Orgaz Explained

Type:municipality
Official Name:Orgaz
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous Community
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Toledo
Subdivision Type3:Comarca
Subdivision Name3:Montes de Toledo
Subdivision Type4:Municipality
Subdivision Name4:Orgaz
Area Total Km2:154
Elevation M:744
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Pushpin Map:Spain Castilla-La Mancha#Spain
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Castilla-La Mancha##Location in Spain
Coordinates:39.6467°N -3.8772°W

Orgaz is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2012 census, the municipality had a population of 2804 inhabitants, but it has since declined.[1]

Burial of the Count of Orgaz

The town has an association with El Greco's famous painting "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz", although the work in question is in Toledo rather than Orgaz. It depicts Don Gonzalo Ruíz, native of Toledo and lord of the town of Orgaz.

The lords of Orgaz built the town's castle in the 14th century.

Arisgotas

Arisgotas is a village in the municipality which is about 5km from Orgaz. It now has a population of 30, but was originally a municipality in its own right: it merged with Orgaz in the 19th century.[2] The name may refer to "Goths" and it is known that the Visigoths settled in the area. In the 21st century a museum of Visigothic art was established in the village.It features spolia from the archaeological site of Los Hitos which was formerly used as a quarry by local villagers.[3]

At Los Hitos, archaeologists have identified various Visigothic buildings including the remains of a church which was converted into a mosque during the Islamic period, which began in the 8th century.[4] [5] The site fell into ruin after the conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI of León and Castile.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=2902 Toledo: Población por municipios y sexo
  2. Web site: Alteraciones de los municipios en los Censos de Población desde 1842 - Arisgotas . 2019-11-10 . National Statistics Institute . Spanish.
  3. Web site: Visigoth Art Museum of Arisgotas . 9 December 2019 . www.turismocastillalamancha.es.
  4. News: Olaya . Vicente . 5 November 2019 . Inside Toledo’s Visigothic city . El Pais in English .
  5. Web site: Los Hitos . 2019-11-08 . cultura.castillalamancha.es . Spanish.
  6. Web site: Olaya . Vicente . January 2019 . The first ‘skyscraper’ of the Middle Ages was in Toledo .