Aliste (shire)
Encyclopedia
Aliste is a comarca
located in the west of the province of Zamora
, Castile and León
, Spain, bordering with Portugal in the west and in the south. It covers 193,883 hectares. Aliste is an area that has preserved a rich cultural and ethnological tradition through years of isolation. Aliste is perhaps the poorest zone within the province, the economy of this deeply rural comarca is based on cattle
rearing. The origin of the name Aliste appears as Alesti in a 9th Century manuscript, referring to the trees (alisos) which can be seen on the banks of what is now called the Aliste River.
The Aliste comarca is one of the few areas in Western Europe having a sizeable population of wild wolves living in the Sierra de la Culebra
mountain range in the northwest of the comarca.
(65,981 hectares), which has the largest population of wolves in the Iberian Peninsula
.
, or the clocktower of Alcañices
, as well as the castle of Riomanzanas. There are also historical sites associated with the Templars.
and gaita sanabresa
.
On some Sundays, and for holidays and festivals of patron saints the locals perform spectacles and traditional dances, such as the jota
. el que toca el tamboril acompaña la gaita con el canto de letras adaptadas al ritmo del baile.
, with a distinct personality influenced by Galician-Portuguese
, due to geographic proximity. Gómez Moreno states that the Alistanos "may even belong to the Portuguese race, given the clues remaining in their language."
Alistano also shows the influence of Galician
, as do many aspects of Alistan culture, which has at least twenty centuries of cultural intercourse with Galicia. The future of Alistano is difficult, but it is not definitively bound for extinction. It persists primarily amongst the elderly. The influx of the Leonese, increased urbanization (clashing with the primarily rural culture of Aliste), mass media, and the use of Castilian as the official language and language of education, are inexorable factors influencing the decline of Alistano.
Comarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
located in the west of the province of Zamora
Zamora (province)
Zamora is a Spanish province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.The present-day province of Zamora province was one of three provinces formed from the former Kingdom of León in 1833, when Spain was re-organised into 49 provinces.It is bordered by...
, Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
, Spain, bordering with Portugal in the west and in the south. It covers 193,883 hectares. Aliste is an area that has preserved a rich cultural and ethnological tradition through years of isolation. Aliste is perhaps the poorest zone within the province, the economy of this deeply rural comarca is based on cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
rearing. The origin of the name Aliste appears as Alesti in a 9th Century manuscript, referring to the trees (alisos) which can be seen on the banks of what is now called the Aliste River.
The Aliste comarca is one of the few areas in Western Europe having a sizeable population of wild wolves living in the Sierra de la Culebra
Sierra de la Culebra
The Sierra de la Culebra, , is a mountain range in north west Spain and northeastern Portugal. It lies 7 km south of Puebla de Sanabria in the comarcas of Aliste, Sanabria and La Carballeda , as well as Vinhais and Bragança municipalities in the District of Bragança...
mountain range in the northwest of the comarca.
Geography
The terrain is rolling and hilly, alternating with dry landscapes typical to neighboring regions of Portugal. It is bisected by the River Aliste, near which is abundant vegetation, oak trees, and brush. There is a national game reserve located in the Sierra de la CulebraSierra de la Culebra
The Sierra de la Culebra, , is a mountain range in north west Spain and northeastern Portugal. It lies 7 km south of Puebla de Sanabria in the comarcas of Aliste, Sanabria and La Carballeda , as well as Vinhais and Bragança municipalities in the District of Bragança...
(65,981 hectares), which has the largest population of wolves in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
.
Municipalities
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Gallegos del Río Gallegos del Río is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2009 census , the municipality has a population of 663 inhabitants.... Mahide Mahide de Aliste is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2007 census , the municipality has a population of 446 inhabitants.... Olmillos de Castro Olmillos de Castro is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 378 inhabitants.... Rabanales Rabanales is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 767 inhabitants.... Rábano de Aliste Rábano de Aliste is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 450 inhabitants.... Riofrío de Aliste Riofrío de Aliste is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 1,019 inhabitants.... Samir de los Caños Samir de los Caños is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 227 inhabitants.... |
San Juan del Rebollar San Juan del Rebollar is a small town of the province of Zamora, in north-western Spain. It's located about 60 km from the city of Zamora.... San Vicente de la Cabeza San Vicente de la Cabeza is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 559 inhabitants.... San Vitero San Vitero is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 677 inhabitants.... Trabazos Trabazos is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. .... |
Culture
This comarca has various examples of Romanic art in its churches, which can be seen in TabaraTábara
Tábara is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 950 inhabitants...
, or the clocktower of Alcañices
Alcañices
Alcañices is a small town in the province of Zamora, Spain. It is very close to the border with Portugal, not far from the Portuguese town of Bragança....
, as well as the castle of Riomanzanas. There are also historical sites associated with the Templars.
Cuisine
The comarca has a diverse regional cuisine, with a famous breed of local cattle known as Ternera de Aliste. Other popular foods include pork, which is slaughtered in local ritual festivals believed to originate with the early Celtic inhabitants of the region.Music
There are various local music traditions, often employing the bagpipe, flute, and drum, as is common throughout Zamora. The gaita alistana, a type of traditional bagpipe, is associated with the region, and bears some resemblance to the neighboring gaita transmontanaGaita transmontana
The gaita transmontana is a type of bagpipe native to the Trás-os-Montes region of Portugal.-External links:*...
and gaita sanabresa
Gaita sanabresa
The gaita sanabresa is a type of bagpipe native to Sanabria, a comarca of the province of Zamora in northwestern Spain.The gaita sanabresa features a single drone. The scale of this chanter is distinct from others in Spain, more resembling the gaita transmontana in the neighboring regions of...
.
On some Sundays, and for holidays and festivals of patron saints the locals perform spectacles and traditional dances, such as the jota
Jota (music)
The jota is a genre of music and the associated dance known throughout Spain, most likely originating in Aragon. It varies by region, having a characteristic form in Valencia, Aragon, Castile, Navarra, Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia and Murcia. Being a visual representation, the jota is danced and...
. el que toca el tamboril acompaña la gaita con el canto de letras adaptadas al ritmo del baile.
Fragment of a typical jota
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Customs
The customs of Aliste are based on long history and legend, with the annual slaughter of livestock (matanza) being a major cultural event.The Alistano language
Alistano is not properly a dialect, but may be considered a variant of LeoneseLeonese language
The Leonese language is the endonym term used to refer to all vernacular Romance dialects of the Astur-Leonese linguistic group in the Spanish provinces of León and Zamora; Astur-Leonese also includes the dialects...
, with a distinct personality influenced by Galician-Portuguese
Galician-Portuguese
Galician-Portuguese or Old Portuguese was a West Iberian Romance language spoken in the Middle Ages, in the northwest area of the Iberian Peninsula. It was first spoken in the area bounded in the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River in the south but it was later extended south...
, due to geographic proximity. Gómez Moreno states that the Alistanos "may even belong to the Portuguese race, given the clues remaining in their language."
Alistano also shows the influence of Galician
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
, as do many aspects of Alistan culture, which has at least twenty centuries of cultural intercourse with Galicia. The future of Alistano is difficult, but it is not definitively bound for extinction. It persists primarily amongst the elderly. The influx of the Leonese, increased urbanization (clashing with the primarily rural culture of Aliste), mass media, and the use of Castilian as the official language and language of education, are inexorable factors influencing the decline of Alistano.
Example of a dialogue in Alistano:
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Spanish translation:
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