Province of Villafranca facts for kids
The Province of Villafranca was a special area in Spain that existed for a short time. It was also known as the Province of Villafranca del Bierzo, Province of El Bierzo, or Province of El Vierzo. This province was created on January 27, 1822, during a period when Spain had a more liberal government, called the Trienio Liberal (which means "Three Liberal Years").
About 86,365 people lived in this province, which was a small part of Spain's total population back then. Its main city, or capital, was Villafranca del Bierzo. However, this province did not last long. When the king gained full power again in October 1823, this way of dividing Spain was stopped.
Later, in 1833, a new plan for dividing Spain was made by Javier de Burgos. This new plan was very similar to the 1822 one. But the Province of Villafranca was not brought back. Two other provinces, Calatayud and Játiva, were also not recreated.
Where Was the Province of Villafranca?
The land that made up the Province of Villafranca included the area known today as comarca of El Bierzo. This area is in the Province of León.
The province also included other towns and lands from the Province of León. Some parts of it are now in the provinces of Lugo and Ourense.
Like most provinces created in 1822, this one was named after its capital city, Villafranca del Bierzo. However, people from this area, called regionalists, often preferred the name El Bierzo or El Vierzo. In their local language, it was called El Bierzu.
Why Was This Province Created?
Throughout Spain's history, the El Bierzo area has been organized in different ways. In 1591, El Bierzo was one of 40 provinces under the old Crown of Castile. This was part of a system called the Repartimiento.
Later, until the 1780s, the area was usually grouped with León and Asturias. It was often called the Partido de Ponferrada or the Provincia del Vierzo.
From 1789 to 1833, many people tried to change how Spain's land was divided. El Bierzo was sometimes part of the Province of León. Other times, it was part of the Prefecture of Astorga. Then, in 1822, it became its own province.
During this time, there were two main groups. Conservatives and absolutists wanted to keep the old system of partidos. Liberals wanted a new system, similar to the "departments" used in France. People from El Bierzo who wanted their region to be recognized were on both sides. They just wanted El Bierzo to be an official area, no matter the system.
The liberal plan in 1822 seemed to make these regionalists happy. But when the king took back full power the next year, the province was removed. The 1833 plan, which is still mostly used today, did not include a province for El Bierzo.
See also
In Spanish: Provincia del Vierzo para niños
