from Calle Cortinal, where the offices of the Justice of the Peace, Secretary, Medical Office and the offices of the city hall.
Morales del Vino has a public school, independent from the C.R.A. Moral of Wine, where you can study up to 6th grade.
The Multiple Use Building, owned by the City Council, also has a computer room with free ADSL internet connection and a Public Library that is open on weekday afternoons. Also in the Plaza is the Post Office and other dependencies of the town hall.
There is also a residence for the elderly, a residence for the mentally handicapped (ASPROSUB) and a day center for them, a SACYL doctor's office with two doctors, a nursery, a club for retirees and the town hall organizes various workshops job placement in the Multi-Use Building in the Plaza Mayor. The health center has already been built.
It also has a sports area, where we find soccer, basketball, tennis, paddle tennis courts and the Municipal Gymnasium, and a heated pool.
Communications and infrastructures
They have been crucial for its development and comfort of the population.
Railway
Since 1985 it has been a siding, but Morales del Vino has a train station shared with the neighboring town of El Perdigón, on the section of the Ruta de la Plata railway line between Salamanca and Zamora. Currently by train, the closest station in operation is Zamora.
Roads in a private vehicle
The town of Morales del Vino can be reached by road from Zamora or Salamanca via the N-630 (kilometre point 285), a road that crosses the middle of the town.
Road communications with Valladolid (103 km) and Madrid (257 km) are possible via the A-11 Duero highway in two ways: taking the highway directly in Zamora (through the Aldehuela highway), or by first taking the A-66 from the N-630 (before crossing the second bridge, next to the sehuace) and exiting at exit 277 (Zamora, Valladolid and Portugal) which connects the A-66 with the A-11.
From Zamora, and towards Portugal, you can go from Zamora along the N-122 towards Braganza (120 km) and through the autonomous highway of Zamora-Fermoselle and Ricobayo-Miranda do Douro.
Currently, the Ruta de la Plata A-66 has just been opened, which borders the town on the east, and leaves a roundabout at Cruz de Piedra as possible entrances to the town (only for the Salamanca direction ->Valladolid), a link to the south, Exit 289 near Cazurra (east for both directions). Another possibility of a northern connection is a connection before the first taking the roundabout that leads to "Zamora Este" (Exit 281), heading towards the city and taking the N-630 just after passing the bridge over it (also for both directions).
Roads by public transport (bus)
Communication by bus is possible with the capital of Zamora as well as with Salamanca through the Zamora-Salamanca line in its "Normal" which also provides service to various municipalities via the N-630 (the Express modality only stops in Zamora and Salamanca). Its frequency varies between one and two hours depending on the day of the week and the time of the day itself (check schedules on the web)
Roads by public transport (taxi)
The taxi connection from Zamora usually costs about 10 euros. There are several companies that can cover the service
Bike and bike lanes
Morales del Vino participates in the program "Zamora lends you the bike" of the Zamora City Council for which several bicycles are made available to citizens in parking lots arranged by the capital to which is added one in the Moralino municipality located next to the bus stop on the N-630.
At the same time, a route has been established between both towns, which is not a regular bike lane but a cycle path made by means of a mere signaling along conventional sidewalks and rural roads that, depending on the time of year, may turn out to be conditioned for a comfortable transit by bicycle mainly due to weather conditions. It can be consulted in section, along with other routes here.
Others
Arrival on foot is rare given the current times, however it is possible to get comfortably from the center of Zamora to Morales in an hour and a half.
If you prefer to arrive by plane, the nearest international airport is Valladolid (110 km). There is another one closer in Salamanca (75 km) but it is national.
Assorted photos
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