- Leonese people
Infobox Ethnic group
group = Leonese
(Llïoneses)
flag_caption = The Coat of Arms of Leónpop = approx. more than 1 million people worldwide
region1 = Provinces of León, Zamora and Salamanca (Spain)
region2 = District of Bragança (Portugal)The Leoneses (Leonese: "Llïoneses") are an
ethnic group ornationality whose homeland is theKingdom of León , which is a historical region in SouthwesternEurope , embracing a territory situated in the north-west ofSpain and northeast ofPortugal . The languages of León are Leonese and Spanish into Spain and Leonese and Portuguese inPortugal .Geography and Demographics
Political and administrative divisions
* SpainThe former
Kingdom of León was maily divided in three historical regions: Asturias, León andExtremadura , being the southern territories integrated intoAndalucía , and some of the easter into Castile. Spanish division of 1833 [Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833] recognised as leonese provinces of León, Salamanca and Zamora.*PortugalThere are leonese minorities into the District of Bragança (Portugal) that keep Leonese culture and
Leonese language , mainly in the northwest (Riodonor, Guadramil) and in the Land of Miranda, where a Leonese dialect known as Mirandese [ [http://www.unesco.org] ] was officially recognised by the Parliament of Portugal.Leonese language
The Leonese language ("Llingua Llïonesa" in Leonese) was developed from
Vulgar Latin with contributions from the pre-Roman languages which were spoken in the territory of the Spanish provinces of León,Zamora , andSalamanca and in some villages in theDistrict of Bragança , Portugal. Close toMirandese and Asturian, it belongs to Leonese orAstur-Leonese subgroup ofIberian languages .Leonese was the official language of the Leonese Kingdom in the Middle Ages, and achieved a high codification grade.
First written text in Leonese is "Nodicia de Kesos" (959 or 974), and so others like "Fueru de Llión", "Fueru de Salamanca", "Fueru Xulgu", "Códice d'Alfonsu XI", ou "Disputa d'Elena y María" or "Llibru d'Alixandre" were written in Leonese [Menéndez Pidal, R. "El Dialecto Leonés". Madrid. 1906]The situation of Leonese as minorized language has driven Leonese to near extinction and is considered a seriously
endangered language by theUNESCO [ [http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/europe_report.html#Leonese UNESCO Red Book on Endangered Languages: Europe] ] . There are some efforts to gain acceptance among the urban population (the Leonese Council and other municipalities such as Zamora, Coyanza, Mansilla de las Mulas or La Bañeza made campaigns in and for teaching Leonese).Leonese cuisine
"Embutidos"
*"Cecina from León": from beef. In Leonese, cecina means "meat that has been salted and dried by means of air, sun or smoke". Cecina de León is made of the hind legs of beef, salted, smoked and air-dried in the province of León in Northwestern Spain, and has PGI status.*"
Botillo ": from pig. Traditionally made in the western leonese regions. "Botiellu", inLeonese language , is a dish of meat-stuffed pork intestine. It is a culinary specialty of El Bierzo, a county in the Spanish province of León and also of the region of Trás-os-Montes, in Portugal. This type of "Embutido" is a meat product made from different pieces left over from the butchering of a pig, including the ribs, tail, and bones with a little meat left on them. These are chopped; seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and other spices; stuffed in the cecum of the pig; and partly cured via smoking. It can also include the pig's tongue, shoulder blade, jaw, and backbone, but never exceeding 20% of the total volume. It is normally consumed cooked, covered with a sheet. Also has a PGI status."Wines"
* "Bierzo": in the west of the
Province of León and covers about 3,000 km². The area consists of numerous small valleys in the mountainous part (Alto Bierzo) and of a wide, flat plain (Bajo Bierzo). The DO covers 23 municipalities.* "Tierras de León": in the southeast of the
Province of León .* Toro
"Sweets"
* Mantecadas de Astorga.
* Hojaldres de Astorga.
* Lazos de San Guillermo.
* Nicanores de Boñar.
Religion
The majority of Leoneses are
Roman Catholics with anon-religious minority.Nationalism and history
There are Leoneses political parties who claim for an independent autonomous community for the Leonese provincies.
See also
*
Leonese language
*Kingdom of León
*Province of León
*Province of Salamanca
*Province of Zamora
*Nationalities of Spain
*Spanish people External links
* http://www.puntulli.org/ Top Level Domain for Leonese language
* http://www.elfueyu.net/ Leonese language Association
* http://www.eltoralin.com/ Leonese language Association from El Bierzo
* http://www.aytoleon.es/ Leonese City Council
* http://www.dipuleon.es/ Leonese Provincial CouncilNotes
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