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.
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