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Coordinates: 40°23′N 5°46′W / 40.383°N 5.767°W / 40.383; -5.767
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| website = {{URL|http://www.aytobejar.com/}}
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'''Béjar''' ({{IPA-es|ˈbexaɾ}}) is a town and [[Municipalities in Spain|municipality]] of [[Spain]] located in the [[province of Salamanca]], autonomous community of [[Castile and León]]. As of 2018, it had a population of 12,961.
'''Béjar''' ({{IPA-es|ˈbexaɾ}}) is a town and [[Municipalities in Spain|municipality]] of [[Spain]] located in the [[province of Salamanca]], autonomous community of [[Castile and León]]. As of 2018, it had a population of 12,961. The historical development of the town has been linked to its once thriving [[Textile manufacturing|textile manufacturing industry]].


==History==
==History==
Béjar was founded towards October–November 1208 and it was presumably granted a ''[[fuero]]'' afterwards.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} It was originally placed to the south of the current settlement, but the population relocated to its current location in the first half of the 14th century.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} Featuring a cattle-based economy, the town sustained a quick early growth.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} Over the rest of the middle ages, the town passed several times from a royal demesne to seigneurial lordship and vice versa.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} The town saw his fuero ratified in 1333.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} Béjar celebrated an eight-day long medieval fair every year.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=276}} The town enjoyed from availability to plenty of wood resources, hydropower and sheep flocks.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|pp=442–443; 458}}
Béjar was founded towards October–November 1208 and it was presumably granted a ''[[fuero]]'' afterwards.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} It was originally placed to the south of the current settlement, but the population relocated to its current location in the first half of the 14th century.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} Featuring a cattle-based economy, the town sustained a quick early growth.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} Over the rest of the middle ages, the town passed several times from a royal demesne to seigneurial lordship and vice versa.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} The town saw its ''fuero'' ratified in 1333.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=272}} Béjar celebrated an eight-day long medieval [[fair]] every year.{{sfn|Lora Serrano|1986|p=276}} The town enjoyed from availability to plenty of wood resources, [[hydropower]] and sheep flocks.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|pp=442–443; 458}}


The arrival to power of the [[House of Zúñiga|Zúñiga family]] after 1396 favoured the installment of numerous courtiers and servants, who increased the demand for clothing products.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|pp=443–444}} Cloth-making boomed in the late-17th century.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|p=449}} The Ducal House of Béjar brought Flemish artisans to update the wool manufacturing techniques.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|p=450}}
The arrival to power of the [[House of Zúñiga|Zúñiga family]] after 1396 favoured the installment of numerous courtiers and servants, who increased the demand for clothing products.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|pp=443–444}} Cloth-making boomed in the late-17th century.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|p=449}} The Ducal House of Béjar brought Flemish artisans to update the wool manufacturing techniques.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|p=450}}


[[File:Lirios-rio cuerpo de hombre-bejar.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.4|Work by [[Buonaventura Ligli]] displaying the watermills at the Río Cuerpo de Hombre (1720)]]
[[File:Lirios-rio cuerpo de hombre-bejar.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.4|Work by [[Buonaventura Ligli]] displaying the watermills at the Río Cuerpo de Hombre (1720)]]
Unlike other textile manufacturing hubs in the Castilian Meseta, the local textile industry got to survive past the Early Modern Period.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|p=435}} The late modern history of Béjar is indeed marked by its textile industry, and during the 19th century it came to be referred to as the "Castilian Manchester".{{Sfn|Hernández Díaz|2013|p=24}}
Unlike other textile manufacturing hubs in the Castilian Meseta, the local textile industry got to survive past the Early Modern Period.{{Sfn|Domínguez Garrido|2019|p=435}} The late modern history of Béjar is indeed marked by its thriving textile industry, and during the 19th century it came to be referred to as the "Castilian Manchester".{{Sfn|Hernández Díaz|2013|p=24}}


Due to the peripheral location of the town and the rugged relief, railway arrived late to Béjar, in 1894.{{Sfn|Muñoz Domínguez|2013|pp=315; 325}} Passenger train services in the Astorga–Plasencia line closed on 1 January 1985, and [[rail freight transport]] a decade later, worsening [[rural flight]] patterns in the area and hindering business development.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lagacetadesalamanca.es/provincia/36-anos-sin-tren-en-el-sureste-salmantino-EY5908336|title=36 años sin tren en el sureste salmantino|website=Gaceta de Salamanca|date=6 January 2021}}</ref>
Due to the peripheral location of the town and the rugged relief, railway arrived late to Béjar, in 1894.{{Sfn|Muñoz Domínguez|2013|pp=315; 325}} Following the end of the [[Spanish Civil War|Civil War]], Bécar became a major provider of wool clothes, primarily used for military and civil servants' uniforms.{{Sfn|Brossmann|2007|p=10}}

Béjar maintained a positive demographic growth until 1970, peaking at 17,576 inhabitants.{{Sfn|Brossmann|2007|p=10}} The textile industry entered a crisis in the 1970s, prompting to staffing cutbacks.{{Sfn|Brossmann|2007|p=10}} Passenger train services in the Astorga–Plasencia line closed on 1 January 1985, and [[rail freight transport]] a decade later, worsening [[rural flight]] patterns in the area and hindering business development.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lagacetadesalamanca.es/provincia/36-anos-sin-tren-en-el-sureste-salmantino-EY5908336|title=36 años sin tren en el sureste salmantino|website=Gaceta de Salamanca|date=6 January 2021}}</ref> In the wake of the decline of the [[secondary sector]], the municipality has tried to foster other alternatives for the local economy such as [[tourism]].{{Sfn|Brossmann|2007|p=7}}


==Name==
==Name==
The name ''Béjar'' is of pre-Roman origin. Spanish historians and archeologists do not have evidence of the name's origin, but there are documents with the forms ''Biclara'' and ''Biclaro'',<ref>García Sánchez, Jairo Javier (12 de julio de 2004). ''Castilla y León y sus toponimos (II)''. Rinconete (Centro Virtual Cervantes).</ref> of uncertain meaning. An older spelling of the city's name is ''Béxar'', and in medieval documents, ''Vexar'' is also found.
The name ''Béjar'' is presumably of pre-Roman origin and it has been documented as ''Biclara'' and ''Biclaro''.{{Sfn|García Sánchez|2004}}


== Monuments ==
== Monuments ==
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* City walls: well-preserved medieval fort
* City walls: well-preserved medieval fort
* Church of Saint James (Santiago): built in XII century, now serves as a Museum of Religious Art
* Church of Saint James (Santiago): built in the 12th century, now serves as a Museum of Religious Art
* Church of Saint Mary the Great (Santa María la Mayor): built between the 12th and 17th centuries, in several different architectural styles (from Mudejar to Baroque)
* Church of Saint Mary the Great (Santa María la Mayor): built between the 12th and 17th centuries, in several different architectural styles (from Mudejar to Baroque)
* Jewish Museum David Melul: shows Béjar's Hebrew past
* Jewish Museum David Melul: shows Béjar's Hebrew past
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==See also==
==See also==
* [[Palomares de Béjar]]
* [[Sierra de Béjar (comarca)|Sierra de Béjar]]
* [[Sierra de Béjar (comarca)|Sierra de Béjar]]


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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography
;Bibliography
* {{Cite journal|title=El análisis del sector turístico en Béjar como caso de estudio de las nuevas políticas urbanas en las pequeñas ciudades|first=Michael|last=Brossmann|journal=Polígonos: Revista de Geografía|issn=1132-1202|issue=17|year=2007|pages=7–31|url=https://buleria.unileon.es/bitstream/handle/10612/8315/El%20an%C3%A1lisis%20del%20sector.pdf?sequence=1|location=León|publisher=[[Universidad de León]]}}
* {{Cite journal|issn=0213-2079|journal=Studia Historica. Historia Moderna|year=2019|volume=41|issue=1|url=https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/Studia_Historica/article/view/shhmo2019411435484/20369|first=Urbano|last=Domínguez Garrido|title=Manufacturas laneras en Béjar durante la Edad Moderna. La formación de un paisaje industrial: Caracterización y protección|location=Salamanca|publisher=[[University of Salamanca|Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca]]|doi=10.14201/shhmo2019411435484|pages=435–484}}
* {{Cite journal|issn=0213-2079|journal=Studia Historica. Historia Moderna|year=2019|volume=41|issue=1|url=https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/Studia_Historica/article/view/shhmo2019411435484/20369|first=Urbano|last=Domínguez Garrido|title=Manufacturas laneras en Béjar durante la Edad Moderna. La formación de un paisaje industrial: Caracterización y protección|location=Salamanca|publisher=[[University of Salamanca|Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca]]|doi=10.14201/shhmo2019411435484|pages=435–484|hdl=10366/142070|hdl-access=free}}
* {{Cite journal|last=García Sánchez|first=Jairo J.|date=12 July 2004|title=Castilla y León y sus topónimos (II)|issn=1885-5008|journal=Rinconete|via=[[Instituto Cervantes|Centro Virtual Cervantes]]|url=https://cvc.cervantes.es/el_rinconete/anteriores/julio_04/12072004_01.htm}}
* {{Cite book|chapter=La historia contemporánea de Béjar|first=José María|last=Hernández Díaz|title=Historia de Béjar|volume=2|year=2013|isbn=978-84-7797-416-1|pages=19–26|chapter-url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4645200.pdf}}
* {{Cite book|chapter=La historia contemporánea de Béjar|first=José María|last=Hernández Díaz|title=Historia de Béjar|volume=2|year=2013|isbn=978-84-7797-416-1|pages=19–26|chapter-url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4645200.pdf}}
* {{Cite journal|url=https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/7101/1/HM_04-05_15.pdf|issue=4–5|year=1986|title=La feria de Béjar en el siglo XV|first=Gloria|last=Lora Serrano|doi=10.14198/medieval.1986.4-5.15|location=San Vicente del Raspeig|publisher=[[Universidad de Alicante]]|issn=2695-9747|journal=Anales de la Universidad de Alicante. Historia Medieval}}
* {{Cite journal|url=https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/7101/1/HM_04-05_15.pdf|issue=4–5|year=1986|title=La feria de Béjar en el siglo XV|first=Gloria|last=Lora Serrano|doi=10.14198/medieval.1986.4-5.15|location=San Vicente del Raspeig|publisher=[[Universidad de Alicante]]|issn=2695-9747|journal=Anales de la Universidad de Alicante. Historia Medieval}}
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{commons|Category:Béjar}}
{{commons}}
*[http://www.i-bejar.com/ i-Béjar] web portal {{in lang|es}}
*[http://www.i-bejar.com/ i-Béjar] web portal {{in lang|es}}
{{Municipalities in Salamanca}}
{{Municipalities in Salamanca}}

Latest revision as of 05:13, 10 July 2023

For other uses, see Bejar (disambiguation).
Béjar
Municipality
Coat of arms of Béjar
Coat of arms
Béjar is located in Castile and León
Béjar
Béjar
Béjar is located in Spain
Béjar
Béjar
Coordinates: 40°23′N 5°46′W / 40.383°N 5.767°W / 40.383; -5.767
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityCastile and León
ProvinceSalamanca
Area
[1]
 • Total46 km2 (18 sq mi)
Elevation
[1]
959 m (3,146 ft)
Population
 (2018)[2]
 • Total12,961
 • Density280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Demonymbejarano
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
37700
Dialing code923
Websitewww.aytobejar.com

Béjar (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbexaɾ]) is a town and municipality of Spain located in the province of Salamanca, autonomous community of Castile and León. As of 2018, it had a population of 12,961. The historical development of the town has been linked to its once thriving textile manufacturing industry.

History[edit]

Béjar was founded towards October–November 1208 and it was presumably granted a fuero afterwards.[3] It was originally placed to the south of the current settlement, but the population relocated to its current location in the first half of the 14th century.[3] Featuring a cattle-based economy, the town sustained a quick early growth.[3] Over the rest of the middle ages, the town passed several times from a royal demesne to seigneurial lordship and vice versa.[3] The town saw its fuero ratified in 1333.[3] Béjar celebrated an eight-day long medieval fair every year.[4] The town enjoyed from availability to plenty of wood resources, hydropower and sheep flocks.[5]

The arrival to power of the Zúñiga family after 1396 favoured the installment of numerous courtiers and servants, who increased the demand for clothing products.[6] Cloth-making boomed in the late-17th century.[7] The Ducal House of Béjar brought Flemish artisans to update the wool manufacturing techniques.[8]

Work by Buonaventura Ligli displaying the watermills at the Río Cuerpo de Hombre (1720)

Unlike other textile manufacturing hubs in the Castilian Meseta, the local textile industry got to survive past the Early Modern Period.[9] The late modern history of Béjar is indeed marked by its thriving textile industry, and during the 19th century it came to be referred to as the "Castilian Manchester".[10]

Due to the peripheral location of the town and the rugged relief, railway arrived late to Béjar, in 1894.[11] Following the end of the Civil War, Bécar became a major provider of wool clothes, primarily used for military and civil servants' uniforms.[12]

Béjar maintained a positive demographic growth until 1970, peaking at 17,576 inhabitants.[12] The textile industry entered a crisis in the 1970s, prompting to staffing cutbacks.[12] Passenger train services in the Astorga–Plasencia line closed on 1 January 1985, and rail freight transport a decade later, worsening rural flight patterns in the area and hindering business development.[13] In the wake of the decline of the secondary sector, the municipality has tried to foster other alternatives for the local economy such as tourism.[14]

Name[edit]

The name Béjar is presumably of pre-Roman origin and it has been documented as Biclara and Biclaro.[15]

Monuments[edit]

Béjar has many remarkable monuments and historical buildings:[16]

  • City walls: well-preserved medieval fort
  • Church of Saint James (Santiago): built in the 12th century, now serves as a Museum of Religious Art
  • Church of Saint Mary the Great (Santa María la Mayor): built between the 12th and 17th centuries, in several different architectural styles (from Mudejar to Baroque)
  • Jewish Museum David Melul: shows Béjar's Hebrew past
  • Ducal Palace and Camera Obscura: an ancient fortress transformed into a palace for the Duke and Duchess of Béjar in the 16th century.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Citations
  1. ^ a b "Municipio:Béjar". www.lasalina.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-10-28.
  2. ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  3. ^ a b c d e Lora Serrano 1986, p. 272.
  4. ^ Lora Serrano 1986, p. 276.
  5. ^ Domínguez Garrido 2019, pp. 442–443, 458.
  6. ^ Domínguez Garrido 2019, pp. 443–444.
  7. ^ Domínguez Garrido 2019, p. 449.
  8. ^ Domínguez Garrido 2019, p. 450.
  9. ^ Domínguez Garrido 2019, p. 435.
  10. ^ Hernández Díaz 2013, p. 24.
  11. ^ Muñoz Domínguez 2013, pp. 315, 325.
  12. ^ a b c Brossmann 2007, p. 10.
  13. ^ "36 años sin tren en el sureste salmantino". Gaceta de Salamanca. 6 January 2021.
  14. ^ Brossmann 2007, p. 7.
  15. ^ García Sánchez 2004.
  16. ^ "Conoce Béjar – Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Béjar" (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2019-01-22.
Bibliography

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Béjar.
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