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Photographer’s Note

The origins of City Rodrigo go back to the megalithic culture. There exist dolmens that this way testify it in nearby peoples as Pedro Toro or Galicians of Argañán.

But the first real settlers of the city are the vetones, people of Celtic origin, which occupied this territory about the VIth century to. of C. The vetones were the first ones in calling the city Mirobriga Wettonum, and hence there comes the name of mirobrigenses with which the inhabitants of City Rodrigo are named.

The Roman invasion takes place about the IInd century to. of C., calling the city Augustóbriga and Civitas Augusta. Of the Roman epoch, there survive headstones, coins and, especially, Three Columns, one of the indisputable emblems of the city.

About the year 585 Leovigildo's troops defeat the suevos, which were occupying then the region, and destroy almost completely all the fortitude. The history of City Rodrigo is the history of innumerable destructions and reconstructions.

With the Arab invasion the whole zone is besieged again. Alfonso I reconquers the grounds of Miróbriga to the Arabs and they are granted to the French gentleman Teobaldo, who repopulates with his peoples the whole zone and gives name to the Saw of France. One believes that in this epoch of struggles between Moors and Christians hid many religious images in the mountains, some of which have been in the course of time.

Up to the reign of small Alfonso VI he knows each other of the history of Miróbriga, since scarcely there are trustworthy references to this period. Only it might affirm with certainty that Civitas Augusta never came to desparecer completely, in spite of the numerous destructions of that was an object. In the year 1.100 count don Rodrigo González Girón begins again the repopulation of the city and Rodrigo gives him the definitive name of City. This repopulation is carried out, fundamentally, with the people of León, Zamora, Segovia and Ávila.

Nevertheless, the authentic restorer of City Rodrigo is king Fernando II of León, that the city fortifies with walls to defend itself from the Moors and from his father-in-law, Alfonso Enríquez of Portugal. At the same time it brings gentlemen of the high nobility, grants privileges to his settlers and decides to return the episcopal head office, arranging also the beginning of the construction of the Cathedral.

In the XIIIth century king Sancho IV grants a privilege to City Rodrigo for the one that assures to himself forever a link of the City to the Crown. This fact provokes that there is established here a nobility of big importance that soon goes away to involve in continuas struggles for the power.

The epoch of major splendour of City Rodrigo is that of the XVth and XVIth centuries. In this epoch there are constructed the majority of the architectural jewelry with which the city is provided, from religious monuments to palaces and stately houses.

In the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries, because of the War of Succession of Portugal and the War for the Succession of the Austrias, good part of the city is destroyed. The same happens at the beginning of the XIXth century, with the invasion of the French troops, which destroy part of the architectural wealth mirobrigense.

In 1944 it was declared a Historical Artistic Set. There are great the motives for which it deserves this denomination: Wall, Cathedral, Palaces, Churches, Castles...

Two WS with different captures of the tower of the Citadel, today State-run hotel of Tourism.

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Additional Photos by Ros P Osado (Zelanda) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 783 W: 1 N: 1219] (5692)
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