- Zafra
Zafra is a town situated in the Province of Badajoz (
Spain ), where it is one of the most important. It has a population of 15,542, according to the figures of 2004.History
Human traces of great antiquity have been found in the area. In the "El Castellar" mountains are located caves with
pictograms . Also, afort dating to theBronze Age was found in the nearby chapel of Belén.In the surrounding areas there are many Roman
villas , reminiscent of the legendarySegeda , which could be the origin in the town. A significant fact is that Zafra is located between Mérida, the ancient capital of the Roman province ofLusitania , andSeville , the capital of the province ofBaetica .Zafra in the middle ages
In medieval times, Zafra was situated on the border which divided the domains of
Seville andBadajoz , and in1030 a defensive fortification was constructed in the Castellar Mountains. This fort would be namedSajra Abi Hassan by theMoorish geographerAbu Abdullah al-Bakri in1094 . TheArabs named the town "Safra", or "Cafra", from which is derived today's Zafra.During the
Reconquista , Zafra was captured twice byChristian forces, first in 1229 byAlfonso IX , and then definitely by Ferdinand III, in a campaign through present-dayExtremadura described inAlfonso X 's "Crónica General de España" (General History of Spain).However, the most momentous change was the granting of the city by
Henry III of Castile toGomes Suárez de Figueroa , who until then had been a servant to the queen and son of the Grand Master of theOrder of Santiago . Gomes' son and second title-holder,Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa , began little by little to make Zafra the center of the domain of Feria. He started building a wall with the dual purpose of defense and control of neighbors, merchants, and travelers. Its construction lasted from 1426 to 1449 (or 1442). Also in 1437 he ordered the construction of one of the most emblematic buildings of the city, El Alcázar, which would be his residence. Additionally, he funded the hospital of Santiago and finished the Convent of the Clares of Saint Mary of the Valley, which would be used as amausoleum for his family. In 1460,Enrique IV raised the district to the status of a county, and added the villages of Halconer y La Morena to Lorenzo's domain.In the 16th and 17th centuries the city was modernized, an example of which was the conversion of the Alcázar into a palace of the
Austria n style, and a new church was completed. All this modernization was begun when the fifth count of Feria was raised to aduke andgrandee in 1567, for his contributions to the state under Felipe II.In the 17th century, the Dukedom of
Feria was united with the Marqueship ofPriego , and in the 18th century it was integrated with theDukedom of Medinaceli .Zafra has always been an industrial and commercial city, serving surrounding areas mainly dedicated to agriculture. A commercial base are the fairs that have been celebrated for
Saint John since 1395 and forSaint Michael since 1453.Notable Festivals
# Feria Internacional Ganadera. ("International Rancher's Fair") Held in the last week of September and the first week of October.
# De la luna al fuego. Celebrated on the second to last week of June, coinciding with the festival ofSaint John
#Semana Santa . Held according to the church's calendar.
#Carnavales. Notable in this is the Festival of Fat, where a number of pig products are tasted in the plazas.
#San Isidro . The end of the week closest to May 15.
# Procession of our lady the Virgen of Belén. The Sunday following Resurrection Sunday.
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