Municipality in Castile and León, Spain
Castilfrío de la Sierra is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 27 inhabitants.
History
During the Middle Ages, the locality belonged to the Community of Villa y Tierra de Soria as part of the Sexmo de Tera.[2]
The 1528 Census of Pecheros (taxpaying households), which excluded clergy, nobility, and hidalgos, documented 26 pecheros—families subject to taxation.[3] In the original document, the village is listed as Castelfrío de San Juan.
Following the collapse of the Old Regime, the locality became a constitutional municipality, then known as Castil Frío, in the region of Old Castile, Partido de Soria.[4] By the 1842 census, it had 85 households and 348 residents. By the mid-19th century, the village comprised approximately 100 houses.[5] The settlement is described in the sixth volume of Pascual Madoz’s Diccionario geográfico-estadístico-histórico de España y sus posesiones de Ultramar as follows:
CASTILFRIO DE LA SIERRA: A municipality in the province and judicial district of Soria (4 leagues away), under the territorial court and captaincy general of Burgos (25 leagues), and diocese of Osma (14 leagues). Location: On the southern slope of the Sierra de Oncala, exposed to north and west winds. Climate: Cold, with pneumonia as the most common ailment. The village has 100 houses, including the town hall, a jail, and a primary school attended by 26 pupils under a teacher paid 400 reales. It features a hermitage (El Humilladero) and a parish church (La Asunción de Ntra. Sra.) served by a second-tier priest. Two nearby springs provide good water for drinking and domestic use. Borders: North—Oncala; East—Valtagero (1 league); South—Aldealices (½ league); West—La Estepa de San Juan (1 league). Within these bounds lie the Hermitage of Ntra. Sra. del Carrascal and the abandoned settlements of San Bartolomé and Sotillo. Terrain: Rocky, with a forest of holm oaks and other trees. Roads: Connects to neighboring villages, in moderate condition. Mail: Delivered and dispatched via courier from Soria’s post office, arriving on Tuesdays and Saturdays and departing on Mondays and Fridays. Produce: Common wheat, barley, oats; livestock includes merino sheep (transhumant and stationary) and cattle. Game: Partridges, hares, and formerly quail. Industry: Agriculture and livestock. Population: 85 households, 348 residents. Tax revenue: 63,764 reales and 14 maravedís. Municipal budget: Ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 reales, funded by municipal properties and household contributions.
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