The Sierra de Francia is a comarca located at the southern end of

Salamanca Province Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Ávila, Cáceres, Valladolid, and Zamora, and on the west by Portugal. It ...

Castile and León Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...

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 is located about 70 km from

Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...

city. It borders with the

Las Hurdes Las Hurdes (; Extremaduran: ''Las Jurdis'') is a ''comarca'' in the Sistema Central, at the northern end of the province of Cáceres in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, Spain. A well-known historical region, Las Hurdes is currently a Site ...

and Las Batuecas comarcas of

Extremadura Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...

to the south; the

Campo Charro Campo Charro is one of the 11 comarcas in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León. It contains 42 municipalities: Aldeatejada, Aldehuela de la Bóveda, Arapiles, Barbadillo, Barbalos, Berrocal de Huebra, Buenamadre, Calvarrasa de A ...

to the north and the Sierra de Béjar to the east. The region is sparsely inhabited and its few towns have great cultural value.

Geography

The mountain range Sierra de Francia belongs to the

Sistema Central The Central System, Spanish language, Spanish and , is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in the Iberian Peninsula. The 2,592 m high Pico Almanzor is its highest summit. The Central System is located just north of the 40th parallel north, ...

. Its slopes are covered with forests of

alder Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...

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 ...

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 ash. They rise over the Northern Castilian Plateau and mark the geographical limit of its southwestern plains (''Llanura Salmantina''). From its southern side this mountain chain marks the northern limit of

, the legendary

n comarca. The mountain range consists of a quite regular succession of peaks of moderate height, of which the Pico de La Hastiala (1.735 m) is the highest. At the top of the Peña de Francia (1723 m) stands one of the highest

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

shrines of the world, as well as a

RTVE The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española (''Spanish Radio and Television'', RTVE), is the Spanish national public Broadcasting, television and radio broadcaster. It is a state-owned enterprise f ...

antenna. Other summits worth mentioning are the

Mesa del Francés A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep Escarpment, escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft Sedimentary rock, sedimentary rocks, ...

(1.638 m) and the Pico Robledo (1.614 m). All these peaks are usually covered with snow in the winter season. Among the rivers that cut valleys in the sierra, the most famous is the Río Francia, which gives the mountain chain its name, as well as the Alagón.

Natural park and biosphere

Most of Sierra de Francia's territory, together with the valley of Las Batuecas was declared Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park in 1978. Together with the neighboring

Sierra de Béjar (comarca) Sierra de Béjar is a comarca in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León. It contains the following municipalities: * Aldeacipreste * Béjar * Candelario * Cantagallo * El Cerro * Colmenar de Montemayor * Cristóbal de la Sierra * Fres ...

it constitutes a

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

. Some of the towns of the comarca have been officially declared

Conjunto Histórico-Artístico The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...

owing to their cultural and architectural value.

Municipalities

Sierra de Francia contains the following 26 municipalities: * Aldeanueva de la Sierra * Cepeda * Cereceda de la Sierra * Cilleros de la Bastida * El Cabaco * El Maíllo * El Tornadizo *

Escurial de la Sierra Escurial de la Sierra is a village and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial Capital (political ...

* Garcibuey * Herguijuela de la Sierra * La Alberca (capital of the comarca and declared Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) * La Bastida * La Rinconada de la Sierra * Las Casas del Conde * Linares de Riofrío * Madroñal *

Miranda del Castañar Miranda del Castañar is a municipality located in the Salamanca (province), province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. As of 2016 the municipality has a population of 426 inhabitants. The town of Miranda del Castañar is labeled "Historic ...

(Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) *

Mogarraz Mogarraz is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spa ...

(Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) * Molinillo * Monforte de la Sierra * Nava de Francia * Navarredonda de la Rinconada * Pinedas * San Esteban de la Sierra * San Martín del Castañar (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) * San Miguel de Valero * San Miguel del Robledo * Santibáñez de la Sierra * Sequeros (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) *

Sotoserrano Sotoserrano is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in ...

* Valero * Villanueva del Conde (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico)

References

External links

Diputación de Salamanca - Turismo - Sierra de Francia.

Web de Turismo de la Junta de Castilla y León.

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