Sierra Suroeste
Encyclopedia
Sierra Suroeste is a comarca
(county, with no administrative role) located in southwestern province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura
, western Spain
. Its capital and largest city is Jerez de los Caballeros
.
Sierra Suroeste borders the comarcas of Tierra de Badajoz
and Tierra de Barros to the north, Zafra - Río Bodión and Tentudía to the east, and Llanos de Olivenza
to the west. The river Ardila, which runs between Andalucía and Portugal
, borders the comarca to the south.
The comarca contains ten municipalities: Fregenal de la Sierra
, Higuera la Real
, Jerez de los Caballeros
, Oliva de la Frontera
, Salvaleón
, Salvatierra de los Barros
, Valencia del Mombuey
, Valle de Matamoros
, Valle de Santa Ana
, and Zahínos
.
have been found in the municipalities of Jerez de los Caballeros
, Higuera la Real
, Valencia del Mombuey
and Oliva de la Frontera
. Two stone celt
ic idol
s were found in the hermitage of Nuestra Señora Virgen de Gracia in Oliva de la Frontera. Celtic fortifications have been excavated in Higuera. Various dolmen
s can still be seen throughout the area, the most notable being the Neolithic
Piedra Pinchá in Valencia del Mombuey, and the dolmen del Toriñuelo in Jerez de los Caballeros.
, then later being split in two, with part belonging to the province of Lusitania
and the other part to Hispania Baetica
. The towns that existed during that period were known by different names:
Though other towns in the comarca, such as Salvaleón
, claim to have origins during the Roman Empire, there exists no evidence to support these claims.
Jerez de los Caballeros is home to a number of mosaics, stone stairs, and the bridges of Pontón and Viejo, all of which date to early Roman construction. Oliva de la Frontera was a Roman copper
-working center, as evidenced by the discovery of 250 metalworking ovens and the remains copper mine
s and excavated ores. Coins from the different periods of the Roman Empire have been found throughout the comarca.
occupation of the Iberian peninsula
. One such inscription, found in the church of Santa María de la Encarnación in Jerez de los Caballeros, dates to 25 December 556. Another, found near Oliva de la Frontera, is inscribed by Count Theudimer in the year 662
CE
.
Other inscriptions from this period have also been found. A grave marker dating back to 514
was found on a farm near Alcobaza, and another dating back to 662
was found in a field by Valle de Matamoros. Additionally, latticework
from the hermitage of the Virgen de Gracia is of Visigoth design.
There is evidence that the municipalities of Fregenal de la Sierra
and Salvaleón
were established during this time period.
introduced a number of technological improvements to the daily life of the area. Especially impacted were agricultural practices, such as plowing, wherein the Arabs introduced new methodologies that greatly improved upon the efficiency of existing Roman techniques.
Around the year 1230, Alfonso IX
, King of León
, conquered the area. Alfonso orchestrated a great massacre of Moors in the area now known as Valle de Matamoros (literally, "valley of killing Moors"). Ten years later, Alfonso led a military campaign through the province to assure its safety, before ceding control of the territory to the Knights Templar
.
The territory experienced a great population boom and flourishing of local economies when the Knights Templar took control of the area. The Templar founded the municipality of Zahínos
as a military fortification, and which was later expanded to become a castle
, around which the town grew. In 1312 CE, Pope Clement V
dissolved the Order of the Templar, and the Knights' lands and titles were transferred to the Spanish crown. The Knights mounted a resistance in Jerez de los Caballeros, and were summarily executed in the castle nearby. The tower in which their throats were slit is now known as the Torre Sangrienta (literally, the bleeding tower).
The various municipalities that today make up the comarca were then divided among a number of nobles. Oliva de la Frontera, Valencia del Mombuey, and Salvaleón belonged to the Duchy of Feria. Valle de Matamoro and Jerez de los Caballero fell under the control of the Order of Santiago
. Fregenal de la Sierra and Higuera la Real became a part of Sevilla.
A number of well-known conquistador
s came from Sierra Suroeste, such as Alonso Rodríguez Santos and Hernando de Soto. Perhaps the most famous of these was Vasco Núñez de Balboa
, who was born in Jerez de los Caballeros, and who is best known for conquering Panamá
and discovering the Pacific ocean
.
mountains intersect the comarca. In this mountain range there can be found a number of major peaks, including: San Cristóbal, Oratorio, del Coto, de la Herrumbre, de la Corte, del Peñón, de Monsalud, de Santa María, de san José, de Botello, de la Cazuela and de las Mesas. The tallest peaks are:
A large number of rivers also run through Sierra Suroeste, the most important of which is the Guadiana
. The Ardila Rivers, which forms the border with Portugal, is a tributary of the Guadiana in Extremadura
. Other important rivers include the Sillo, Bodíón, Zaos, and Godolid rivers.
-producing regions of Spain, thanks in part to the abundance of black Iberian pig
s in the area. The acorn
-eating bovines share the fields with large numbers of horses, sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, mules, and chickens. Additionally, the forests are home to significant numbers of a variety of game animals, especially deer, wild boar, and foxes.
The European Union
-designated Special Protection Area
Dehesas de Jerez covers 480 km² and occupies approximately third of the comarca. More than thirty mated pairs of black storks make their nests in this area. In addition, numerous other storks roost in the belfries of various churches throughout the comarca.
The comarca is home to large quantities of holm oak
and cork oak
, two sources of cork
and coal
. Other common trees include olive tree
s, chestnut trees, and grape vines
. Town plazas are usually decorated with palm and white mulberry trees, especially along the Paseo de las Palmeras in Oliva de la Frontera.
The holm oak
forests of the area are some of the oldest and best established of all Extremadura, resulting in a variety of flora and fauna being able to develop in these areas. Hiking and sightseeing in these areas is a popular tourist activity, and there are many hiking paths and trails throughout the territory.
The comarca has three major tourist festivals: the passion play in Oliva de la Frontera, Holy Week
in Jerez de los Caballeros, and the International Folklore Festival in Fregenal de la Sierra. Jerez de los Caballeros celebrates an annual Exposition of Jamón Ibérico
, sometimes called the Festival of Jamón.
One of the major traditional industries of the municipality of Salvatierra de los Barros
is pottery, to the point at which it is home to a museum dedicated to the pottery industry as well as an annual pottery fair, the Feria Ibérica de la Alfarería del Barro.
Authors and playwrights born in the area include Benito Arias Montano
, Manuel García Torrado, José Ramírez López Uría, José Luis Gil Soto and Milagros Frías.
Due to the proximity to Huelva
, and the comarca's natural abundance of black Iberian pigs, many pork products are produced and consumed in Sierra Suroeste. These products include, for example, chorizo
, salchichon, blood sausage
s, loins and other cuts, and jamón ibérico.
Some typical dishes include chickpea stew, migas
, pisto
, caldereta, and bacalao
"dorao". Also popular are dishes of nearby Portugal
, which are made in a similar manner as across the border.
, which has played in Segunda División B
, but currently plays in the Tercera División
. Also popular are the various municipal futsal
tournaments, as well as the provincial juvenile tourneys.
Basketball
is also growing in popularity.
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
(county, with no administrative role) located in southwestern province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
, western Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Its capital and largest city is Jerez de los Caballeros
Jerez de los Caballeros
Jerez de los Caballeros is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Badajoz. It is situated on two heights overlooking the River Ardila, a tributary of the Guadiana, 12 miles east of the Portuguese frontier. The old town is surrounded by a Moorish wall with six gates. The newer portion is...
.
Sierra Suroeste borders the comarcas of Tierra de Badajoz
Tierra de Badajoz
Tierra de Badajoz is a comarca in the province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, western Spain. The majority of its population, amounting to around 177,000 inhabitants, lives in the capital, the municipality of Badajoz, and the immediate surrounding area.The comarca is...
and Tierra de Barros to the north, Zafra - Río Bodión and Tentudía to the east, and Llanos de Olivenza
Llanos de Olivenza
Llanos de Olivenza is a comarca in the province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, western Spain. It borders with Portugal in the west.-Municipalities:* Alconchel* Almendral* Barcarrota* Cheles* Higuera de Vargas* Nogales* Olivenza...
to the west. The river Ardila, which runs between Andalucía and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, borders the comarca to the south.
The comarca contains ten municipalities: Fregenal de la Sierra
Fregenal de la Sierra
Fregenal de la Sierra is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain.- Geography :Fregenal de la Sierra is located in the Sierra Suroeste comarca , among the small hills and ravines of the Sierra Morena...
, Higuera la Real
Higuera la Real
Higuera la Real is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2505 inhabitants....
, Jerez de los Caballeros
Jerez de los Caballeros
Jerez de los Caballeros is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Badajoz. It is situated on two heights overlooking the River Ardila, a tributary of the Guadiana, 12 miles east of the Portuguese frontier. The old town is surrounded by a Moorish wall with six gates. The newer portion is...
, Oliva de la Frontera
Oliva de la Frontera
Oliva de la Frontera is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 5881 inhabitants....
, Salvaleón
Salvaleón
Salvaleón is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2172 inhabitants....
, Salvatierra de los Barros
Salvatierra de los Barros
Salvatierra de los Barros is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 1,866 and an area of 75 km²....
, Valencia del Mombuey
Valencia del Mombuey
Valencia del Mombuey is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 839 and an area of 75 km²....
, Valle de Matamoros
Valle de Matamoros
Valle de Matamoros is a Spanish municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura. It has a population of 442 and an area of 4.9 km².- External links :* *...
, Valle de Santa Ana
Valle de Santa Ana
Valle de Santa Ana is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 1230 inhabitants....
, and Zahínos
Zahínos
Zahínos is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 2938 inhabitants....
.
Prehistory
Prehistoric artifactsArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
have been found in the municipalities of Jerez de los Caballeros
Jerez de los Caballeros
Jerez de los Caballeros is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Badajoz. It is situated on two heights overlooking the River Ardila, a tributary of the Guadiana, 12 miles east of the Portuguese frontier. The old town is surrounded by a Moorish wall with six gates. The newer portion is...
, Higuera la Real
Higuera la Real
Higuera la Real is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2505 inhabitants....
, Valencia del Mombuey
Valencia del Mombuey
Valencia del Mombuey is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 839 and an area of 75 km²....
and Oliva de la Frontera
Oliva de la Frontera
Oliva de la Frontera is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 5881 inhabitants....
. Two stone celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic idol
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
s were found in the hermitage of Nuestra Señora Virgen de Gracia in Oliva de la Frontera. Celtic fortifications have been excavated in Higuera. Various dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s can still be seen throughout the area, the most notable being the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
Piedra Pinchá in Valencia del Mombuey, and the dolmen del Toriñuelo in Jerez de los Caballeros.
Roman Empire
During the Roman occupation, Sierra Suroeste belonged to several different political regions. First the comarca was a part of Hispania UlteriorHispania Ulterior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Ulterior was a region of Hispania roughly located in Baetica and in the Guadalquivir valley of modern Spain and extending to all of Lusitania and Gallaecia...
, then later being split in two, with part belonging to the province of Lusitania
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
and the other part to Hispania Baetica
Hispania Baetica
Hispania Baetica was one of three Imperial Roman provinces in Hispania, . Hispania Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica was part of Al-Andalus under the Moors in the 8th century and approximately corresponds to modern Andalucia...
. The towns that existed during that period were known by different names:
- Jerez de los CaballerosJerez de los CaballerosJerez de los Caballeros is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Badajoz. It is situated on two heights overlooking the River Ardila, a tributary of the Guadiana, 12 miles east of the Portuguese frontier. The old town is surrounded by a Moorish wall with six gates. The newer portion is...
: Fama Iulia Seria - Oliva de la FronteraOliva de la FronteraOliva de la Frontera is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 5881 inhabitants....
: Caesaróbriga - Fregenal de la SierraFregenal de la SierraFregenal de la Sierra is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain.- Geography :Fregenal de la Sierra is located in the Sierra Suroeste comarca , among the small hills and ravines of the Sierra Morena...
: Nertóbriga
Though other towns in the comarca, such as Salvaleón
Salvaleón
Salvaleón is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2172 inhabitants....
, claim to have origins during the Roman Empire, there exists no evidence to support these claims.
Jerez de los Caballeros is home to a number of mosaics, stone stairs, and the bridges of Pontón and Viejo, all of which date to early Roman construction. Oliva de la Frontera was a Roman copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
-working center, as evidenced by the discovery of 250 metalworking ovens and the remains copper mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
s and excavated ores. Coins from the different periods of the Roman Empire have been found throughout the comarca.
Visigoths
A number of inscribed columns date back to the period of the VisigothVisigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
occupation of the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. One such inscription, found in the church of Santa María de la Encarnación in Jerez de los Caballeros, dates to 25 December 556. Another, found near Oliva de la Frontera, is inscribed by Count Theudimer in the year 662
662
Year 662 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of...
CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
.
Other inscriptions from this period have also been found. A grave marker dating back to 514
514
Year 514 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cassiodorus without colleague...
was found on a farm near Alcobaza, and another dating back to 662
662
Year 662 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of...
was found in a field by Valle de Matamoros. Additionally, latticework
Latticework
Latticework is a framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, typically wood or metal. The design is created by crossing the strips to form a network...
from the hermitage of the Virgen de Gracia is of Visigoth design.
There is evidence that the municipalities of Fregenal de la Sierra
Fregenal de la Sierra
Fregenal de la Sierra is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain.- Geography :Fregenal de la Sierra is located in the Sierra Suroeste comarca , among the small hills and ravines of the Sierra Morena...
and Salvaleón
Salvaleón
Salvaleón is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2172 inhabitants....
were established during this time period.
Moorish conquest and Reconquista
The MoorsMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
introduced a number of technological improvements to the daily life of the area. Especially impacted were agricultural practices, such as plowing, wherein the Arabs introduced new methodologies that greatly improved upon the efficiency of existing Roman techniques.
Around the year 1230, Alfonso IX
Alfonso IX of Leon
Alfonso IX was king of León and Galicia from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until his own death...
, King of León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
, conquered the area. Alfonso orchestrated a great massacre of Moors in the area now known as Valle de Matamoros (literally, "valley of killing Moors"). Ten years later, Alfonso led a military campaign through the province to assure its safety, before ceding control of the territory to the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
.
Renaissance
Zahínos
Zahínos is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 2938 inhabitants....
as a military fortification, and which was later expanded to become a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, around which the town grew. In 1312 CE, Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
dissolved the Order of the Templar, and the Knights' lands and titles were transferred to the Spanish crown. The Knights mounted a resistance in Jerez de los Caballeros, and were summarily executed in the castle nearby. The tower in which their throats were slit is now known as the Torre Sangrienta (literally, the bleeding tower).
The various municipalities that today make up the comarca were then divided among a number of nobles. Oliva de la Frontera, Valencia del Mombuey, and Salvaleón belonged to the Duchy of Feria. Valle de Matamoro and Jerez de los Caballero fell under the control of the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
. Fregenal de la Sierra and Higuera la Real became a part of Sevilla.
A number of well-known conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s came from Sierra Suroeste, such as Alonso Rodríguez Santos and Hernando de Soto. Perhaps the most famous of these was Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. He is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.He traveled to the New World in...
, who was born in Jerez de los Caballeros, and who is best known for conquering Panamá
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and discovering the Pacific ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Geography
The Sierra MorenaSierra Morena
The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It stretches for 400 kilometres East-West across southern Spain, forming the southern border of the Meseta Central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, and providing the watershed between the valleys of the Guadiana to the...
mountains intersect the comarca. In this mountain range there can be found a number of major peaks, including: San Cristóbal, Oratorio, del Coto, de la Herrumbre, de la Corte, del Peñón, de Monsalud, de Santa María, de san José, de Botello, de la Cazuela and de las Mesas. The tallest peaks are:
- La Mira (Salvatierra de los BarrosSalvatierra de los BarrosSalvatierra de los Barros is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 1,866 and an area of 75 km²....
): 815 m - Peña Utrera (Salvatierra de los BarrosSalvatierra de los BarrosSalvatierra de los Barros is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 1,866 and an area of 75 km²....
): 813 m - Santa María II (SalvaleónSalvaleónSalvaleón is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2172 inhabitants....
): 806 m - San José (Valle de MatamorosValle de MatamorosValle de Matamoros is a Spanish municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura. It has a population of 442 and an area of 4.9 km².- External links :* *...
): 787 m - San Cristóbal (Higuera la RealHiguera la RealHiguera la Real is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2505 inhabitants....
): 776 m
A large number of rivers also run through Sierra Suroeste, the most important of which is the Guadiana
Guadiana
The Guadiana , or Odiana, is an international river located on the Portuguese–Spanish border, separating Extremadura and Andalucia from Alentejo and Algarve...
. The Ardila Rivers, which forms the border with Portugal, is a tributary of the Guadiana in Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
. Other important rivers include the Sillo, Bodíón, Zaos, and Godolid rivers.
Flora and fauna
Sierra Suroeste is one of the most productive jamón ibéricoJamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico...
-producing regions of Spain, thanks in part to the abundance of black Iberian pig
Black Iberian Pig
The Black Iberian pig, also known in Portugal as Alentejano, is a breed, Mediterraneus, of the domestic pig that is indigenous to the Mediterranean area...
s in the area. The acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
-eating bovines share the fields with large numbers of horses, sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, mules, and chickens. Additionally, the forests are home to significant numbers of a variety of game animals, especially deer, wild boar, and foxes.
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
-designated Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
Dehesas de Jerez covers 480 km² and occupies approximately third of the comarca. More than thirty mated pairs of black storks make their nests in this area. In addition, numerous other storks roost in the belfries of various churches throughout the comarca.
The comarca is home to large quantities of holm oak
Holm Oak
Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
and cork oak
Cork Oak
Quercus suber, commonly called the Cork Oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa.It grows to up to 20 m,...
, two sources of cork
Cork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. Other common trees include olive tree
Olive Tree
The Olive Tree was a denomination used for several successive centre-left Italian political coalitions from 1995 to 2007.The historical leader and ideologue of these coalitions was Romano Prodi, Professor of Economics and former leftist Christian Democrat, who invented the name and the symbol of...
s, chestnut trees, and grape vines
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
. Town plazas are usually decorated with palm and white mulberry trees, especially along the Paseo de las Palmeras in Oliva de la Frontera.
The holm oak
Holm Oak
Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
forests of the area are some of the oldest and best established of all Extremadura, resulting in a variety of flora and fauna being able to develop in these areas. Hiking and sightseeing in these areas is a popular tourist activity, and there are many hiking paths and trails throughout the territory.
Main sights
Sierra Suroeste is home to a number of officially designated historical monuments. Each municipality is host to several of these historic places, which account for the majority of tourism to the area.- Fregenal de la SierraFregenal de la SierraFregenal de la Sierra is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain.- Geography :Fregenal de la Sierra is located in the Sierra Suroeste comarca , among the small hills and ravines of the Sierra Morena...
is home to a castle, the hermitage of the virgen de los Remedios, the church of Santa María, the church of Santa Ana, and the church of Santa Catalina. - Higuera la RealHiguera la RealHiguera la Real is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2505 inhabitants....
has the Celtic Castro de Capote, the hermitage of the virgen de Lorento, the hermitage of the virgen del Socorro, the statue of "La Mamarracha", and the churches of Santa Catalina and San Bartolomé. - Jerez de los CaballerosJerez de los CaballerosJerez de los Caballeros is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Badajoz. It is situated on two heights overlooking the River Ardila, a tributary of the Guadiana, 12 miles east of the Portuguese frontier. The old town is surrounded by a Moorish wall with six gates. The newer portion is...
boasts a castle, with the aforementioned Torre Sangriente; the churches of San Miguel, San Bartolomé, Santa Catalina, and Santa María de la Encarnación; the park of Santa Lucía; the Celtic dolmenDolmenA dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
of Toriñuelo; and the Roman mosaics of Pomar.
- Oliva de la FronteraOliva de la FronteraOliva de la Frontera is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 5881 inhabitants....
is home to the Santuario de la virgen de Gracia, the church of San Marcos Evangelista, the hermitage of San Pedro, the hermitage of San IsidroSan IsidroIsidro and Ysidro are Spanish forms of the personal name Isidore. San Isidro or San Ysidro may refer to:-People:* Agot Isidro , Filipina actress...
, and the house of the Duke of Feria. - SalvaleónSalvaleónSalvaleón is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 2172 inhabitants....
has the church of Santa Marta, hermitage of the virgen de Aguasantas, a Roman villaRoman villaA Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
, and the Celtic dolmen of Toril. - Salvatierra de los BarrosSalvatierra de los BarrosSalvatierra de los Barros is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 1,866 and an area of 75 km²....
boasts a castle, the church of San Blas, the hermitage of the Mártires, and the Pottery Museum. - Valencia del MombueyValencia del MombueyValencia del Mombuey is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 839 and an area of 75 km²....
is home to the church of the Purísima ConcepciónImmaculate ConceptionThe Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
, the palace of the MarquisMarquessA marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
of Valdeterrazo, and the dolmen of the "Piedra Pinchá". - Valle de MatamorosValle de MatamorosValle de Matamoros is a Spanish municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura. It has a population of 442 and an area of 4.9 km².- External links :* *...
has the Church of the Asunción, and the fountains of Borbollón, El Coso, Barranquillo and Vázquez. - Valle de Santa AnaValle de Santa AnaValle de Santa Ana is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 1230 inhabitants....
boasts the pulpit and church of Santa Ana, and the Rubiales grotto. - ZahínosZahínosZahínos is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 2938 inhabitants....
is home to a large Teutonic fortified tower, the church of the virgen de los Remedios, the cross of Calvary, and the hermitage of San Sireno.
Culture
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
in Jerez de los Caballeros, and the International Folklore Festival in Fregenal de la Sierra. Jerez de los Caballeros celebrates an annual Exposition of Jamón Ibérico
Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico...
, sometimes called the Festival of Jamón.
One of the major traditional industries of the municipality of Salvatierra de los Barros
Salvatierra de los Barros
Salvatierra de los Barros is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 1,866 and an area of 75 km²....
is pottery, to the point at which it is home to a museum dedicated to the pottery industry as well as an annual pottery fair, the Feria Ibérica de la Alfarería del Barro.
Authors and playwrights born in the area include Benito Arias Montano
Benito Arias Montano
Benito Arias Montano , Spanish orientalist and editor of the Antwerp Polyglot, was born at Fregenal de la Sierra, in Extremadura, in 1527. After studying at the universities of Seville and Alcalá, he took orders about the year 1559. He became a clerical member of the Military Order of St...
, Manuel García Torrado, José Ramírez López Uría, José Luis Gil Soto and Milagros Frías.
Gastronomy
Due to the proximity to Huelva
Huelva
Huelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. It is located along the Gulf of Cadiz coast, at the confluence of the Odiel and Tinto rivers. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 149,410 inhabitants. The...
, and the comarca's natural abundance of black Iberian pigs, many pork products are produced and consumed in Sierra Suroeste. These products include, for example, chorizo
Chorizo
Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....
, salchichon, blood sausage
Blood sausage
Black pudding, blood pudding or blood sausage is a type of sausage made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. The dish exists in various cultures from Asia to Europe...
s, loins and other cuts, and jamón ibérico.
Some typical dishes include chickpea stew, migas
Migas
Migas is the name used for a dish in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine and a significantly different dish in Tex-Mex cuisine.-Spanish migas:...
, pisto
Pisto
Pisto is the name of a Spanish dish typical from the Region of Murcia. It is made of tomatoes, onions, eggplant or courgettes, green and red peppers and olive oil. It is similar to ratatouille and is usually served warm to accompany a dish or with a fried egg and bread...
, caldereta, and bacalao
Bacalao
Bacallao was a phantom island depicted on several early 16th century maps and nautical charts. The name first appears on a chart in 1508, but there are earlier accounts of Bacalao...
"dorao". Also popular are dishes of nearby Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, which are made in a similar manner as across the border.
Sports
The most popular sport in the comarca, like in much of the rest of Spain, is football. The most popular local team is Jerez CFJerez CF
Jerez Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de los Caballeros, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 1969, it plays in Tercera División - Group 14.-History:...
, which has played in Segunda División B
Segunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
, but currently plays in the Tercera División
Tercera División
Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...
. Also popular are the various municipal futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
tournaments, as well as the provincial juvenile tourneys.
Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
is also growing in popularity.
Famous residents
- Vasco Núñez de BalboaVasco Núñez de BalboaVasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. He is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.He traveled to the New World in...
(1475–1519), explorer, governor and conquistadorConquistadorConquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
. - Hernando de Soto (1496–1541), explorer and conquistador who discovered the Mississippi RiverMississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. - Benito Arias MontanoBenito Arias MontanoBenito Arias Montano , Spanish orientalist and editor of the Antwerp Polyglot, was born at Fregenal de la Sierra, in Extremadura, in 1527. After studying at the universities of Seville and Alcalá, he took orders about the year 1559. He became a clerical member of the Military Order of St...
(1527–1598), orientalistOriental studiesOriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
and editor of the Antwerp Polyglot. - Francisco Peña RomeroFrancisco Peña RomeroFrancisco 'Paco' Peña Romero is a Spanish footballer who plays for Hércules CF in Segunda División, as a left defender.-External links:* ** *...
(born 1978), football player who currently plays for Real MurciaReal MurciaReal Murcia Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the region of Murcia. Founded in 1908, it currently plays in the second division, playing home matches at Estadio Nueva Condomina, which can hold 33,045 spectators....
of the Spanish La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
.