Zamora (Spain)
| Zamora | |||
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| Municipality | |||
Duero river over the city of Zamora.
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 Zamora
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| Coordinates: 41°29′56″N 5°45′20″W / 41.49889°N 5.75556°WCoordinates: 41°29′56″N 5°45′20″W / 41.49889°N 5.75556°W | |||
| Country |
 Spain
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| Autonomous community |
 Castile and León
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| Province | Zamora | ||
| Comarca | Tierra del Pan | ||
| Judicial district | Zamora | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Francisco Guarido (IU) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 149.28 km2 (57.64 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 652 m (2,139 ft) | ||
| Population (2009) | |||
| • Total | 66,293 | ||
| • Density | 440/km2 (1,200/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Zamoranos | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 49001-49028 | ||
| Dialing code | 980 | ||
| Climate | BSk | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
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Zamora (Spanish pronunciation: [θaˈmoɾa]) is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 kilometres (31 mi) downstream as it reaches the Portuguese border. With its 24 characteristic Romanesque style churches of the 12th and 13th centuries it has been called a "museum of Romanesque art". Zamora is the city with the most Romanesque churches in all of Europe. The most important celebration in Zamora is the Holy Week.
After the Roman victory over the Lusitanian hero Viriathus the settlement was named by the Romans, Occelum Durii or Ocellodurum (literally, "Eye of the Duero"). During Roman rule it was in the hands of the Vaccaei, and was incorporated into the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis. It was on the road from Emerita (modern Mérida) to Asturica Augusta (modern Astorga). (Ant. Itin. pp. 434, 439).
Two coins from the reign of the Visigothic king, Sisebuto, show that it was known at the time as "Semure".
During the period of Moorish rule the settlement became known by the names of "Semurah" or "Azemur". After the establishment of the Christian Kingdom of Asturias, the settlement became a strategic frontier post and was the scene of many fierce military engagements between the Muslims and Christians. Control of the town shifted between the two sides a number of times from the early 8th century to the late 10th century. During this period it became heavily fortified.
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Wikipedia