La Aldehuela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Aldehuela
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 La Aldehuela
Location in Spain
La Aldehuela
Location in Castile and León
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| Country |  Spain |
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| Autonomous community |  Castile and León |
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| Province |  Ávila |
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| Area | |||
| • Total | 17.04 km2 (6.58 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(2018)
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| • Total | 168 | ||
| • Density | 9.86/km2 (25.54/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||
La Aldehuela is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the province of Ávila in Spain. It's part of the Castile and León region. It covers about 17 square kilometers and has a population of around 168 people (as of 2018).
The town is led by a mayor, José Hernández Lázaro, who is part of the People's Party. The local government also includes several council members.
Contents
Life in La Aldehuela
La Aldehuela offers several services for its residents.
Community Services
- The town has an extension of the El Calvitero rural school, helping kids learn.
- A pharmacy opened in 1998, providing important health services.
- The municipality works with other towns in the Mancomunidad de Servicios de Barco-Piedrahíta to share services.
- Local government offices are open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- There are four rural houses available for visitors in the areas of Las Navas and El Rehoyo.
- The closest bank is about 6 kilometers away in La Horcajada.
Population Changes
The number of people living in La Aldehuela has changed over time.
Population Growth and Decline
In 2004, the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) counted 237 people in La Aldehuela. Over the years, the population has decreased.
Here's how the population has changed:
- 1900: 774 people
- 1910: 739 people
- 1920: 784 people
- 1991: 309 people
- 1996: 291 people
- 2001: 256 people
- 2004: 237 people
- 2005: 233 people
- 2010: 199 people
- 2018: 168 people
Districts of La Aldehuela
La Aldehuela is made up of five smaller areas or districts:
- Los Molinos, Ávila (The Mills)
- Las Navas
- El Rehoyo
- Solanas del Carrascal (Carrascal is a type of forest with holm-oak trees)
- Las Solanillas
Exploring La Aldehuela's Geography
La Aldehuela is located about 70 kilometers from Ávila city. A road called N-110 connects them.
River and Mountains
The town is in a fertile valley carved by the Caballeruelos River. This valley is surrounded by mountains, including the Piedrahíta mountain range. The area is a passage between the Valley of the Corneja and the Tormes valley.
Some nearby mountains are Tayaruela (1,963 meters high), the Meadow, Los Barranqueros, Level Head, la Campana, Caballera Rock, and Los Rullos.
The Caballeruelos River can be very dry in summer. It starts in the Flagstone and Santiago mountain ranges. Many smaller streams and springs, like Rebollar and Bullicio, flow into it. The Caballeruelos River eventually joins the Tormes River.
Nature and Wildlife
La Aldehuela is home to a variety of animals and plants.
Animals of La Aldehuela
You can find farm animals like horses, cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs. Wild animals include wild boars, foxes, bats, and genets.
Common birds are sparrows, finches, kites, storks, and eagles. For amphibians, there are frogs, salamanders, and toads. Reptiles like snakes and lizards are also common. The area also has many different insects.
Plants and Trees
The plant life in La Aldehuela is rich and diverse. Common trees include walnuts, willows, oaks, holly, and brown oaks.
Shrubs and grasses like brooms, rosemary, hawthorns, and oregano grow here. Farmers also grow fruit trees, cereals, and vegetables.
Getting Around and Staying Connected
La Aldehuela has ways for people to travel and communicate.
Transportation
The town has a bus stop with daily bus lines to Madrid. These buses also go to Béjar or Plasencia. On weekdays, several buses leave La Aldehuela for Madrid, and more return from Madrid. There's also a special "on-demand" bus service that connects the different districts of La Aldehuela with Boat of Ávila.
Communication
Most of La Aldehuela has good cell phone service. Between 2007 and 2008, the district of El Rehoyo was expected to get high-speed internet through satellite, thanks to a government project.
Cultural Treasures
La Aldehuela has important historical buildings.
The Church
The town's church has a single main room with a rectangular shape. Inside, the ceiling has domes. There's an interesting pulpit with iron steps. The main altar, called an altarpiece, was made in the mid-1700s by a local artist. It shows a picture of the Assumption of Mary.
Nuestra Señora del Soto Hermitage
This hermitage (a small chapel) is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who has been greatly admired since the Middle Ages. It was updated in the late 1600s or early 1700s. It has a special dressing room behind the altar for the Virgin's statue. People still leave gifts and notes about miracles here.
The large altarpiece was created in 1762 by Miguel Martinez de Quintana, a famous altarpiece painter from Salamanca. It has a special opening that connects to the Virgin's dressing room. Inside, there's an old wooden statue of Nuestra Señora del Soto from the Romanesque period. Another wooden statue of the Virgin is used in processions.
The hermitage is about 5 kilometers from town, on the right side of the N-110 road towards Piedrahíta. A local story says that when people were moving the Virgin's statue by ox cart towards Piedrahíta, the oxen stopped at a certain spot. A small hermitage, called "the Santito," was built there to mark the place.
Town Celebrations
La Aldehuela has several special events throughout the year.
- Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (September 8): This celebration honors the town's patron saint. People often ride horses to the hermitage, dressed in traditional clothing.
- Summer Celebration (June): A fun event held during the summer.
- Children's Celebration (Sunday in August): A special day dedicated to children.
- Romería (Religious celebration) to clean the water sources (first Thursday of August): This historical event comes from a time when the Duke of Alba's representative ordered the town to clean its water sources so they wouldn't lose their water rights.
See also
In Spanish: La Aldehuela para niños
