Miraflores de la Sierra
Encyclopedia
Miraflores de la Sierra is a town and municipality
in the northern area of the autonomous Community of Madrid, in central Spain
, of c. 6,000 inhabitants, located 49 kilometers away from Madrid
.
. Walking to the monastery of Santa María de El Paular she saw the village of Porquerizas surrounded by blooming flowers, at which point she exclaimed Mira, ¡flores! ("look, flowers!").
), patron of the municipality.
3 February, day of Saint Blaise
, is also celebrated, as is 15 May, day of San Isidro
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the northern area of the autonomous Community of Madrid, in central Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, of c. 6,000 inhabitants, located 49 kilometers away from Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
History
Miraflores de la Sierra, formerly known as Porquerizas was established by Segovian farmers in the thirteenth century. According to legend the town was renamed in 1627 by Elisabeth of Bourbon, wife of Philip IV of SpainPhilip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
. Walking to the monastery of Santa María de El Paular she saw the village of Porquerizas surrounded by blooming flowers, at which point she exclaimed Mira, ¡flores! ("look, flowers!").
Festivities
Beginning on 15 August Miraflores de la Sierra celebrates its festivities in honour of the Virgen de la Asunción. (Our Lady of the AssumptionAssumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
), patron of the municipality.
3 February, day of Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
, is also celebrated, as is 15 May, day of San Isidro
Isidore the Laborer
Isidore the Laborer, also known as Isidore the Farmer, , was a Spanish day laborer known for his goodness toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid and of La Ceiba, Honduras....
.