Cordobilla de Lácara is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 1023 inhabitants.
Status
It is situated in the foothills of the Sierra de San Pedro, surrounded by meadows and olive groves, which provide the main means of work and economy to the people of Cordobilla. The township borders the province of Cáceres and Mérida term. Belongs to the region of Tierra de Mérida - Vegas Low and judicial Party Montijo.
Part of the Commonwealth of Northern Lácara, comprising stocks Carmonita, La Nava de Santiago, La Roca de la Sierra, Puebla de Obando y Cordobilla of Lácara.
Dista 44 km from Mérida. The nearest towns are La Nava de Santiago Carmonita 12 km and 9 km.
Geography
Cordobilla of Lácara sits on the right margin Lácara River, a tributary of the Guadiana River. Being in a valley located in the municipality access is always from higher areas.
It is the geographical unity of the Sierra de San Pedro, Sierra de Montánchez, both belonging to the Los Montes de Toledo. This causes the surrounding territory is exponent of the Mediterranean forest, rich oak, cork trees, thickets, and scrub typical of the meadows.
To the south runs the river Lácara between fertile lands, pastures, olive groves and pastures. The north will make up the foothills of the Sierra de San Pedro, an area of great beauty and difficult access. And to the east and west are pastures with oak trees between plains and mountains.
This environment allows an ecosystem rich in fauna and flora, diversified since the emergence of the wetlands, adding new natural and plant species that never existed before because of its dependence on water.
Western climate is very strong, with high temperatures in summer and plenty of water and low temperatures in autumn and winter. This marks a changing landscape throughout the year.
Abound in these large pastures mediente exploited game species like deer and wild boar and other protected natural habitat found here such as black vultures, golden eagles and imperial Iberian.
Except for the areas near the river, the land is unproductive, mostly clay, which does not allow intensive cultivation agriculture.
Economy
Agriculture is the main means of livelihood. Focuses on livestock sheep, goats and pigs. Agricultural production is mainly based on olive oil extracted from their olive groves, cereals and exploitation of pastures.
Oil production revolves around the borders of the Country Co-operative Society "The Lácara", which brings together the vast majority of oil producers in the town, mostly olive smallholders. The oil produced is of high quality, prestigious awards worldwide. So it has been awarded as the best organic oil virgin Extremadura and has been third and best organic virgin olive oil cooperatives in Spain in competition held in Cordoba.
Most of the production of olives that are then transformed into acit Verdial belong to the variety, which gives oil trade name "Verdial Lácara."
Another major area economic activity is "out of Cork" which takes place in the summer. Cork is produced by the numerous oaks of the Mediterranean forest parkland of Lácara Cordobilla bathe. In the summer months the bag is made of cork, which is "stripping" the tree of your siding, the bark of the cork oak is pure. After their manufacture has many applications, one of the main ones cork for bottling wine.
The "sacaores" (terminology of Extremadura) are people with a high degree of specialization in this work, and that requires great skill, strength and expertise, and higher level is reached after years of learning. He is currently a work in disuse in the rest of Spain, so that "sacaores" Extremadura, and many of the region of Cordobilla of Lácara out on the dates indicated to give their services across the geography of the Iberian Peninsula.
Extremadura is the leading producer of cork in Spain because it is the region with the Mediterranean forest area in Europe. The main producer in the Portugal international.
The activity in industrial and tertiary sectors is minimal, although they represent a growing number in the population of the town.
Etymology
The etymological origin of Lácara Cordobilla from Arabic, in association with the first settlements before the victory. His name is associated with the city of Córdoba, as the nearest town (Carmonita to 11 miles away. Later it was conquered by the Order of Santiago, and became a dependency of Mérida, a city near you.
Assuming birth to the Muslim way of the Iberian Peninsula, would be under the mandate of the capital (current Badajoz) whose first caliph was Ibn Marwan al-Chilliqui. In this first time the caliphate was very independent of Cordoba, which became part years later.
After the disintegration of the Caliphate, capital of Badajoz was one of the largest taifas Peninsula (independent to 1022), the Taifa of Badajoz, playing an important role as a cultural center at the time, mainly during aftasíes government.
The town sits beside the River Lácara, hence the name of the town, a tributary of the Guadiana River.
For years the prevailing idea that Cordovilla written with V because it was thought that the etymology came from Cordo and Villa.
It is still difficult to know what the real etymology, and in recent times is believed more closely related to the Arab and Andalusian city of Cordoba. Although no documents or research to prove either theory.
History
In the fall of the ancien regime is constituted Cordobilla constitutional municipality in the region of Extremadura. From 1834 became part of the judicial district of Mérida. In the 1842 census had 99 households and 340 residents. [2
Heritage
Dolmen
Near Cordobilla is the Dolmen of Lácara, an important megalithic construction, which could be the biggest in Europe that is known of its time.
Lácara dolmen is one of the largest and most beautiful you can see in Extremadura. It is preserved in acceptable condition, and viewing it, one can appreciate how this construction method was used for thousands of years.
The Lácara dolmen is a passage grave, an architectural jewel of the Paleolithic. It is situated in the middle of a pasture, among oaks, a few km from Mérida on the road from Aljucén to La Nava de Santiago.
The dolmen consists of a long covered walkway that leads to the burial chamber. This chamber is the dolmen's focus. Of the great stones that rose into the sky (the dome would be about 5 meters) there is only one intact, which gives an idea of the grandeur of the building. The remaining base demonstrates the precision with which the other stones were placed. The dome was closed on top with a slab, which is no longer in evidence. The entire structure was covered with earth and stones, forming a large mound. To strengthen and secure the tomb, large rocks were placed at the base, as a buttress along the outer ring. These stones are visible on the perimeter of the dolmen.
Traditional architecture
The houses have traditionally been whitewashed Extremadura being a typical landscape from white and red Arabic-style tile.
Traditional architecture is related to the environment and climate of the area, dry and hot in summer and cold and wet in winter and autumn. Just as the subsistence economy of the time.
The typical houses are built around a hallway, usually paved for the passage of cattle to the yard or patio. Rooms are located to sleep on both sides of the aisle if they are whole houses or just one side if you are average. Widen the corridor just in a space dedicated to the kitchen and day room lit by the adjacent patio. In this room the main element is the Spanish fireplace around which life flowed. In the latter part of the house lies the patio or yard ("Run" in popular terminology) which could also accommodate cattle estancias. Overnight stays no natural light except those facing the street.
The smaller homes have only one plant and some bent at its top, which was once for the storage of fodder and feed for livestock.
Only a few typical buildings exceed two storeys with habitable floor in the first floor. In addition we find a middle ground space for other uses such as warehouses, barns and stables, and some residences with kitchens not contiguous to the main dwelling, but the courtyard surroundings. Many homes have two entrances, one main vivideras areas and a secondary (known as "door") to the backyard, stable or barn, often in different streets, and many others in the same.
The construction methodology is based on bearing walls of stone and adobe, with vertical holes in the facade, these walls are often shared party walls between adjoining dwellings. The walls are white, using traditional methods of lime. In general, the architecture is devoid of frills beyond certain gaps racks. The gaps are always traditional vertical proportions, even when small in size for reasons of privacy. Traditional roofing tiles are baked red clay.
Urbanistically lacks any plan for growth given the age of the first settlements. So originally the town grew up around the church and continued in a broad street parallel to the river Lácara. The housing plan unequal forms mingle with pens and building spaces as a patchwork tapestry.
Note the good preservation of gates and grids that provide a traditional character to the urban.
Still preserved wells and batteries that once Water Supplies neighbors and Cordobilla cattle. Highlights the Power of Madroñal.
Church of St. Peter
The church of St. Peter the Apostle, in the Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz. Located in the town square, the 15th century, subsequently subjected to many changes, the last few years ago. It consists of nave with square head with dome. Its contents include an invoice archaic carving representing San Juan Bautista, datable in the 16th century. Also highlight the wood carvings of San Justo y San Pastor (The Santitos) of S. XVI, recently restored, which since its development in this century have not left the village church in any way to the construction in the 1960s of the chapel, which leads them on the first Sunday of May in the procession to offer mass. Currently in the parish church after restoration.
Ermita de San Justo y San Pastor
The newly built chapel, is situated right on the edge of the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz, in the Cerro El Santo in the private property of Square-El Santo.
Built in 1965, the chapel was projected to average about lack of money. In the foothills of the hill on which it sits is made the pilgrimage in honor of the patron (The Santitos) the first Sunday in May since its construction in 1965 with the explicit permission of the owners of the farm. At the start made the pilgrimage to the mid-60's after the construction of the chapel was left to celebrate the traditional "Compadre Thursday, the party gradually being replaced by the celebration of the new pilgrimage. You can access it only that day to celebrate the Holy Mass in honor of San Justo y San Pastor prior to the festival of the pilgrimage.
The church of San Justo y San Pastor lacks any historical value due to its recent construction in 1965, and its poor architecture is superseded by the beautiful surroundings in which they settle. At the foot of Cerro del Santo (who share the private estates of El Castillo de Castellanos (CC) and The Saint, The Square (BA)) and on which the building stands, is the reservoir Oven Tejero, which enriches the landscape, flora and fauna of the meadow that surrounds it.
The chapel is the factory of stones and mortar, square and hip roof of red clay tiles. Closed for almost complete, in the west wall opens a big hole with iron gate in the north and south sides only a few small circular windows. In their access (West) also covers stone and mortar slab bounded on the north by a factory that culminates in a small bell tower with no access.