soria

It is claimed that in Roman times there was a castle called Oria, purportedly named after a Greek knight called Doricus. Based on this folk etymology, some historians guessed that the first inhabitants of this city might have been the Dorians. Archaeology has not confirmed that story. Instead it has suggested that the first inhabitants were the Suebi, whose kings (as reported by Tutor and Malo in their Compedio historial de las dos Numancias) established one of their courts there. These two hypotheses have been abandoned because of lack of evidence. It seems more likely that the name Soria may have its origin in the word dauria from the river Durius (Douro).

The shield of Soria has the following heraldic description:[https://web.archive.org/web/20070712163637/http://perso.modulonet.fr/briantimms/spain/spaincapcastillaleon.htm spaincapcastillaleon]

{{blockquote|In a field of gules (red), a castle, of argent, crenellated with three battlements, lined up and marbled with sabre, rinsed with azure (blue) and a king's bust crowned with gold and with its attributes coming out of his homage, in its colour; silver embroidery loaded with the following legend: "Soria Pura Cabeza de Estremadura", written in saber letters.}}

The king in the coat of arms is Alfonso VIII, born in Soria, and the red field represents the blood shed by the Sorians, particularly in the battles of Alarcos, Navas de Tolosa and Aljubarrota.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hsX2AgAAQBAJ&q=Navas+Alarcos+Aljubarrota+Soria&pg=PA63 | title=En torno a Castilla| isbn=9781409259923| last1=Hernández| first1=Carlos Moreno| date=2009-02-06}}

The oldest preserved example of the coat of arms is found in the high-medieval bell of San Gil, today the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Mayor, which already reflected the city's motto.{{cite web|url=http://www.turismosoria.es/que-ver/monumentos/iglesia-de-ntra-senora-de-la-mayor/|title=Church of Our Lady of the Elderly}} Unlike the current official coat of arms, the king who now appears on the bust of the castle's keep on the castle's bell tower, is represented in the bell of San Gil with his entire body at the foot of the castle, leaving through its door.

{{main|History of Soria}}

Image:Ermita El Mirón2.JPG.]]

The first recorded inhabitants in the area of Soria were the Celtiberians, around the 4th century BC.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the rebuilt city was occupied by the Suebi. Later, after the Arab conquest of Spain, it grew in importance due to its proximity to the border of the Christian lands, which in the 8th century had settled along the Duero river.

In 869 Soria was the centre of the rebellion of Suleyman ibn-Abus against the emir of Córdoba, who sent his son Hakan to quench it.

Alfonso I of Aragon and Navarre, the Battler seized the territory away from the sphere of the Kingdom of León, controlling the territory from 1109 to 1134,{{Sfn|Martínez Díez|2006|pp=9–10}} entrusting the role of first tenant of Soria to Íñigo López already by 1119, when the effective repopulation should have started, although there are claims tracing it back some time earlier.{{Sfn|Martínez Díez|2006|pp=12–13}} Soria was granted a short fuero in March 1120, that also fixed limits to the medieval concejo.{{Sfn|Martínez Díez|2006|p=15; 17}} After the death of Alfonso I in 1134, Alfonso VII of León, the Emperor took control of the territory.{{Sfn|Martínez Díez|2006|p=14}} The short fuero was confirmed by Alfonso VII in 1143.{{Sfn|Martínez Díez|2006|p=1617}}

Due to its strategic placement at the borders of the Kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, Navarre and León, Soria in the Middle Ages was at the centre of several conflicts between them. Alfonso VIII of Castile, in reward for its support, gave the city several privileges which it maintained until modern times. In 1195 the town was stormed by Sancho VII of Navarre, but later recovered and continued to develop its splendour and trades.

Soria lost most of its importance after the unification of Aragón and Castile in 1479, and above all after the decree of exile issued against the Jews in 1492. In the War of Spanish Succession (early 18th century), Soria sided for Philip V. In 1808 it was captured and set on fire by the French troops.

File:AHPSo255.jpg

The economical and social crisis of Spain in the early 20th century, and the Spanish Civil War with Francisco Franco's dictatorship which followed, had negative effects on Soria and its neighborhood, which became depopulated due to strong emigration.

The policy of the current authorities aims to strengthen the local economy pivoting on Soria's tourism potential, and has also launched a programme of reconstruction for the neighbouring villages.

Image:Sanjuansoria.jpg

The poet Antonio Machado (1875–1939) spent five years in Soria teaching French in a secondary school, before moving to Segovia nearer Madrid. These years in Soria proved significant in his literary development. He married and lost his wife there and discovered much about the nature of the Castilian people – a subject the Generation of '98 authors were very interested in. Campos de Soria was a series of poems lamenting his wife's early death. They formed part of a major collection Campos de Castilla.

The firewalking rituals performed at the Sorian village of San Pedro Manrique every June as part of the festival of San Juan have been declared as a tradition of National Tourist Interest and have attracted global attention through ethnographic and scientific studies and media coverage.Konvalinka, I., Xygalatas, D., Bulbulia, J., Schjoedt, U., Jegindø, E-M., Wallot, S., Van Orden, G. & Roepstorff, A. 2011. “Synchronized arousal between performers and related spectators in a fire-walking ritual”, ‘’Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108’’(20): 8514-8519Xygalatas, D., Konvalinka, I., Roepstorff, A., & Bulbulia, J. 2011 [http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/27/article/17609/ "Quantifying collective effervescence: Heart-rate dynamics at a fire-walking ritual"], Communicative & Integrative Biology 4(6): 735-738

Although Soria never was a bishopric, its St. Peter's Church became the Co-Cathedral of the bishopric of Osma when that was renamed Roman Catholic Diocese of Osma-Soria on 9 March 1959. The province of Soria has a Minor Basilica, the Marian Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, in Ágreda.

Image:Santa clara soria.jpg

File:Monasterio de San Juan de Duero, Soria, España, 2017-05-26, DD 20.jpg]]

; Ecclesiastical

• Plateresque Concatedral de San Pedro, erected in the 12th-13th centuries, rebuilt in the 16th century, and its cloister.
• San Juan de Rabanera, Romanesque church from the 12th century
• San Polo, a former monastery of the Knights Templar. The churches of San Nicolás and San Ginés are from the same age.
• the Romanesque convent church of Santo Domingo (12th century)
• Nuestra Señora de la Mayor (16th century), with a Romanesque portal
• Iglesia del Espino (16th century)
• San Juan de Duero with its 12th century ruined cloisters located on the other side of the river from the old town.
• The sanctuaries of Ermita de San Saturio (18th century) and Ermita de la Soledad (17th century).
• The Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Mirón (Hermitage of Our Lady of Miron), with a baroque/rococo interior,[http://www.turismocastillayleon.com/en/art-culture-heritage/monuments/churches-chapels/hermitage-virgen-del-miron Hermitage of the Virgen del Miron] - Junta de Castilla y León. Retrieved 26 January 2018. founded - according to legend - by Theodemar in the sixth century. Since September 2009 the building has been used by a Romanian Orthodox parish.[http://caminofeortodoxa.blogspot.com.es/2009/12/firma-del-convenio-entre-la-diocesis-y.html 1]

; Other

• The Renaissance Ayuntamiento (Town Hall, 16th century), in the Plaza Mayor (main square)
• Palacio de la Audiencia (theatre), from 1739
• Palacio de los condes de Gomara (Judiciary Palace, 1592)
• remains of the medieval castle, commanding the town from the eponymous hill, and of the walls
• The Church of San Nicolás de Soria (Spanish: Iglesia de San Nicolás) is a ruined remnant of a Romanesque-style church. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1962.
• Aduana Vieja street, with its rennaissance noble houses: the Palace of the Castejones, the Palace of Don Diego Solier and the Palace of the Viscounts of Eza.{{cite web |title=Palacios Nobiliarios de la calle Aduana Vieja |url=https://www.turismosoria.es/que-ver/monumentos/palacios-nobiliarios-de-la-calle-aduana-vieja/ |website=Turismo Soria |access-date=7 May 2023}}

A few kilometres north of the town are the ruins of Numantia, a Celtiberian town whose inhabitants destroyed it rather than let it fall to Scipio. In Soria is the Museo Numantino, devoted to the archaeological remains of this and other sites in the province.

The city is served by the Soria Railway Station, with daily services to Madrid via Guadalajara. There are also many bus lines to neighbouring cities. A new highway has reduced the trip to Madrid by car down to 2 hours.{{cite web|url=https://www.travelinho.com/es/viajar/de-madrid-a-soria|title=De Madrid a Soria: Autobús, tren y coche compartido|language=Spanish}}

File:Soria (Soria) Mapa.svg

Soria sits on the banks of Douro river, in its upper course. Its municipality is formed by the city, and four rural hamlets: Las Casas, Oteruelos, Pedrajas and Toledillo; both Oteruelos and Pedrajas were small municipalities later absorbed by Soria by the 1970s. The shape of the municipality is highly irregular and it is not even continuous, as it comprises three disjointed areas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.soria.es/sites/default/files/public/contenidos/2013/ficheros/memoria-vinculante.pdf|publisher=Ayuntamiento de Soria|title=Revisión y adaptación del Plan General de Ordenación Urbana de Soria|year=2006}}

Soria has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb). Due to its altitude, winters in Soria are very cold by Spanish standards ({{convert|3.6|°C|0|abbr=on}} in January) with almost 84 frost days per year. Summers are dry and warm (average {{convert|20.7|°C|0|abbr=on}} in July) with the daytime temperature usually around {{convert|29|°C|0|abbr=on}}. Temperatures above {{convert|35|°C|0|abbr=on}} are not rare in summer, while lows can go under {{convert|10|°C|0|abbr=on}} at nights. It has scant rainfall ({{convert|535|mm|in}}) and spring is the wettest season. The low rainfall is in spite of its high elevation as the maritime Atlantic low-pressure systems are often blocked by the mountains closer to the coast. It is the coldest Spanish provincial capital.{{cite web|url=http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=2030&k=42|title=Valores climatológicos normales. Soria|language=Spanish|author=AEMET|access-date=2021-07-12}}

{{Weather box

|location = Soria (1991–2020) 1,082 m., extremes (1943-present)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 20.8

|Feb record high C = 23.2

|Mar record high C = 25.5

|Apr record high C = 30.0

|May record high C = 32.7

|Jun record high C = 37.9

|Jul record high C = 38.7

|Aug record high C = 38.9

|Sep record high C = 36.4

|Oct record high C = 31.8

|Nov record high C = 25.0

|Dec record high C = 20.5

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 8.2

|Feb high C = 9.7

|Mar high C = 13.2

|Apr high C = 15.0

|May high C = 19.5

|Jun high C = 25.0

|Jul high C = 28.9

|Aug high C = 28.7

|Sep high C = 23.5

|Oct high C = 17.8

|Nov high C = 11.6

|Dec high C = 8.9

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 3.6

|Feb mean C = 4.4

|Mar mean C = 7.2

|Apr mean C = 9.1

|May mean C = 13.1

|Jun mean C = 17.6

|Jul mean C = 20.7

|Aug mean C = 20.6

|Sep mean C = 16.4

|Oct mean C = 11.9

|Nov mean C = 6.9

|Dec mean C = 4.2

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = -1.1

|Feb low C = -0.9

|Mar low C = 1.3

|Apr low C = 3.2

|May low C = 6.6

|Jun low C = 10.2

|Jul low C = 12.5

|Aug low C = 12.5

|Sep low C = 9.3

|Oct low C = 6.0

|Nov low C = 2.1

|Dec low C = -0.5

|year low C =

|Jan record low C = -14.0

|Feb record low C = -14.0

|Mar record low C = -12.8

|Apr record low C = -5.6

|May record low C = -4.0

|Jun record low C = 0.0

|Jul record low C = 1.2

|Aug record low C = 1.0

|Sep record low C = -1.2

|Oct record low C = -4.2

|Nov record low C = -9.6

|Dec record low C = -15.0

|year record low C =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 42.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 34.7

|Mar precipitation mm = 41.8

|Apr precipitation mm = 59.1

|May precipitation mm = 63.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 47.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 34.2

|Aug precipitation mm = 26.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 33.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 57.7

|Nov precipitation mm = 49.5

|Dec precipitation mm = 45.2

|year precipitation mm =

|unit precipitation days= 1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 7.2

|Feb precipitation days = 6.1

|Mar precipitation days = 7.3

|Apr precipitation days = 8.9

|May precipitation days = 8.9

|Jun precipitation days = 6.0

|Jul precipitation days = 3.8

|Aug precipitation days = 3.3

|Sep precipitation days = 5.2

|Oct precipitation days = 7.8

|Nov precipitation days = 8.0

|Dec precipitation days = 7.0

|year precipitation days =

|Jan snow days = 5.3

|Feb snow days = 5.8

|Mar snow days = 4.3

|Apr snow days = 2.1

|May snow days = 0.2

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.2

|Nov snow days = 2.2

|Dec snow days = 3.1

|year snow days =

|Jan humidity = 76

|Feb humidity = 69

|Mar humidity = 63

|Apr humidity = 63

|May humidity = 60

|Jun humidity = 53

|Jul humidity = 48

|Aug humidity = 49

|Sep humidity = 59

|Oct humidity = 68

|Nov humidity = 75

|Dec humidity = 78

|year humidity =

|Jan sun = 143

|Feb sun = 161

|Mar sun = 205

|Apr sun = 219

|May sun = 257

|Jun sun = 297

|Jul sun = 341

|Aug sun = 319

|Sep sun = 243

|Oct sun = 189

|Nov sun = 147

|Dec sun = 133

|year sun =

|Jan percentsun = 48

|Feb percentsun = 54

|Mar percentsun = 55

|Apr percentsun = 54

|May percentsun = 57

|Jun percentsun = 65

|Jul percentsun = 74

|Aug percentsun = 74

|Sep percentsun = 65

|Oct percentsun = 55

|Nov percentsun = 49

|Dec percentsun = 47

|year percentsun =

|source 1 = Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia{{cite web|url=https://opendata.aemet.es/centrodedescargas/inicio|title=AEMET OpenData - Normal values|language=es|access-date = 21 February 2025}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/efemerides_extremos?w=0&k=cle&datos=det&l=2030|title=Valores Extremos - Soria|website=www.aemet.es|publisher=AEMET|access-date=21 February 2025}}

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Soria (1981–2010) 1,082 m.

|collapsed = yes

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 20.0

|Feb record high C = 21.2

|Mar record high C = 24.4

|Apr record high C = 28.0

|May record high C = 32.7

|Jun record high C = 37.0

|Jul record high C = 38.0

|Aug record high C = 37.4

|Sep record high C = 36.4

|Oct record high C = 30.6

|Nov record high C = 25.0

|Dec record high C = 20.5

|Jan high C = 7.7

|Feb high C = 9.6

|Mar high C = 13.2

|Apr high C = 14.6

|May high C = 18.7

|Jun high C = 24.6

|Jul high C = 28.7

|Aug high C = 28.3

|Sep high C = 23.6

|Oct high C = 17.4

|Nov high C = 11.5

|Dec high C = 8.4

|Jan mean C= 3.2

|Feb mean C= 4.3

|Mar mean C= 7.1

|Apr mean C= 8.7

|May mean C= 12.5

|Jun mean C= 17.2

|Jul mean C= 20.5

|Aug mean C= 20.3

|Sep mean C= 16.4

|Oct mean C= 11.6

|Nov mean C= 6.7

|Dec mean C= 4.0

|Jan low C = -1.3

|Feb low C = -1.0

|Mar low C = 1.0

|Apr low C = 2.8

|May low C = 6.2

|Jun low C = 9.9

|Jul low C = 12.4

|Aug low C = 12.2

|Sep low C = 9.3

|Oct low C = 5.8

|Nov low C = 1.9

|Dec low C = -0.4

|Jan record low C = -14.0

|Feb record low C = -14.0

|Mar record low C = -12.8

|Apr record low C = -5.6

|May record low C = -4.0

|Jun record low C = 0.0

|Jul record low C = 1.2

|Aug record low C = 1.0

|Sep record low C = -1.2

|Oct record low C = -4.2

|Nov record low C = -9.6

|Dec record low C = -15.0

|Jan precipitation mm = 37

|Feb precipitation mm = 36

|Mar precipitation mm = 30

|Apr precipitation mm = 55

|May precipitation mm = 67

|Jun precipitation mm = 40

|Jul precipitation mm = 30

|Aug precipitation mm = 30

|Sep precipitation mm = 33

|Oct precipitation mm = 55

|Nov precipitation mm = 50

|Dec precipitation mm = 50

|unit precipitation days= 1

|Jan precipitation days= 7

|Feb precipitation days= 6

|Mar precipitation days= 6

|Apr precipitation days= 9

|May precipitation days= 10

|Jun precipitation days= 6

|Jul precipitation days= 4

|Aug precipitation days= 4

|Sep precipitation days= 5

|Oct precipitation days= 8

|Nov precipitation days= 8

|Dec precipitation days= 8

|Jan snow days= 5

|Feb snow days= 5

|Mar snow days= 3

|Apr snow days= 3

|May snow days= 0

|Jun snow days= 0

|Jul snow days= 0

|Aug snow days= 0

|Sep snow days= 0

|Oct snow days= 0

|Nov snow days= 2

|Dec snow days= 4

|Jan sun = 138

|Feb sun = 158

|Mar sun = 202

|Apr sun = 208

|May sun = 244

|Jun sun = 293

|Jul sun = 339

|Aug sun = 313

|Sep sun = 233

|Oct sun = 180

|Nov sun = 143

|Dec sun = 126

|source 1 = AEMETAEMET—[http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=2030&k=cle Valores climatológicos normales: Soria]. Retrieved March 12, 2011.{{cite web |url=https://ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=08148&ano=2021&mes=12&day=14&hora=18&min=0&ndays=30|title= 08148: Soria (Spain)|author= |date= 14 December 2021|website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET |access-date= 15 December 2021|quote=}}

|date=June 2015

}}

The city's professional football club is called CD Numancia.

Two of Spain's foremost runners of the late 20th century lived and trained in Soria: Fermín Cacho, a gold medallist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and Abel Antón, a two-time World Champion in the marathon. The area in which they trained, Monte Valonsadero, is now host to the annual Cross Internacional de Soria meeting – one of Spain's most prestigious cross country running competitions.Valiente, Emerterio (2007-11-23). [http://www.iaaf.org/WXC08/news/kind=2/newsid=42466.html Spotlight on Ebuya and Melkamu - Soria Cross Country preview]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-29.[http://www.anoc.es/historia/soria Historia del Cross Internacional de Soria] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091210225549/http://anoc.es/historia/soria|date=2009-12-10}} {{in lang|es}}. ANOC. Retrieved on 2009-11-29.

The European Youth Orienteering Championships were held in Soria in July 2010.

File:(Copiso) El presidente de la Junta visita Copiso.jpg.{{Cite web|url=https://www.europapress.es/castilla-y-leon/noticia-copiso-soria-empresas-aumentan-volumen-negocio-superan-264-millones-facturacion-2018-20190531171516.html|publisher=Europa Press|title=Copiso Soria y sus empresas aumentan el volumen de negocio un 9% y superan los 264 millones de facturación en 2018|date=31 May 2019}}]]

Soria has a biomass district heating plant called Red de Calor de Soria, which uses woodchip residue fuel from the local timber industry. Venture capital firm AXIS, part of Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO), the Spanish promotional bank, has made an equity investment in the project. The project plans to provide 80 GWh of renewable energy per year, which will heat 8,000 homes, saving 28,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.{{Cite web|title=How do you bake bread in the circular economy?|url=https://www.eib.org/en/stories/examples-circular-economy|access-date=2020-10-13|website=European Investment Bank|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=SLU|first=REBI|date=2019-01-30|title=RED DE CALOR DE SORIA|url=https://reddecalordesoria.es/|access-date=2020-10-13|website=reddecalordesoria.es|language=es}}

• 1994 — Collioure (France){{Cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1994/02/21/013.html|website=ABC|date=21 February 1994|title=La memoria de Antonio Machado hermanó a Soria y Collioure, donde reposan los restos del poeta}}

• Saint Saturius of Soria
• Javier Modrego
• Shem Tov ben Abraham ibn Gaon (1283 – c. 1330), a Jewish Talmudist and kabbalist

• List of municipalities in Soria
• List of Spanish cities
• Numantia

;Citations

{{reflist}}

;Bibliography

• {{Cite journal|title=El Fuero de Soria: génesis y fuentes|first=Gonzalo|last=Martínez Díez|journal=Anuario de Historia del Derecho Español|issn=0304-4319|issue=76|year=2006|pages=9–32|via=Dialnet|publisher=Boletín Oficial del Estado|location=Madrid|url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/2286134.pdf}}

{{Commons category|Soria}}

• [http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/clip532082#clip532082 A scientific study of a fire-walking ritual]{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} from Discovery Channel's The Daily Planet Show
• [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/osma0.htm GCatholic]

{{Municipalities in Soria}}

{{Capitals of Provinces in Spain}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Municipalities in the Province of Soria