Province of Ávila, Administrative province in Castile and León, Spain
This administrative province in Castile and León, central Spain, covers northern plains and southern granite mountain ranges. Guadarrama, Paramera, and the Sierra de Gredos shape the relief with peaks, valleys, and high pastures.
Celtic tribes erected large stone sculptures called Verracos before Roman legions conquered the territory around 192 BCE. The territory later remained a passage zone between northern kingdoms and the Muslim south until Christian rule became permanent.
Farmers in the northern plains grow wheat and tend livestock on flat open fields, while villages in the southern mountains preserve stone houses and narrow lanes. Higher zones continue woodworking and cheese making using traditional methods passed down over generations.
Visitors can experience the northern plain and southern mountains within a short distance, as both zones are easily accessible. The rivers Alberche, Tiétar, and Tormes rise in the Sierra de Gredos and flow through the entire territory toward the east and west.
The population dropped from 143165 in 1591 to 102707 in 1752 and took two centuries to recover. This decline reflects emigration, disease, and economic shifts that hit rural areas especially hard.
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