Summary
Don Benito (Spanish pronunciation: [dom beˈnito]) is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, near the left bank of the Guadiana river. According to the 2014 census,[2] the municipality has a population of 37,011.
Don Benito | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
 Parish church of San Juan | |
 Flag | |
  Don Benito Location in Extremadura | |
| Coordinates: 38°57′16.3″N 5°51′42.2″W / 38.954528°N 5.861722°W | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous Community |  Extremadura |
| Province | Badajoz |
| Comarca | Las Vegas Altas |
| Founded | 15th century |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jose Luis Quintana Álvarez (PSOE-Extremadura) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,616 km2 (2,168 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 280 m (920 ft) |
| Population (2018)[1] | |
| • Total | 37,010 |
| • Density | 6.6/km2 (17/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST (GMT +2)) |
| Postal code | 06400 |
| Area code | +34 (Spain) + 924 (Badajoz) |
| Website | Official website |
History edit
Don Benito dates from the 15th century, when it was founded by refugees from Don Llorente, who deserted their own town due to the danger of floods from the Guadiana.[3]
On 28 March 1809, the 9 km separating Don Benito from Medellín was the site of a major French victory against Spanish troops during the Peninsular War.
By 2021, the municipal government of Don Benito worked alongside that of Villanueva de la Serena to fuse the two neighbouring municipalities into a single one, paving the way for a 2022 non-binding consultation.[4] On 8 November 2021, the Council of Ministers sanctioned the celebration of the consultation,[5] to be held on 20 February 2022. Both municipalities approved the merging, in the case of Don Benito by a whisker (a 66.2% of yes votes relative to the 66.0% threshold set in advance).[6]
Geography edit
Don Benito has 37,048 inhabitants, and is part of an urban area with Villanueva de la Serena (26,071 inhabitants) 5 km away.
The municipality is composed by the town of Don Benito and seven villages:
| Settlement | Population (2012) |
|---|---|
| Don Benito | 32,783 |
| Conquista del Guadiana | 133 |
| Gargáligas | 549 |
| Hernán Cortés | 921 |
| Ruecas | 718 |
| El Torviscal | 549 |
| Valdehornillos | 664 |
| Vivares | 731 |
Demographics edit
Transport edit
The town is served by a railway station on the Ciudad Real-Badajoz railway, part of an international line that links Madrid with Lisbon. It has been interested, along with the nearby Villanueva de la Serena, by a project of a tramway, not yet finalized.[7][8] The town is also the southern terminus of the EXA2 motorway from Miajadas.
Famous residents edit
- Florinda Chico (1926-2011), actress
- Jesús Gil Manzano (b. 1984), referee
- Juanma Gómez (b. 1981), footballer
- Pedro Porro (b. 1999), footballer
Twin towns edit
Fquih Ben Salah, Morocco
References edit
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- ^ Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)
- ^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Don Beníto". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 411.
- ^ "Villanueva de la Serena y Don Benito trabajan en la fusión de ambas municipios, que someterán a consulta popular en 2022". Europa Press. 15 September 2021.
- ^ Domeque, Estrella. "El Consejo de Ministros aprueba la consulta popular sobre la unión de Don Benito y Villanueva de la Serena". Hoy.
- ^ Viejo, Manuel (20 February 2022). "Villanueva de la Serena y Don Benito aprueban su fusión al límite". El País.
- ^ (in Spanish) "The circular tramway Don Benito-Villanueva in the future". El Periódico Extremadura, 29-9-2007
- ^ (in Spanish) "The project of the Don Benito-Villanueva tramway will be taken by the regional board". Hoy, 12-2-2008
External links edit
- (in Spanish) Don Benito official website Archived 2003-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
- (in Spanish) Roman Villa of La Majona in Don Benito