Villarrobledo


Villarrobledo is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Albacete, part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It's better known for having the world's largest area covered by vineyards as well as the world's greatest production of La Mancha wine, called in Spanish Denominación de Origen. Also, it is an important center of Manchego cheese production and export and has other important industries like metallurgy and transportation.
The city celebrates a number of events, including the :es:Carnaval de Villarrobledo|Carnival, the :es:Festival Arte-Nativo Viña Rock|ViñaRock Music Festival, the Holy Week and the International Chess Open 'Ciudad de Villarrobledo'.

Geography

Villarrobledo is located in the center of La Mancha, a Spanish region with approximately 26.000 km² of almost perfect plain, on the eastern half of the Submeseta Meridional with elevation between 600 and 800 meters above sea level, and bordered by the Montes de Toledo, Sierra Morena, Sierra de Alcaraz and Serranía de Cuenca.

Climate

Villarrobledo has a climate that registers extreme temperatures: very low in winter and very high in summer. The dominant winds are Solano in summer, Cierzo in winter and Ábrego throughout the year. Regardless of these contrasts, the winter cold and the summer heat are dry. Spring and autumn are agreeable.


Slight rainful takes place during spring and at the end of autumn. The annual rainfall average is 39.02 mm. In the summer, rains appear as large isolated storms. Snowfall is not exceptionally great and occurs in December and January, and occasionally in the spring.

Demographics

At present, there is a notable population increase by the massive immigration of citizens of East Europe. A City Council study in 2006 found the number of immigrants to be 3,324 persons, of whom 2,011 are men, and 1,313 women, arriving from 43 different countries. The ten countries that contribute most to immigration are Romania, Ukraine, Morocco, Moldavia, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Bulgaria and Peru.

Government

The City Council of Villarrobledo, presided by Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, is made up by the Councillors listed in the right table.
Also, Villarrobledo is head of No. 6 Judicial Party of the province of Albacete, which includes the municipalities of El Bonillo, Munera, Ossa de Montiel and Villarrobledo.

History

The present location of Villarrobledo dates from 1292, according to diverse historical sources. In its history, vestiges of almost all the historical cultures that have existed in the Iberian Peninsula have existed in Villarrobledo, all the way from the Paleolithic to the present.

Archaeological findings

Paleolithic

Between La Jaraba and La Paradica, there are found remains of the first human civilizations in the province of Albacete corresponding to Upper Acheulean people. In this place there have been found diverse stone tools, manufactured on nuclei or stone chips, which can be seen in the archaeological section of the Albacete Provincial Museum. There are other five archaeological deposits from the Middle Paleolithic.

Bronze Age

There are many fortified settlements from the Bronze Age, especially in the south zone of the municipal area, related to the Bronze Culture of La Mancha or Motillas Culture

Iberians

Romans

Visigoths

Historically, it is documented in the Hitación de Wamba the existence of the Church of Lila, in las Casas de Lipa assigned to the Bishoprics of Mentesa and Ergávica .

Modern era

The Battle of Villarrobledo was fought here in 1836.

Natives