Salvacañete Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Salvacañete

Town Hall of Salvacañete

Flag	Coat of arms

Country

Spain

Autonomous community

Castile-La Mancha

Province

Cuenca

Municipality

Salvacañete

Area

• Total

120 km² (50 sq mi)

Population

(2018)

• Total

296

• Density

2.47/km² (6.39/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Salvacañete is a small town in Spain. It is located in the province of Cuenca, which is part of the Castile-La Mancha region. In 2023, about 300 people lived there.

What's in a Name? The Story of Salvacañete
Where is Salvacañete?
A Look Back: Salvacañete's History
Population Changes
What People Do for a Living
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name? The Story of Salvacañete

The name "Salvacañete" has a cool story behind it! It means "Save Cañete."

Long ago, there was a fight between the people of Cañete and a nearby town called Castielfabib. The fight was about a stolen statue of the Virgin of La Zarza, who was important to Cañete. The people of Cañete won the battle. They got a lot of help from their neighbors in the area. To remember this important event, these neighbors named their town "Salvacañete." They "saved" Cañete!

Where is Salvacañete?

Salvacañete is in a mountain area called the Serranía Baja. It is about 87 kilometers (54 miles) from the city of Cuenca. A main road, the N-420, goes through the town.

The area has many mountains from the Serranía de Cuenca. The Cabriel river also flows through the town from north to south. You can find many small streams here too.

Some important mountains nearby are:

The Peña del Ocejón, which is on the border with the Teruel province.
The Cruz de los Tres Reinos, where the provinces of Teruel, Valencia, and Cuenca meet.

The town of Salvacañete itself sits high up, at about 1,209 meters (3,966 feet) above sea level.

Northwest: Zafrilla and Albarracín (Teruel)	North: Toril y Masegoso (Teruel)	Northeast: Alobras (Teruel) and Veguillas de la Sierra (Teruel)
West: Tejadillos		East: Castielfabib (Valencia) and Vallanca (Valencia)
Southwest: Salinas del Manzano	South: Alcalá de la Vega	Southeast: Algarra

A Look Back: Salvacañete's History

People have lived in the Salvacañete area for a very long time.

Ancient Times

The first clear signs of people living here are from Roman times. In 1934, a special "Treasure" was found. It had 14 Roman coins and other ancient coins. Experts think it was hidden around 95 BCE during a local uprising. Some of these coins are now in a museum.

Near a local church, you can also find old parts of a Roman villa. It even has a mosaic floor with cool patterns!

Middle Ages and El Cid

Salvacañete is mentioned again in the Middle Ages. Some stories say that El Cid, a famous Spanish warrior, passed through this area. He was fighting against forces in Valencia. The path he took would have gone right through where Salvacañete is today.

Becoming a Town

In the 1400s, Salvacañete was a small village connected to a bigger town called Moya. But in 1475, it became its own recognized town. It was part of a special area called the Marquesado de Moya. This was like a large estate ruled by a marquis.

Wars and Changes

Salvacañete became more important in the 1800s. During the Peninsular War against Napoleon's French army, local people fought back. A group of guerrillas (fighters using surprise attacks) led by "Tío Pedro" often attacked the French.

After the war, some former guerrillas became bandits. A famous group led by "El Viejo" caused trouble in the mountains nearby.

In 1822, Salvacañete officially became part of the Cañete judicial district. It also saw some battles during the Carlist Wars. By the mid-1800s, about 994 people lived in the town.

A writer named Pascual Madoz described Salvacañete around that time. He said it had about 250 houses and a church. The climate was cold, and the land had many pine and oak trees. People grew wheat, barley, and rye. They also raised sheep and cattle. There were even two iron factories and a flour mill!

In recent years, like many small towns in Spain, Salvacañete has seen some changes. Many people moved to bigger cities for work.

Population Changes

In 2023, Salvacañete had 300 people living there.

The number of people living in Salvacañete has changed a lot over time. In the mid-1800s, the town had over 1,400 residents. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, many people moved away. They went to big cities like Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia to find jobs. This is called "rural flight."

Vertical bar chart of Salvacañete between 1842 and 2021

Salvacañete is a typical rural town. Its houses are built close together, and it has narrow streets. There is often a central square in the middle of the town.

What People Do for a Living

For a long time, the main jobs in Salvacañete were farming and raising animals. People grew crops like wheat, barley, and oats. They also raised sheep and cattle.

Today, the town is also focusing on rural tourism. This means they welcome visitors who want to enjoy the town's history and beautiful nature.