Benavente, Zamora

Benavente
Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Benavente.
Coat of arms
Benavente Location in Spain.
Coordinates: 42°0′11″N 5°40′27″W / 42.00306°N 5.67417°W / 42.00306; -5.67417
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Castile and León
Province	Zamora
Comarca	Benavente y Los Valles
Government
• Mayor	Luciano Huerga
Area
• Total	45.12 km2 (17.42 sq mi)
Elevation	800 m (2,600 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	19,119
• Density	420/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Benaventanos
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Climate	Csb
Website	Official website

Benavente is a municipality in the north of the province of Zamora, in the autonomous community Castile and León of Spain. It has about 20,000 inhabitants.

Located north of the capital on an important communications hub, it was repopulated by King Ferdinand II of León, who also awarded it law-codes (a fuero) in 1167. It was originally known as Malgrat or Malgrado.

Location

Benavente is located in the North of Province of Zamora, in the North-West of Spain. It is 65 km away from Zamora City and 260 km from Madrid and its coordinates are 42° 0' N 5° 41' W.

North-West: Manganeses de la Polvorosa	North: Villabrázaro	North-East: San Cristóbal de Entreviñas
West: Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa		East: San Cristóbal de Entreviñas
South-West:Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa	South: Villanueva de Azoague, Santa Colomba de las Monjas and Arcos de la Polvorosa	South-East: Castrogonzalo

The adjacent municipalities of Benavente are Villanueva de Azoague, Manganeses de la Polvorosa, Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa, Villabrázaro, San Cristóbal de Entreviñas, Castrogonzalo, Santa Colomba de las Monjas and Arcos de la Polvorosa, all of them belonging to Province of Zamora.

Transport

Roads and Highways

Benavente is connected to the national road network through different roads and highways:

•  A-66  · Autovía Ruta de la Plata: Gijón - Oviedo - Mieres - Puerto Pajares - León - Benavente - Zamora - Salamanca - Béjar - Plasencia - Cáceres - Mérida - Sevilla.
•  A-6  · Autovía del Noroeste. Madrid - Benavente - Lugo - A Coruña - Arteixo
•  Autovía A-52  · Autovía de las Rías Bajas. Benavente - Sanabria - Verín - Ourense - Vigo .
•  N-610 · Palencia-Benavente.

Bus Services

Bus services are provided in the Bus Station by different companies like Alsa, Auto-Res, Empresa Vivas, Linecar or Autocares Julio Fernández. There is a taxi stand in the Bus Station.

National lines

Diary services to: A Coruña, Astorga, Algeciras, Asturias (Oviedo-Gijón), Ávila, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cáceres, Cádiz, Cangas de Narcea, Irún, La Bañeza, León, Lugo, Logroño, Málaga, Madrid, Mérida, Ourense, Monforte, Palencia, Plasencia, Ponferrada, Pontevedra, Salamanca, San Fernando, San Sebastián, Santiago de Compostela, Sevilla, Valladolid, Verín, Vigo, Villablino, Zafra, Zamora and Zaragoza.

International lines

• Switzerland
• Germany
• Belgium
• Holland
• France - (París)
• France (Lyon - Grenoble)
• Andorra

Regional lines

• Alcubilla de Nogales
• Alija del Infantado
• Arcos de la Polvorosa
• Ayoo de Vidriales
• Camarzana de Tera
• Carracedo - 13:00
• Cubo de Benavente
• Ferreras de Abajo
• Milles de la Polvorosa
• Molezuelas
• Mozar
• Puebla de Sanabria
• Pueblica de Valverde
• Santa Colomba de las Monjas
• Santibáñez de Vidriales
• Tábara
• Uña de Quintana
• Valle del Tera
• Valderas
• Villafáfila
• Villalpando
• Villanueva de Azoague
• Villarrín de Campos

Local Service

Senior citizens have a free urban bus service.

Taxi

The town has several taxi stands, one of them in the Bus Station.

Tourism

Main sight

The Tower of the Caracol.

Church of Santa María de Azogue.

• Parador de Turismo Fernando II, which occupies the Caracol Tower, a 16th-century castle with wide segmental miradors and a Mudéjar coffered ceiling in the main section
• Church of Santa María de Azogue, in Romanesque style, begun in 1180. It has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles, separated by cruciform pilasters, with five apses. The nave has Gothic cross vaults added in the 16th century. The interior is home of several Gothic sculptures, such as that of the "Annunciation" (13th century)
• San Juan del Mercado, in Romanesque style (12th-13th centuries). It has three decorated portals with the Adoration of the Magi, the Virgin and Child and scenes of the birth of Jesus.

Hospital of La Piedad.

• Hospital of La Piedad, an old pilgrim hostel.
• Hermitage of Soledad (early 16th century)
• Caracol Tower

Events

An enraged bull (2005).

• Fiestas de la Veguilla. The local celebration in honour of the Virgen de la Vega to celebrate the torno al llamado (Monday of Pascuilla).
• Fiestas del toro enmaromado. Celebrated the day before the corpus, where the young men run (Running of the Bulls) in front of a long rope held on the horns of a bull.

Accommodation

Parador de Turismo Rey Fernando II.

Hotels

• "Parador de Turismo Rey Fernando II de León" (H****) Paseos de la Mota, s/n
• "Villa de Benavente" (H ****) Avda. de las Américas, s/n
• "Santiago" (H ***) Avda. Maragatos, 34
• "Orense" (H **) C/ San Antón Viejo, 4
• "Arenas" (H *) Ctra. de Madrid, Km 261

Hostels

• "Hostal Avenida" (HS**) Avda. El Ferial, 17
• "Bristol" (HS**) C/ Santa Cruz, 44.
• "Universal" (HS**) C/ Sancti Spíritus, 17
• "Alameda" (HS**) Autovía Madrid - Coruña km. 262
• "Covadonga" (HS**) Avenida Federico Silva, 16
• "Paradero 3" (HS*) Autovía Madrid – Coruña Km 261
• "Paraíso" (HS *) C/ los Herreros, 64
• "La Trucha" (HS) C/ la Viña, 5
• "Jara" (HS) Autovía Madrid-Coruña km. 261
• "Pensión La Trapería" (P) C/Agujero de San Andrés, 10

Climate

It is characterized as a Mediterranean climate with continental characteristics as with the altitude of the municipality and its distance to the sea. However, the amount of the winter frosts is lifted, taking place even in spring, with the consequential damage to some of the local agriculture.

Twin towns – sister cities

• Puebla de Zaragoza, Puebla, México.
• Vila Real, Portugal.

Dukes of Benavente

Juan Francisco Pimentel y Ponce de León, 7th Duke of Benavente, deceased 1652, by Diego Velázquez, 1648.

Notable people

• José Carlos Guerra, painter.^[1][2]
• Maria Josefa Alfonso Pîmentel Tellez Girón Borja y Centelles, fourteenth Countess and twelfth Duchess of Benavente, a patron of Goya and Boccherini
• Fray Toribio de Benavente o Motolinía (1477–1569), a missionary to Mexico
• Alonso Briceño, one of the thirteen conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro
• Pita Pizarro (1792–1845), a minister of Isabella II of Spain
• Francisco de Castro Pascual (1871–1949), microbiologist
• José Nuñez Pernía (1805–1879), a Marquis of Nuñez and the first president of the Sociedad Hahnemanniana Matritense
• Pedro Nuñez Granés (1869–1944), engineer
• Celestino Alonso Rodríguez Valdespino (1828–1875), chess player
• Federico Silva Muñoz (1923–1997), politician
• Laura Iglesias Romero, a scientist who does research for the CSIC
• Francisco Jose Yndurain Muñoz (1940–2008), scientist
• Almudena Fernández (born 1977), model

Language

Regional speech is influenced by Leonese language.

Cinemas and theatres

• "Reina Sofía" Theatre.^[3]
• "Multicines Benavente" Cinema.^[4]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Benavente, Zamora.

• List of municipalities in Zamora
• San Pedro De Zamudia, Zamora
• Sandin, Zamora
• Almudena Fernandez - Famous model from Benavente.

References

Municipalities in the province of Zamora
Abezames Alcañices Alcubilla de Nogales Alfaraz de Sayago Algodre Almaraz de Duero Almeida de Sayago Andavías Arcenillas Arcos de la Polvorosa Argañín Argujillo Arquillinos Arrabalde Aspariegos Asturianos Ayoó de Vidriales Barcial del Barco Belver de los Montes Benavente Benegiles Bermillo de Sayago Bretocino Bretó Brime de Sog Brime de Urz Burganes de Valverde Bustillo del Oro Cabañas de Sayago Calzadilla de Tera Camarzana de Tera Carbajales de Alba Carbellino Casaseca de Campeán Casaseca de las Chanas Castrillo de la Guareña Castrogonzalo Castronuevo Castroverde de Campos Cazurra Cañizal Cañizo Cerecinos de Campos Cerecinos del Carrizal Cernadilla Chanos Cobreros Coomonte Coreses Corrales del Vino Cotanes del Monte Cubillos Cubo de Benavente Cuelgamures El Cubo de Tierra del Vino El Maderal El Pego El Perdigón El Piñero Entrala Espadañedo Faramontanos de Tábara Fariza Fermoselle Ferreras de Abajo Ferreras de Arriba Ferreruela Figueruela de Arriba Fonfría Fresno de Sayago Fresno de la Polvorosa Fresno de la Ribera Friera de Valverde Fuente Encalada Fuentelapeña Fuentes de Ropel Fuentesaúco Fuentesecas Fuentespreadas Galende Gallegos del Pan Gallegos del Río Gamones Gema Granja de Moreruela Granucillo Guarrate Hermisende Jambrina Justel La Bóveda de Toro La Hiniesta La Torre del Valle Losacino Losacio Lubián Luelmo Madridanos Mahide Maire de Castroponce Malva Manganeses de la Lampreana Manganeses de la Polvorosa Manzanal de Arriba Manzanal de los Infantes Manzanal del Barco Matilla de Arzón Matilla la Seca Mayalde Melgar de Tera Micereces de Tera Milles de la Polvorosa Molacillos Molezuelas de la Carballeda Mombuey Monfarracinos Montamarta Moral de Sayago Moraleja de Sayago Moraleja del Vino Morales de Rey Morales de Toro Morales de Valverde Morales del Vino Moralina Moreruela de Tábara Moreruela de los Infanzones Muelas de los Caballeros Muelas del Pan Muga de Sayago Navianos de Valverde Olmillos de Castro Otero de Bodas Pajares de la Lampreana Palacios de Sanabria Palacios del Pan Pedralba de la Pradería Peleagonzalo Peleas de Abajo Peque Pereruela Perilla de Castro Peñausende Piedrahita de Castro Pinilla de Toro Pino del Oro Pobladura de Valderaduey Pobladura del Valle Porto de Sanabria Pozoantiguo Pozuelo de Tábara Prado Puebla de Sanabria Pueblica de Valverde Pías Quintanilla de Urz Quintanilla del Monte Quintanilla del Olmo Quiruelas de Vidriales Rabanales Requejo Revellinos Riofrío de Aliste Rionegro del Puente Roales Robleda-Cervantes Roelos de Sayago Rosinos de la Requejada Rábano de Aliste Salce Samir de los Caños San Agustín del Pozo San Cebrián de Castro San Cristóbal de Entreviñas San Esteban del Molar San Justo San Martín de Valderaduey San Miguel de la Ribera San Miguel del Valle San Pedro de Ceque San Pedro de la Nave-Almendra San Vicente de la Cabeza San Vitero Santa Clara de Avedillo Santa Colomba de las Monjas Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa Santa Croya de Tera Santa Eufemia del Barco Santa María de Valverde Santa María de la Vega Santibáñez de Tera Santibáñez de Vidriales Santovenia Sanzoles Tapioles Toro Torregamones Torres del Carrizal Trabazos Trefacio Tábara Uña de Quintana Vadillo de la Guareña Valcabado Valdefinjas Valdescorriel Vallesa de la Guareña Vega de Tera Vega de Villalobos Vegalatrave Venialbo Vezdemarbán Vidayanes Videmala Villabrázaro Villabuena del Puente Villadepera Villaescusa Villaferrueña Villafáfila Villageriz Villalazán Villalba de la Lampreana Villalcampo Villalobos Villalonso Villalpando Villalube Villamayor de Campos Villamor de los Escuderos Villanueva de Azoague Villanueva de Campeán Villanueva de las Peras Villanueva del Campo Villanázar Villar de Fallaves Villar del Buey Villaralbo Villardeciervos Villardiegua de la Ribera Villardondiego Villarrín de Campos Villaseco del Pan Villavendimio Villaveza de Valverde Villaveza del Agua Villárdiga Viñas Zamora