Everything about Vila totally explained
This article is about the Spanish city. For other uses, see Avila
Ávila de los Caballeros (
Latin:
Abila and
Óbila) is the capital of the
province of the same name, now part of the autonomous community of
Castile and León,
Spain (see ).
It is known all over the world as the birth place of
St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582).
Geography
The city is 1117 meters (3665 feet)
above sea level, the highest provincial capital in Spain. It is built on the flat summit of a rocky hill, which rises abruptly in the midst of a veritable wilderness: a brown, arid, treeless table-land, strewn with immense grey boulders, and shut in by lofty mountains. This results in an extreme climate, with very hard and long winters, and short summers.
History
Ávila is most known for the medieval
city walls, that were constructed of brown
granite in
1090: surmounted by a
breastwork, with eighty-eight
towers and nine
gateways, they're still in excellent repair, but a large part of the city lies beyond their perimeter. The
Gothic cathedral is integrated into the city's defences. It was built between the
12th and
14th centuries, and has the appearance of a fortress, with
embattled walls and two solid towers. It contains many interesting sculptures and paintings, besides one especially fine silver
pyx, the work of
Juán de Arfe, dating from
1571.
The churches of San Vicente, San Pedro and San Segundo are, in their main features,
Romanesque of the 12th century.
In the
Gothic Monastery of Santo Tomás, erected by the Catholic Queen
Isabella in
1482, is especially noteworthy the marble monument, carved by the 15th-century Florentine sculptor
Domenico Fancelli, over the tomb of
Prince John, the only son of
Ferdinand and Isabella.
Famous residents
Ávila was the birthplace of the
4th-century theologian Priscillian, the first Christian to be executed for
heresy. The town is more renowned for St.
Teresa of Ávila, the
Carmelite reformer who lived there twelve centuries later (c.
1515-
1582). A
convent and
church mark the supposed birthplace of Santa Teresa. Other prominent natives include
Saint John of the Cross,
Tomás Luis de Victoria and the Spanish-born American philosopher
George Santayana. From 1482 to
1807 it was also the seat of a
university.
Food
Typical food in Ávila includes roast lamb, suckling pig, and veal steak. Ávila is also famous for its
yemas de Santa Teresa - egg yolk candies named after the patron saint.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Vila'.
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