421°20N 7°51W, pop (2000e) 108 000. City in NW Spain, in Galicia, capital of the province and of the administrative area of the same name; in the valley of the Miño; commercial centre and agricultural market; railway; cathedral, Old Bridge.
Ourense (Galician: Ourense;Spanish: Orense) is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Ourense in Galicia.
Location and Climate
The ancient city of Auria is located on both banks of the Minho (Miño) River in the south-central part of Galicia, at an elevation of 128 m above sea level.
The river divides a rather industrial western suburb, which contains the railroad station, from the main town. Three highway and one railroad bridge cross the river in addition to the famous Roman Bridge, which is now closed to vehicle traffic.
History
The origin of the town can be traced to the Romans and the presence of hot springs called the Burgas. After the Romans, Ourense was part of the Suebi (Suevi) kingdom during most of the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries and was destroyed by the Moors in 716. The definitive urban impulse did not arrive until the 12th century when Ourense became an important center of services.
Sightseeing
Although mainly a town of services, Ourense is not without its tourist sites. The town has three parts: the medieval, the area of 19th-century expansion, and the modern perimeter. Once an area of a certain dilapidated charm the area is now undergoing renovation and is full of typical restaurants and bars patronized by the university students of the town. The Plaza Mayor is the center of city life with its arcaded shops and the simple, but beautiful Town Hall.
The cathedral is the most important monument in Ourense.
The Miño is crossed at Ourense by one of the most remarkable bridges in Spain, the Ponte Vella.
Another must is the former episcopal palace, which houses the Provincial Archaeological Museum.
Industry
Traditionally the town had sawmills, flour mills, iron foundries, and some light industries, but most of this has disappeared. Nearby in the industrial zone of San Cibrao das Viñas are many light industries including several important clothing factories. One of the most important fashion designers of Spain, Adolfo Dominguez, is from Ourense.
As a producer, Ourense is world renowned as a producer of European chestnuts (castana vulgaris).
Barellete
Barallete was the name of an argot employed by the traditional knife-sharpeners and umbrella holders (afiadores e paragüeiros) of Ourense. It was based on the Galician language as spoken in Ourense, but its users substituted everyday words with invented ones of no linguistic connection, making it impossible for other people to understand it.
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