Virtus, Spain
Virtus | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Clock tower and surroundings of the square | |
|
Coat of arms | |
| Etymology: Latin | |
Virtus Location in the Province of Burgos Virtus Virtus (Castile and León) Virtus Virtus (Spain) | |
| Coordinates: 42°58′53″N 3°49′58″W / 42.98139°N 3.83278°W | |
| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community | Castile and León |
| Province | Burgos |
| Comarca | Las Merindades |
| Judicial district | Villarcayo |
| Municipality | Valle de Valdebezana |
| Founded | 9th century |
| Named after | Virtue |
| Main seat | Soncillo town hall |
| Seat | Virtus town council |
| Former main seat | Sedano town hall |
| Neighbourhoods | Balneario de Corconte Cabañas de Virtus La Estación de Soncillo Las Cabañas La Paloma |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Carmen Díaz (PP) |
| Elevation | 863 m (2,831 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 1,036 m (3,399 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 797 m (2,615 ft) |
| Population (2024)[1] | |
• Total | 63 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 09572 |
| Vehicle registration | BU |
| Local dialing code | 947 |
| Patron saint | Saint Blaise (February 3) |
| Website | Ayuntamiento de Valle de Valdebezana |
Virtus (Spanish pronunciation: [bˈiɾtus]) is a village located in the province of Burgos, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. Belonging to Las Merindades comarca, it is the third most populated town of the valley, after Soncillo and Cilleruelo de Bezana. Virtus holds the unique castle of the area (Castillo de Virtus)[2] and the sole pyramid of Spain (Pirámide de los Italianos);[3][4] and it is linked with Santiago de Compostela through a variant of the Camino de Santiago known as Camino Olvidado.[5][6]
Toponym
The toponym springs from the Latin word virtus,[7][8] alluding to the moral concept of virtue. In Spain, 186 people have it as a first surname, while it is the second surname of 192 individuals.[9]
Geography
The village is close to the southern side of the Puerto del Escudo and occupies a great part of N-623 road along this face.
Climate
Virtus has an oceanic climate, whose mean temperature is 11 °C (52 °F). However, its extreme temperatures go from −10 to 38 °C (14 to 100 °F). Precipitation, at an average of 1100 mm per annum, reaches a daily maximum of 70 mm.[10]
Orography
It is placed on Cantabrian Mountains, near to Alto de la Maza mountain (1165 m or 3822 ft above sea level), and it also has a triangulation station known as Peña Plato (955 m or 3133 ft of elevation).[11]
Hydrography
Its streams belong to the Ebro drainage basin, and they are the following ones: Gándara, Matorras, Praderas del Cuco, Puntillera, Regada and Salinas.
Nature
Flora
Craggy areas are packed of hollies, oaks, pines, and show scarce apple trees, beeches, walnut trees and willows. Flora includes edible and medicinal plants such as chamomile or common nettles, as well as brackens and false oat-grass.
Fauna
Deer, foxes, hares, hedgehogs, wild boars and wolves can be made out. Besides, Virtus shelters a wide variety of birds,[12] namely common and lesser black-backed gulls, common buzzards, nightingales and ravens, Eurasian dotterels, gadwalls, greater flamingos, greater white-fronted geese, little bustards, merlins, pigeons, red-crested pochards, storks and tawny owls.
Geology
Local geomorphology shows the prevalence of Albian sandstone, leaving none but tiny zones for colluvial material, limestones and Keuper's sedimentary clays.[13]
Protected areas
The outskirts of Ebro Reservoir are a protected area both in Cantabria and Castile and León autonomous communities.[14][15]
History
Middle ages
Its first human evidence are two groups of 9th century sepulchres 300 m (984 ft) far away denoting two Reconquista-arisen settlements, contemporary with the earliest written reference: The donation of several lands "in Bertux territory" to an Ovetense bishop by king Ordoño I of Asturias in 857.
It also began the construction of two of Virtus' most iconic edifices, Iglesia de Santa María (13th century) and Castillo de Virtus (14th century). Besides, Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla book mentions that in 1352 Virtus belonged to Nuño Díaz de Haro (Lord of Biscay and head of House of Lara), swiftly transferred to Pedro Gómez de Porras' Majorat in 1376.[16][a]
Early modern years
Granted that the castle arose as a tower house, it finally got its definitive form during this epoch. Simultaneously, the church evolved to a Latin cross plan. As several houses of the neighbourhood come from these years, so do the ruins of a watermill.
Late modern period
Virtus suffered the fallout from Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), specifically as a result of the Battle of the Ebro. In the aftermath, the construction of a mausoleum for Italian soldiers known as Pirámide de los Italianos took place.
Contemporary history
Lastly, locals put up the clock tower, located in Virtus' square.
Human geography
Demography
Virtus had 63 inhabitants in 2024, according to National Statistics Institute.[17]
| 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 92 | 84 | 78 | 82 | 71 | 63 |
Urbanism
Facilities include a square, a clock tower, a traditional bowley alley, a park, a sports pitch, and two viewpoints.
Architecture
Houses tend to be unifamiliar, consisting of two or three levels, and stone-made. Facades, if painted, are white or pastel coloured. Moreover, they frequently include a small garden in the same patch.
Transport
Roads
| Code | Class | Itinerary |
|---|---|---|
| N-232 | Highway | Vinaroz to Las Cabañas |
| N-623 | Burgos to Santander | |
| CL-630 | Road | Corconte to La Paloma |
| BU-564 | Local road | Cilleruelo de Bezana to Soncillo |
| BU-574 | Vegaloscorrales to La Paloma | |
| BU-V-5791 | Virtus to La Estación de Soncillo | |
| BU-V-6425 | Cabañas de Virtus to Villamediana de San Román |
Train
La Robla's train has stops in Las Cabañas and La Estación de Soncillo.
Bus
There are daily routes with destination to Soncillo, Cilleruelo de Bezana, Torrelavega, Santander, Burgos and Madrid.
Other media
The closest airport is Santander Airport, 65 km (40 mi) away.
Economy
Primary sector
The principal economic activity is cattle farming, which is strongly conditioned by land consolidation, the use of agricultural machinery, a scarce number of farmers, and the breakdown of both agronomy and milk farming. Activities as hunting, wildcrafting, beekeeping and tree harvesting are no longer profitable.
Secondary sector
Electricity generation has changed the scenery, providing it with high voltage power lines and wind parks oriented towards Virtus' substation,[18][19] which belongs to Herrera de Pisuera-Güeñes stretch.[20][21] There also are forge and mineral water business.
Tertiary sector
Services rely on SMEs seeking estival tourism: Notably the ones that rent kitesurfing equipment and motorcycles. They make up a small part of the economy and involve scarce population.
Available income
National Statistics Institute does not offer data for Virtus, but it does give a municipal reference: In 2022, Valle de Valdebezana's per capita income was 12,233 euros.[22]
Government
Local government
Juan Carlos Díaz (PCAS-TC) was the previous mayor until 2019, when María del Carmen Díaz (PP) was elected.
Judicial government
In as much as Virtus belongs to Valle de Valdebezana, Villarcayo de Merindad de Castilla la Vieja judicial district is in force here.
Culture
Remarkable sites
Balneario de Corconte
This eclectic mansion, designed by Lavín del Noval architect, was constructed in 1890 using ashlars. It also became a strategic point during the Battle of Ebro (1938).
Castillo de los Porras
Castillo de los Porras is a gothic barbican, also made with ashlars, and built during fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Its main entrance consists of a basket-handle arch, and nowadays, the edifice is a private residence.
Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor
A Romanesque church with animal, human and vegetal motifs, a notable bell-gable including two semicircular arches, and a semi-dome. It is the oldest building of the village, glaringly ashlar-made, and whose construction started in the twelfth century and finished in the eighteenth century.
Pirámide de los italianos
A Rationalist shrine, built amid 1938 and 1939, using limestone-covered concrete, under the supervision of Attilio Radic architect and Pietro di Varzi military chaplain. The main purpose of this pyramidal building 20 m (66 ft) tall, was to bury Italian casualties from the offensive that Nationalist faction rose above Republican Santander as a part of Spanish Civil War.
Cultural activities
During July and August there are lectures, workshops and film projections.[23]
Sports
Locals play a variation of bowling known as bolos tres tablones.[24]
Feasts
Virtus celebrates Nativity of Mary on the second Sunday of September.
Gastronomy
Typical gastronomy derives from local foods: Cereals, eggs, meat, milk and vegetables, yielding blood sausage, hornazo or Spanish omelette. The diet reflects the distance from the sea, traditional activities as pig slaughter, and technologycal advances like rail transport which caused the invention of railroad pots.[b]
Media
Press
Crónica de las Merindades, a free newspaper with a monthly impression on both paper and digital formats, is the main journal of Las Merindades comarca.
Radio
Local radios are Radio Espinosa Merindades (Espinosa de los Monteros) and Radio Valdivielso (Quintana de Valdivielso, Merindad de Valdivielso).
Television
Apart from nationally broadcast channels, Castile and León autonomous community offers La 7 and La 8 channels.
Notes
- ^ Porras surname has been traced back to a servant of Blanca Garcés of Pamplona and Sancho III of Castile; and it alludes to Merindad de Valdeporres. Despite being less popular, Porres surname corresponds with Porras
- ^ Railroad pots, locally known as ollas ferroviarias, are a kind of stew cooked by train workers of a coal route from La Robla to Bilbao before its modernization
References
- ^ "Nomenclátor: Población por unidad poblacional". Instituto Nacional de Estadística (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ "Castillo de Virtus". CastillosNET (in Spanish). Retrieved March 25, 2025.
- ^ Martínez, Albert (2022). "¿Dónde se encuentra la única pirámide de España?". La Razón (in Spanish). Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ P. Villatoro, Manuel (2024). "Los misterios de la única pirámide de España". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ "Quinta etapa del Viejo Camino de Santiago". Viejo Camino Olvidado (in Spanish). Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ "Etapa 5 del Camino Olvidado". Camino Olvidado (in Spanish). Retrieved March 25, 2025.
- ^ "Diccionario latín-español". Glosbe (in Spanish). Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Virtus". Toponomasticon Hispaniae (in Spanish). 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
- ^ "Estadísticas de apellidos". Instituto Nacional de Estadística (in Spanish). Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Datos climáticos y meteorológicos históricos simulados para Virtus". Meteo Blue (in Spanish). Retrieved March 29, 2025.
- ^ "Vértices de las redes geodésicas REGENTE y ROI". Instituto Geográfico Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ Román Sancho, Fernando; Lobo Cueva, José Luis; Fernández González, Rufino. Fernández González, Rufino (ed.). "Anuario Ornitológico de la provincia de Burgos" (in Spanish). Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "MAGNA 50 - Mapa Geológico de España a escala 1:50.000 (2ª Serie)". Instituto Geológico Minero Español (in Spanish). Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ "Lugares de Importancia Comunitaria (LIC) en Castilla y León". Junta de Castilla y León (in Spanish). Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "Zonas de Especial Protección para las Aves (ZEPA) en Castilla y León". Junta de Castilla y León (in Spanish). Retrieved March 29, 2025.
- ^ "Virtus" (PDF). Románico Digital (in Spanish). pp. 2175–2182. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ^ "Nomenclátor: Población por unidad poblacional". Instituto Nacional de Estadística (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ "Sistema eléctrico ibérico" (PDF). Red Eléctrica Española (in Spanish). 2005. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ Resolución de la Dirección General de Política Energética y Minas por la que se autoriza a «Red Eléctrica de España, S. A.», la subestación a 400 kV denominada «Virtus», así como la línea a 400 kV, doble circuito, de «Entrada y salida en la subestación de Virtus de la línea Herrera-Güeñes», en el término municipal de Valle de Valdebezana, en la provincia de Burgos, y se declara, en concreto, su utilidad pública (PDF) (in Spanish), Boletín Oficial del Estado, October 1, 2002, pp. 7919–7920, retrieved March 27, 2025
- ^ Resolución de 6 de julio de 2023, de la Dirección General de Política Energética y Minas, por la que se otorga a Green Capital Power, SL, autorización administrativa previa para el parque eólico Bustatur, de 41,6 MW de potencia instalada, y sus infraestructuras de evacuación, ubicados en los términos municipales de Las Rozas de Valdearroyo (Cantabria) y de Alfoz de Santa Gadea y Valle de Valdebezana (Burgos) (PDF) (in Spanish), Boletín Oficial del Estado, July 20, 2023, pp. 105074–105082, retrieved March 27, 2025
- ^ Resolución de 25 de noviembre de 2024, de la Dirección General de Política Energética y Minas, por la que se otorga transmisión de titularidad y concesiones otorgadas a Green Capital Power, SL, a favor de Bustatur Energy, SL, autorización administrativa previa de las modificaciones y autorización administrativa de construcción para el parque eólico «Bustatur», de 41,6 MW de potencia instalada, y su infraestructura de evacuación, ubicados en Las Rozas de Valdearroyo (Cantabria) y Arija y Valle de Valdebezana (Burgos) (PDF) (in Spanish), Boletín Oficial del Estado, December 14, 2024, pp. 171784–171796, retrieved March 27, 2025
- ^ "Atlas de Distribución de la Renta de los Hogares. Año 2022". Instituto Nacional de Estadística (in Spanish). Retrieved March 29, 2025.
- ^ "La historia y el patrimonio de Virtus vertebran la tercera edición de La Escuela Virtuosa". Crónica de las Merindades (in Spanish). Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Juegos de bolos en Las Merindades (Burgos)". Bolos Tres Tablones (in Spanish). Retrieved March 29, 2025.
Bibliography
- Arribas Magro, María del Carmen Sonsoles (2012). Las Merindades de Burgos: Un análisis jurisdiccional y socioeconómico desde la Antigüedad a la Edad Media (PDF) (PhD thesis) (in Spanish). University of Burgos. doi:10.36443/10259/201. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- Benito-Calvo, Alfonso; Bermejo, Lucía; Karampaglidis, Theodoros; et al. (2021). "Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala and Galerías de las Huellas". In Pastoors, Andreas; Lenssen-Erz, Tilman (eds.). Reading Prehistoric Human Tracks. Methods & Material (PDF). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp. 317–344. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-60406-6. ISBN 978-3-030-60406-6. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- Galán Díaz, Javier; García Antón, Mercedes (2018), Gonzalo, Mateo Sanz (ed.), Introducción a la flora de los bosques del Valle de Valdebezana (Burgos) (PDF), Flora Montiberica (in Spanish), vol. 71, Valencia, pp. 61–84, ISSN 1138-5952, retrieved February 16, 2025
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Garate Maidagan, Diego; García Moreno, Alejandro; Sainz-Maza Sainz-Maza, Eduardo (2021), Nuevas evidencias de arte rupestre postpaleolítico en Las Merindades (Burgos) (PDF), Zephyrus (in Spanish), vol. 88, University of Salamanca, pp. 15–40, doi:10.14201/zephyrus20218 (inactive April 10, 2025), ISSN 0514-7336, retrieved February 16, 2025
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2025 (link) - García Sánchez, Jesús (2008), El uso político de objetos arqueológicos: las estelas gigantes de Cantabria (PDF), Saldvie: Estudios de prehistoria y arqueología (in Spanish), vol. 9, University of Zaragoza, pp. 249–263, ISSN 1576-6454, retrieved March 13, 2025
- Maira Vidal, Rocío (2019). del Cueto Ruiz-Funes, Juan Ignacio; Huerta, Santiago; Méndez Pineda, Valeria M (eds.). Tercer Congreso Internacional Hispanoamericano de Historia de la construcción (PDF) (in Spanish). Vol. 2. Mexico City: Instituto Juan de Herrera. Petrificación de la riqueza. La construcción medieval en las Merindades de Burgos. ISBN 978-84-9728-570-4. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- Reina Aguilar, Ángel (2021), Aproximación a una comparativa jurídica entre el waqf y el mayorazgo castellano: El waqf de al-Šāfi'ī, al-waṯā'iq de Abū Isḥāq al-Ġarnāṭī y tres ejemplos jienenses de los siglos XIV, XV y XVI (PDF), eHumanista IVITRA (in Spanish), vol. 19, University of California, Santa Barbara, pp. 541–555, ISSN 1540-5877, retrieved March 13, 2025