Hornachos

Country Spain Autonomous community Extremadura Province Badajoz Municipality Hornachos Area Total 296 km2 (114 sq mi) Elevation !" m (1#$6 %t) Population (2&& ) Total !#"4& Density 1!'&(km2 (!4(sq mi) Time zone )E* (+*),1) Summer (DST) )ES* (+*),2) Hornachos is a municipa-it. -ocated in the pro/ince o% Badajoz# Extremadura# Spain' 0ccordin1 to the 2&& census (23E)# the municipa-it. has a popu-ation o% !#"4& inha4itants'

History
*he %irst human sett-ements in the mountain ran1e o% Hornachos are dated %rom prehistoric times as sho5ed 4. the ca/e paintin1s in the quartzite rocks' *hese paintin1s 5ere made 4et5een the 3eo-ithic and the Bronze 01e# around 2#&&&6!&&& B)E' *he cit. 5as occupied durin1 the 7oman period and it 5as then 5hen it recei/ed the name o% 8ornacis due to the iron mines and 5here the name 9Hornachos9 u-timate-. deri/es' 0rchaeo-o1ica- e/idence ( Hornachue-os :ppidum) sho5s that the site had certain importance in Emerita 0u1usta durin1 the 2nd and 1st centuries B)E' ;urin1 the <isi1oths time the tradition sets Hornachos as the re%u1ee o% Saint Hermene1i-d 5hen escapin1 %rom his %ather# =in1 >eo/i1i-d' *he de%ensi/e %ortress cro5nin1 the /i--a1e 5as 4ui-t durin1 th 0-60nda-us period' 2n 12!4 Hornachos 5as occupied 4. the :rder o% Santia1o# as a -and 1rant 4. 8erdinand 222 o% )asti-e#?1@ Ho5e/er# this 5as not ori1ina--. a cause concern %or the majorit. Aus-im 6then Aorisco a%ter 1 &26 popu-ation' 3e/erthe-ess# at the end o% the 16th centur. the /i--a1e 5as surrounded 4. a 5a-- and there 5ere more than 1&#&&& inha4itants# 4ein1 the most important Aorisco centre in Spain' *he Spanish captain 0-onso de )ontreras narrates in his memoir ho5 he %ound a stash o% arms stored 4. some Aoriscos# and .ears -ater 5as accused o% p-annin1 a re/o-t 5ith said Aoriscos' :n 0pri- 9# 16&9# =in1 Bhi-ip 222 o% Spain decreed the expu-sion o% the Aoriscos' *he /i--a1e under5ent a period o% dec-ine'

*hese moriscos re%u1ees sett-ed in Aorocco# near Bou 7e1re1 and Sa-C (modern6da. 7a4at)# and 5ent on to create a sma-- independent maritime repu4-ic# kno5n as the 7epu4-ic o% Bou 7e1re1# 5hich 5as a ha/en %or corsair acti/it. in the re1ion' 3o5ada.s the /i--a1e keeps the herita1e %rom the past in its steep streets %o--o5in1 the Aoorish 4ui-din1 schemes as it is sho5n in p-aces as 7i4era# San 8rancisco# )hamorro#BeDa# En%ermerEa o B-ata# *e--ada# >ar1a# Fata# 3o1ueras# etc'

Sites of nterest
*he most characteristic and outstandin1 site o% Hornachos is its cast-e 4ui-t on the top o% the hi-- 4. the 4er4ers in the 9th centur. and 5hose remains o4ser/e the dai-. -i%e o% the hornache1os' :ther o% the most re-e/ant monuments o% Hornachos is the )hurch o% the BurEsima )oncepciGn# a Audejar 5ork 5hich stands as a unique examp-e in the re1ion and 5hich has 4een recent-. dec-ared Aonument o% Historica- and 0rtistic 2nterest in Extremadura'

Pur!sima Concepci"n Church

*he 4ui-din1 is characterised 4. the use o% 4rick as the main materia- and the dominant 1eometricacharacter# distinct-. 2s-amic# emer1ed conspicuous-. in the accessor. cra%ts usin1 cheap materia-s e-a4orate-. 5orkedHti-e5ork# 4rick5ork# 5ood car/in1# p-aster car/in1# and ornamenta- meta-s' *he ti-in1 patterns stand out as the 8erdinand and 2sa4e--a coat o% arms' *he church to5er has 24 spaces# 6 in each side'

#ther lan$mar%s
:ther -andmarks inc-ude the 8ranciscan )on/ent o% San 2-de%onso# %ounded in 1 26 4. )har-es 2 o% Spain# and 5hich keeps a rich set o% a-tarpieces# paintin1s and scu-ptures' 2n its %acade# no5ada.s /er. dama1ed# sti-- disp-a.s the ori1ina- imperia- coat o% arms o% )har-es 2' 0n important site is the )hurch o% the 7emedios# 4ui-t in I<2 and remode-ed in 1"92# surrounded 4. a 4eauti%u- square co/ered 4. pa-m trees and 5here the %esti/ities o% Septem4er are ce-e4rated' <er. re-e/ant 5ithin the HornachosJ monuments are its traditiona- %ountains as >os Aoros# >os )ristianos# Ba-omas# )uatro )aDos# 7i4era# San 8rancisco# 0-ma1rera# Aaxicaco# San 7oque# Santa# 3ue/a# etc' E- BGsito# situated in the outskirts o% the /i--a1e# 5as used 4. the moriscos as a mosque and it has 4een recent-. restored'

&eo'raphy( )lora an$ )auna

*he Hornachos mountain ran1e constitutes the southerner mountains o% the )entra- Sierras o% Badajoz' *he most important %ormations are the Sierra Frande and the Sierra de -os Binos 5ith a maximum hei1ht o% 9 1 m in the Hornachos Hi--' *he main ri/ers 5hich %-o5 a-on1 the area are the Ba-omi--as ri/er and the Aatache- ' *he most characteristic e-ements o% the -andscape is the dehesa or meado5 o% ho-m6oaks and cork oaks' *he rest has a Aediterranean /e1etation# characterized 4. drou1ht6resistant p-ants# common-. reduced to scru4 status (matorra-)' Some common p-ants are a-so the retama sphaerocarpa# the 1enista hirsuta# the erica austra-is and the narro56-ea/ed cistus'

Dehesa
2n the hi1hest part o% the Sierra the Kuniperus ox.cedrus appears 5ith 1reat sp-endor' *here are more than 6&& ha' inside the protected area LE)6LEB0' Mhithin this area a curious p-ant# the

Erodium mouretii# 1ro5s 4ein1 an endemic species on-. present in some spots o% Extremadura# 0nda-usia and 3orthern Aorocco'

Sierra
*he Sierra is the idea- settin1 %or p-enti%u- anima- -i%e# 4ein1 outstandin1 the 1reat /ariet. o% 4irds o% pre.' Mithin the LE)6LEB0 area more than 22" di%%erent species ha/e 4een %ound# a hi1h num4er i% 5e take into account the -imited zone (12#&&& ha)' *he Spanish imperia- ea1-e and other -ar1e 4irds such as the /u-ture# the ea1-e o5-# the 4uzzard# the %a-con# the kite are nati/e o% these mountains' ;urin1 autumn and 5inter the Sierra a-so 4ecomes the she-ter %or mi1rant 4irds such as the European ro4in or the p.rrhu-a' *he association 0;E3EI is responsi4-e %or a 3atura- 7eser/e and research centre in this -ocation' 8ina--. another appea-in1 natura- spot is the reser/oir o% >os Ao-inos'

)east An$ Tra$itions

Aost o% the %esti/ities 5hich take p-ace in Hornachos ha/e their ori1in in re-i1ious traditions' :ne o% the most important is the )ande-as# ce-e4rated on 2 8e4ruar.' *he inha4itants 1ather around hu1e 4on%ires# 5here is thou1ht that a-- the e/i- spirits and the pre/ious 4ad experiences are 4urnt' 2n 8e4ruar. Hornachos ce-e4rates the carni/a-# the merr.makin1 and %esti/it. that takes p-ace in the -ast da.s and hours 4e%ore the >enten season' Home6made and e-a4orate costumes# parades# parties and /arious other %esti/ities mark such ce-e4ration' *he Ho-. Meek# the 5eek 4et5een Ba-m Sunda. and Easter# is o4ser/ed 5ith specia- so-emnit. as a time o% de/otion to the passion o% Kesus )hrist 4e1innin1 5ith the traditiona- 4-essin1 and procession o% pa-ms and o-i/e 4ranches' *he end o% ce-e4ration is on Easter Sunda. 5hen the traditiona- 5hite cakes are 4-essed' :n 1 Aa.# San 2sidro# Hornachos 4e1ins a %east %u-- o% popu-ar traditions 5here a-- the inha4itants share a nice countr. da. to eat and drink 5ith their nei1h4ours' *he re-i1ious %esti/it. o% San Kuan is ce-e4rated on 24 Kune# 5here the 3i1ht o% the 8ire6 the 3i1ht o% the Mater takes p-ace' Beop-e 5et their heads in the San 8rancisco 4asin# 5ith the 4e-ie% that the. 5i-- not su%%er headaches unti- the %o--o5in1 .ear' 2n the midd-e o% 0u1ust# the Emi1rant %east is ho-d dedicated to the ones 5ho had to a4andon their /i--a1e and 5ho usua--. return on this date' Ho5e/er the most important %esti/it. 4e1ins " Septem4er# 3uestra SeDora de -os 7emedios# patroness o% Hornachos# 5here the 5ho-e /i--a1e or1anizes parties# sho5s and encierros (Nenc-osin1O) o% the 4u--s# 5hen the. are dri/en throu1h the streets 4ehind cro5ds o% ski--%u--. dod1in1 men and 4o.s'