Villanueva del Fresno

Infobox City
official_name = Villanueva del Fresno, Spain | nickname = |
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| map_caption = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Spain | subdivision_type1 = Autonomous community | subdivision_name1 = Extremadura | subdivision_type2 = Province | subdivision_name2 = Badajoz | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = Villanueva del Fresno | leader_title = | leader_name = | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 360 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | elevation_m = 256 | population_as_of = 2006 | population_note = | population_total = 3564 | population_density_km2 = 9.9 | timezone = CET | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset_DST = +2 | latitude = 38º23' N | longitude = 07º10' W | website = | footnotes = |

Villanueva del Fresno is a town in the province of Badajoz in Extremadura, Spain.

Within its municipal area is the farm "High and Low Goat" of 2,688 hectares that was expropriated in 1990 by the Board of Extremadura to the Duchess of Alba to deliver a group of commoners in the nearby town of Zahínos.

Villanueva del Fresno is the southernmost town of the district of Olivenza and also one of the closest to the Portuguese border, a lot of people taking their relationship with their neighbours lusos.

History

In the end no shortage of references prehistoric, as in the Guadiana Valley and other enclaves have been found remnants of that era, from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic. But the most important archaeological relic is Cunco Castle, situated between the stream of the same name and the Guadiana river. These are the remains of a primitive settlement Islamic, whose buildings, most likely, were erected on the remains of other cultures earlier.

Despite the undoubted Muslim presence in Cunco, the origins of the current Villanueva of Fresno are diffuse. It is known that in the late thirteenth century these lands were part of bayliato Templar Jerez de los Caballeros, until the Order is dissolved in 1312. They then these territories depend directly on the Castilian monarchs, later becoming the category of town and gaining their independence. It was in 1332 when Villanueva and his term as Lordship to spend the aristocratic family of Portocarrero, so tied to this town since then.

Already in mid-fourteenth century was built the Tower of Homage to the castle, which was to ensure the defence of the town and this part of the border, but the existence of this strength will not achieve prevent the Portuguese attack Villanueva on several occasions. Despite the fact that these attacks were repulsed successfully, almost always, in 1643, after a long siege of the Portuguese army commanded by Mathías of Albuquerque, was taken the village and the castle. This, along with the rest of the population, were razed during the War of Restoration Portuguese in 1646. In very poor condition was the town and its defenses that his reconstruction does not begin until 25 years later, when the peace accord between Spain and Portugal had been initialled. As curious information we will say that the village was built on the other side of the hill on which was based originally population, and that, like what would happen in the neighbouring town of Chelan, much of the restocking would be Portuguese.

Rebuilding the town had some advantages for the neighborhood because it was possible to design broad streets and plot lines which survives at present.

Popular architecture

Today, some of the main routes of the people, and especially in the streets Hilario Lopez, Nueva, San Juanito, Portocarrero, San Ginés and Holy Spirit (Pablo Iglesias) can be seen architecture of the place itself, with sober houses two heights unpolluted bleached. Examples of unique buildings purely popular are very abundant, with interesting sequences neat facades, dotted by trellis, portals and balconies that give an air very peculiar to the locality. The social centre of town is the beautiful Plaza of Spain, closed two of its sides by the impressive buildings of the council and the parish church. For its remarkable size and its design morphological, very open, is a unique example in our region. And speaking of popular architecture we can not forget either the traditional sources, including the Pilar del Conde, the council and de la Mora.

Attractions

Fortitude

From what was just his strength remains. Only a few adornments and preserved remains of wall collapse, now converted into the frame where it has terminated a nice public auditorium. This castle is known that was built before the fifteenth century and that, prior to its destruction, which occurred two centuries later, had a powerful walled perimeter which in turn contained inside a compound with high fixed towers.

Eating Out

The cuisine is typical of the area, and it highlights the derivatives of the Iberian pig, caldereta de borrego, Caldillo, Liebre-style Villanueva, or pastries, with exponents such as prestines, perrunillas or rolls of pork rind .

In the fields of Villanueva of Fresno, is collected a wide variety of edible mushrooms, such as parasols, wild mushrooms, and gurumelos boletus edulis.