Allariz is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

() in the province of Ourense, in the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

of Galicia,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It occupies the center of the western half of the province, connecting with the towns (''concellos'') of Taboadela, Paderne, Sandiás, Vilar de Santos, Rairiz de Veiga, Xunqueira de Ambía, A Merca and

A Bola ''A Bola'' (; ) is a Portuguese language, Portuguese sports newspaper published in Lisbon. History and profile ''A Bola'' was founded in 1945 by Cândido de Oliveira, Ribeiro dos Reis and Vicente de Melo and was then published twice a week. It ...

. The area of the municipality is 85,3 km² and there are 6.188 inhabitants in 16 parishes. The hydrographic system is made up of the River Arnoia, which crosses the municipality from east to west. The surrounding hills are covered with

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

and native

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

. The valley itself is very fertile and the river banks are lined with trees. The climate can be defined as inland Atlantic with continental influences. Summers are warm with highs averaging 25 °C, while winter highs average 12 °C. Allariz is a town which relies on tourism and proximity to the provincial capital of Ourense, fifteen kilometers away. Because of its picturesque location on the banks of the Arnoia, it is a sought-after location for summer houses. The main highway crossing the south of Galicia, the ''Autovia das Rias Baixas'', crosses the Arnoia on one of the longest highway bridges in Spain and provides easy access to the town.

History

Local life had its origin in the ''castro'' which dominates the Arnoia. Little is known about development of the town until the barbarian invasions of the seventh century. Legends attribute its foundation to the Suevian chieftain Alaric. All that is known is that its first name was ''Villa Alaricii''. In the twelfth century a royal fortress of the Galaico-Leonese dynasty was built on the hill overlooking the modern town. Between the years 1132 and 1140 it was the key in the wars against the expansion of Portugal, and thanks to its defense the south of Galicia was not absorbed into Portugal. Alfonso VII of Castile gave it the title of town or ''foro''. Everything indicates that the Castle of Allariz was always a residence of the royal families and place of education for the princes. At the end of the fourteenth century the opposition between the royal power, represented by Allariz, and the episcopal power of Ourense increased. In 1446 Juan II of Castile gave the town to the Count of Benavente, who wanted it for his designs of dominating Galicia. In 1471 the Irmandiños de Galicia besieged the castle, helped by the people in the town. This siege lasted nine months. Later powerful families built their houses and palaces. New churches were built and Allariz lived an era of prosperity, as it had before under royal protection. The French invasion during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

destroyed many churches and caused great loss in the town, but the army of

Soult Marshal General of France, Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman. He was a Marshal of the Empire during the Napoleonic Wars, and served three times as P ...

, defeated in

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

, found refuge in the town. The period of ''desamortization'' (19th century) ruined the Monastery and was the cause of the destruction of the castle and the town walls, whose stones were used to build the road to Ourense. Puente de Vilanova Allariz

Allariz had a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community ever since the 11th century. Upon a complaint of the prior of the monastery of Allariz in 1289, the

congregation of the town was notified that they were no longer permitted to live outside the

Jewish quarter Jewish Quarter may refer to: *Jewish quarter (diaspora), areas of many cities and towns traditionally inhabited by Jews *Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem), one of the four traditional quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem *Jewish Quarter (), a popular name ...

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

were also prohibited from living in that quarter.

Politics

Tourist sites

Allariz constitutes one of the most important historical-artistic sites of Galicia. In the town there are admirable examples of military, religious, and civil elements. Today it preserves its medieval character, reflected in its monuments and in its cobblestone streets. We must mention the chapel of San Bieito and the ''Real Mosteiro de Santa Clara'', with one of the largest

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

s in Spain. A fundamental example of Galego romanesque architecture is the parish church of Santiago and the bridge of Vilanova. The highlight of the town is doubtlessly the area around the Arnoia River, which has been converted into a parkland with paths following the riverbanks under ancient oak trees. Abandoned leather factories have been restored and converted into restaurants and a museum.

''Festa do Boi'' (Festival of the Ox)

According to this legend, with heavy

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

overtones, the festival began in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The Jewish community tried to ruin the procession of Corpus Christi when it was crossing their street on the way to the Church of Santo Estevo. Supposedly the Jews insulted the people, made fun of the religious symbols and provoked the priests and monks. This is when Xan de Arzúa appeared, a man of religious convictions, who decided to appear one year riding a bull pulled by his servants who carried sacks with ants and ashes to throw at the faces of the disrespectful Jews. In memory of this happening, every year during the festival of Corpus Christi, garlanded oxen run through the streets of the town. Flour with ants is also thrown at bystanders to remember the legendary Xan de Arzúa. A cloth figure representing Xan is carried in procession to the town hall where it is hung on the balcony. The original antisemitic background to the festival has been forgotten by most modern viewers.

References

External links