Guardo
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Guardo | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 42°47′22″N 4°50′47″W / 42.78944°N 4.84639°W | |
Country | Spain |
Autonomous community | Castile and León |
Province | Palencia |
Government | |
• Mayor | Juan Jesús Blanco Muñiz (PP) |
Area | |
• Total | 62.83 km2 (24.26 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,123 m (3,684 ft) |
Population (2018)[1] | |
• Total | 6,153 |
• Density | 98/km2 (250/sq mi) |
Demonym | guardense |
Postal code | 34880 |
Website | Official website |
Guardo is a town and municipality situated in the Montaña Palentina region in the far north of the province of Palencia, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. As of 2023, the municipality had 5653 residents, making it the third most populated in the province.
Physical geography[edit]
The town is situated on the banks of the Carrión river on the southern slopes of the Sierra del Brezo, a mountain range that separates the Cantabrian Mountains from the Meseta Central. Its average elevation is 1123 metres above sea level. The majority of the town is modern, mainly constructed during the first half of the 20th century, although there is a small historic section on a hill to the east. The centre of the town is on the left bank of the river. The right bank contains the railway and industrial facilities, many of which are no longer in operation.
The municipality of Guardo, in addition to the titular town, also comprises the hamlets of Muñeca, Intorcisa and San Pedro de Cansoles.
Guardo itself is 91 km away from Palencia, the provincial capital, 145 km from Valladolid, 137 km from Burgos and 85 km from León.
It is the capital of and by far the largest settlement in the comarca of Alto Carrión.
The elevation of the municipality oscillates between 1836 metres on the summit of Peña Mayor de Guardo in the Sierra del Brezo and approximately 1100 metres on the banks of the Carrión as it flows towards the neighbouring village of Mantinos.
Urban structure and monuments[edit]
The historic district is divided into three neighborhoods – Barruelo, La Fuente and La Plaza – situated on the eastern slope of the Carrión River Valley. The historic district contains a magnificent Baroque palace built in the 18th century by Bishop Francisco Díaz-Santos de Bullón. The palace currently houses the Centre for Teacher Training and Educational Innovation.
There are several impressive large houses on either side of the palace and another, near the church of San Juan, contains the House of Culture and the Municipal Library. The church was built in the 17th century.
A 16th-century bridge crosses the Carrión River. On 13 June a festival is held in honour of San Antonio de Padua. Every Friday there is a weekly market.
Economy[edit]
The town's main economic activity was coal mining, an industry which commenced several decades after the heavy mining operations in the neighbouring Asturias and León provinces since the coal in Guardo was found deeper into the ground and one had to await for the appropriate technological advances.
Culture[edit]
St John the Baptist Church
Situated on a hill in the east of town in a neighbourhood known as El Otero (The Hill).
References[edit]
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
External links[edit]
- Aerial Photograph
- More Information about Guardo (In Spanish)
- Interactive Map (In Spanish)
- Información, historia y fotografías de Guardo (in Spanish)