Province of Ávila

The Province of Ávila ( ) is a province of central-western Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Its capital is the city of Ávila. It is bordered on the south by the provinces of Toledo and Cáceres, on the west by Salamanca, on the north by Valladolid, and on the east by Segovia and Madrid.

It has a population of 160,738 in an area of across its 248 municipalities.

History

The first recorded inhabitants of Ávila were the Celts, who left behind a number of large stone statues of bulls called Verracos, with the largest number of surviving examples in Ávila. The area of the province was conquered by the Romans around 192 B.C. After the Roman Empire fell, the area became part of the Visigothic Kingdom, and it is from this period we have many of the earliest records of the towns of Ávila.

The population of the territory comprising the current-day province of Ávila greatly decreased since the late 16th century and the first half of the 17th century, taking over nearly two centuries to recover the late 16th century population.

Geography

Ávila is naturally divided into two sections, differing completely in soil and climate. The northern portion is generally level; the soil is of indifferent quality, strong and marly in a few places, but rocky in all the valleys of the Sierra de Ávila; and the climate alternates from severe cold in winter to extreme heat in summer. The population of this part is mainly agricultural. The southern division, however, is one mass of rugged granitic sierras, interspersed with sheltered and well-watered valleys, abounding with rich vegetation.

The winter, especially in the elevated region of the Paramera and the wastelands of Ávila, is long and severe, but the climate is not unhealthy.

The principal mountain chains are the Guadarrama, separating this province from Madrid; the Paramera and Sierra de Ávila, west of the Guadarrama; and the vast wall of the Sierra de Gredos along the southern frontier, where its outstanding peaks rise from around . Pico Almanzor is the highest point. The ridges which ramify from the Paramera are covered with valuable forests of beeches, oaks and firs, presenting a striking contrast to the bare peaks of the Sierra de Gredos.

The main rivers stemming from the Sierra de Gredos are the Alberche, the Tiétar, and the Tormes. The first two belong to the Tagus basin, while the latter belongs to the Douro catchment area. Meanwhile, the Adaja, another Douro tributary whose source lies at the cut-off point of the Sierra de Ávila and La Serrota, carries little water in the Summer.

Altitude ranges from the 400 metres above sea level in the Tiétar river trough to the 2592 metres of the Pico Almanzor.

Municipalities

The province has 248 municipalities:

Adanero La Adrada Albornos Aldeanueva de Santa Cruz Aldeaseca La Aldehuela Amavida El Arenal Arenas de San Pedro Arevalillo Arévalo Aveinte Avellaneda Ávila El Barco de Ávila El Barraco Barromán Becedas Becedillas Bercial de Zapardiel Las Berlanas Bernuy-Zapardiel Berrocalejo de Aragona Blascomillán Blasconuño de Matacabras Blascosancho El Bohodón Bohoyo Bonilla de la Sierra Brabos Bularros Burgohondo Cabezas de Alambre Cabezas del Pozo Cabezas del Villar Cabizuela Canales Candeleda Cantiveros Cardeñosa La Carrera Casas del Puerto Casasola Casavieja Casillas Castellanos de Zapardiel Cebreros Cepeda la Mora Chamartín Cillán Cisla La Colilla Collado de Contreras Collado del Mirón Constanzana Crespos Cuevas del Valle Diego del Carpio Donjimeno Donvidas Espinosa de los Caballeros Flores de Ávila Fontiveros Fresnedilla El Fresno Fuente el Saúz Fuentes de Año Gallegos de Altamiros Gallegos de Sobrinos Garganta del Villar Gavilanes Gemuño Gilbuena Gil García Gimialcón Gotarrendura Grandes y San Martín Guisando Gutierre-Muñoz Hernansancho Herradón de Pinares Herreros de Suso Higuera de las Dueñas La Hija de Dios La Horcajada Horcajo de las Torres El Hornillo Hoyocasero El Hoyo de Pinares Hoyorredondo Hoyos del Collado Hoyos del Espino Hoyos de Miguel Muñoz Hurtumpascual Junciana Langa Lanzahíta El Losar del Barco Los Llanos de Tormes Madrigal de las Altas Torres Maello Malpartida de Corneja Mamblas Mancera de Arriba Manjabálago y Ortigosa de Rioalmar Marlín Martiherrero Martínez Mediana de Voltoya Medinilla Mengamuñoz Mesegar de Corneja Mijares Mingorría El Mirón Mironcillo Mirueña de los Infanzones Mombeltrán Monsalupe Moraleja de Matacabras Muñana Muñico Muñogalindo Muñogrande Muñomer del Peco Muñopepe Muñosancho Muñotello Narrillos del Álamo Narrillos del Rebollar Narros del Castillo Narros del Puerto Narros de Saldueña Navacepedilla de Corneja Nava de Arévalo Nava del Barco Navadijos Navaescurial Navahondilla Navalacruz Navalmoral Navalonguilla Navalosa Navalperal de Pinares Navalperal de Tormes Navaluenga Navaquesera Navarredonda de Gredos Navarredondilla Navarrevisca Las Navas del Marqués Navatalgordo Navatejares Neila de San Miguel Niharra Ojos-Albos Orbita El Oso Padiernos Pajares de Adaja Palacios de Goda Papatrigo El Parral Pascualcobo Pedro Bernardo Pedro-Rodríguez Peguerinos Peñalba de Ávila Piedrahíta Piedralaves Poveda Poyales del Hoyo Pozanco Pradosegar Puerto Castilla Rasueros Riocabado Riofrío Rivilla de Barajas Salobral Salvadiós San Bartolomé de Béjar San Bartolomé de Corneja San Bartolomé de Pinares Sanchidrián Sanchorreja San Esteban de los Patos San Esteban del Valle San Esteban de Zapardiel San García de Ingelmos San Juan de la Encinilla San Juan de Gredos San Juan de la Nava San Juan del Molinillo San Juan del Olmo San Lorenzo de Tormes San Martín de la Vega del Alberche San Martín del Pimpollar San Miguel de Corneja San Miguel de Serrezuela San Pascual San Pedro del Arroyo Santa Cruz del Valle Santa Cruz de Pinares Santa María del Arroyo Santa María del Berrocal Santa María del Cubillo Santa María de los Caballeros Santa María del Tiétar Santiago del Collado Santiago del Tormes Santo Domingo de las Posadas Santo Tomé de Zabarcos San Vicente de Arévalo La Serrada Serranillos Sigeres Sinlabajos Solana de Ávila Solana de Rioalmar Solosancho Sotalbo Sotillo de la Adrada El Tiemblo Tiñosillos Tolbaños Tormellas Tornadizos de Ávila La Torre Tórtoles Umbrías Vadillo de la Sierra Valdecasa Vega de Santa María Velayos Villaflor Villafranca de la Sierra Villanueva de Ávila Villanueva de Gómez Villanueva del Aceral Villanueva del Campillo Villar de Corneja Villarejo del Valle Villatoro Viñegra de Moraña Vita Zapardiel de la Cañada

Demographics As of 2025, the population is 160,738, of which 50.3% are male, and 49.7% are female. Minors make up 14.2% of the population, and seniors make up 27.2%.

Immigration As of 2025, immigrants make up 12.7% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Morocco, Colombia, Peru, Romania, and Venezuela.

References

Bibliography