Velada

Municipality in Castile-La Mancha, Spain

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Seal

39°59′N 4°59′W / 39.983°N 4.983°W / 39.983; -4.983Country

SpainAutonomous communityCastile-La ManchaProvinceToledoMunicipalityVeladaArea

• Total145 km² (56 sq mi)Elevation

432 m (1,417 ft)Population

(2018)^[1]

• Total2,865 • Density20/km² (51/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Velada is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 2,436 inhabitants.

Name

Velada comes from "velar" ('to stay awake at night'/'to be vigilant', from Latin 'vigilare').^[2] Prior to Velada, the place was known as Las Atalayuelas de Guadierva.^[3]

History

Segregated from the land of Ávila, the Crown awarded the place in 1271 to knights from the former city, tasked with the repopulation of the area.^[4] Known as Las Atalayuelas de Guadierva, the place was ensuingly renamed as Velada on royal initiative.^[3]

Velada was possibly granted the privilege of township towards 1588.^[5]

Watermelon of Velada

The velada watermelon is one of the main engines of the economy of this municipality. Being a dry and ecological crop, these watermelons have great flavor and the largest can reach up to 30 kg in weight. They grow in a large area called "El Baldío" and their collection usually goes from mid-July to mid-October, and even depending on the year, until November. The planting takes place between April and May.

Velada's watermelon is exported in Spain and abroad.

References

Citations

^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
^ Jiménez de Gregorio 1997, p. 50.
^ ^a ^b Franco Silva 1990, p. 34.
^ Franco Silva 1990, pp. 33–34.
^ Jiménez de Gregorio 1997, p. 22.

Bibliography

Franco Silva, Alfonso (1990). "La fundación de pueblas en tierras situadas al noroeste del reino de Toledo a fines del siglo XIII". Historia Instituciones Documentos (17). Seville: Universidad de Sevilla. ISSN 0210-7716.
Jiménez de Gregorio, Fernando (1997). La comarca de El Alcor y El Berrocal (PDF). Temas Toledanos. Vol. 90. Toledo: Instituto Provincial de Investigaciones y Estudios Toledanos. Diputación Provincial. ISBN 84-87103-74-X.