AVILA

in full vila De Los Caballeros, city and capital of vila province, in the Castile-Len comunidad autnoma (autonomous community), central Spain. The city of vila is situated on the Adaja River at 3,715 feet (1,132 m) above sea level and is surrounded by the lofty Sierra de Gredos (south) and the Sierra de Guadarrama (east). The city lies 54 miles (87 km) west of Madrid. A pre-Roman settlement on the site became part of Roman Lusitania and was known as Abula, or Avela, before falling (c. 714) to the Moors. It was recaptured for the Christians by Alfonso VI in 1088. vila's walls, in polygonal form and extending 8,202 feet (2,500 m) in circumference, were built in the 12th century and encompassed the whole of ancient vila; the modern part of the city lies outside. With the expulsion of the Moriscos (people of Moorish descent) in 160710, the city's commerce declined. vila has been called the finest medieval remnant in Spain and is a noted tourist centre. Historic landmarks include the Gothic cathedral (begun c. 1091, completed 13th15th century), in which the work of the goldsmith Juan de Arfe y Villafn (16th century) is preserved; the Convent of Santo Toms (148293), containing the tombs of Toms de Torquemada, who was the first grand inquisitor of Spain, and of Don Juan, the only son of Ferdinand and Isabella; the Romanesque Basilica of San Vicente; and the Encarnacin convent, built on the site of the house of the mystic St. Teresa, a native of vila. Commercial activities now include tanning, flour milling, liquor distilling, and the manufacture of soft drinks and meat by-products. Pop. (1988 est.) 45,092. province, in the Castile-Len comunidad autnoma (autonomous community), central Spain, on the plateau of Old Castile. It has an area of 3,107 square miles (8,048 square km) and is separated from Madrid province (east) by the Sierra de Guadarrama and from Toledo province (south) by the Sierra de Gredos. Agriculture predominates on the level ground in the north, but the soils are poor, resting on outwash from the central sierras. To the south, sierras rise steplike from the plateau to the Sierra de Gredos and are separated from each other by longitudinal valleys, the most important of which are Alberche, Adaja, and Titar. There is little industrial development, and agriculture predominates throughout the province. The raising of stock, especially of Merino sheep, is the principal occupation; the forests, mostly pine, are still economically important in places. Wheat, with and without irrigation, is increasing in acreage. Rye, barley, oats, corn (maize), and tobacco are also grown. Modern methods are widely adopted; production of cereals exceeds consumption, and a surplus is exported to other parts of Spain. Agricultural processing is largely confined to the provincial capital, vila (q.v.), and the chief market is the town of Arvalo. The vine flourishes only in such areas as the Titar and Alberche valleys, which produce wines of some repute; olive cultivation is confined to a few sheltered localities (Arenas de San Pedro, Cebreros) with very high yield. The sierras formerly abounded in game; the diminution of the ibex (wild goat) of the Sierra de Gredos led to the creation of an ibex sanctuary in 1905. Pop. (1986 est.) 185,026.