Bernedo is a town 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 ...

located in the province of

Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see. Its c ...

, in the

Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...

, northern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. The town of Bernedo is considered the capital of the municipality, which consists of several towns. Over the years, the municipality of Bernedo has absorbed other, smaller municipalities, which have ceased to exist.

History

The name Bernedo appeared as early as 1025 in documentation of the region of San Millán de la Cogolla. During the Middle Ages, Bernedo was a walled fortress with castle and tower. The King of

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, Sancho the Wise, granted

charter rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pr ...

for the town in the year 1182. For three centuries it was part of the

Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...

. It passed to the Crown of Castile in 1476, and in 1490 the

Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being bo ...

incorporated it to the city of Vitoria. Bernedo was the last populated area that was incorporated to the province of

. Throughout modern history, a number of smaller municipalities have been merged into the municipality of Bernedo. In 1965, the municipalities of

San Román de Campezo San Román de Campezo or Durruma Kanpezu is a hamlet and council located in the municipality of Bernedo, in Álava province, Basque Country, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 26. Geography San Román de Campezo is located 38km southeas ...

and Quintana were joined with Bernedo. In 1976, the municipality absorbed the short-lived municipality of Arlucea-Marquínez, which itself had been formed by a 1963 merger between the municipalities of

Arlucea Arluzea ( es, Arlucea) is a village in Álava, Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous commun ...

and Marquínez.

Towns

The municipality is composed of 11 towns or villages, which are governed by town councils: * Angostina *

Arluzea Arluzea ( es, Arlucea) is a village in Álava, Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous commun ...

* Bernedo , capital and main population of the municipality *

Markinez Markinez (''Marquínez'' in Spanish or ''Markiz'' in Basque) is a village and council located in the municipality of Bernedo, in Álava province, Basque Country, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 61. Geography Marquínez is located 31k ...

* Navarrete *

Okina Okina may refer to: * ʻOkina, a letter used in some Polynesian languages, visually resembling a left single quotation mark * Okina () or , a character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series * Okina, Spain, a village in the Basque Country * , ...

* Quintana * San Román de Campezo / Durruma Kanpezu *

Urarte Urarte is a hamlet and council located in the municipality of Bernedo, in Álava province, Basque Country, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 30. Geography Urarte is located 29km south-southeast of Vitoria-Gasteiz es, vitoriano, vitor ...

Urturi Urturi is a hamlet and council located in the municipality of Bernedo, in Álava province, Basque Country, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 62. Geography Urturi is located 40km southeast of Vitoria-Gasteiz es, vitoriano, vitoriana, ...

Villafría Villafría is one of fifteen parishes (administrative divisions) in Pravia Pravia is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias in Spain. It is bordered on the north by Cudillero and Muros de Nalón, on the ea ...

References

External links

City and Municipality Website for Bernedo

BERNEDO in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia

Website of Marquínez / Markinez
Municipalities in Álava {{basqueCountry-geo-stub