Ávila
Ávila | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Nicknames:
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| Motto: Una ciudad para todos lit. 'A city for everyone' | |
Interactive map of Ávila | |
Ávila Ávila | |
| Coordinates: 40°39′N 4°41′W / 40.650°N 4.683°W | |
| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community | Castile and León |
| Province | Ávila |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jesús Manuel Sánchez Cabrera (XAV) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 231.9 km2 (89.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,132 m (3,714 ft) |
| Population (2025-01-01) | |
• Total | 59,107 |
| Demonym | abulense(s) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 05001–05006 |
| Area code | +34 (ES) + 920 (AV) |
| Website | https://www.avila.es (in Spanish) |
| Official name | Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches |
| Includes | Hermitage of San Segundo, Basilica of San Vicente, Church of San Andrés, Church of San Pedro, Church of San Nicolás, Church of Santa María de la Cabeza, Church of San Martín, Convent of La Encarnación, Convent of San José, Royal Monastery of Santo Tomás |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii, iv |
| Reference | 348 |
| Inscription | 1985 (9th Session) |
| Area | 36.4 ha |
Ávila is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León in Spain. Located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, to the north of the Sistema Central, it lies on the right bank of the Adaja and, at an elevation of over 1,130 metres (3,710 ft) above sea level, is the highest provincial capital in Spain.
While it is not a settled issue, the primitive urban core of Obila was probably founded after the Roman subjugation of the territory through the assimilation of indigenous peoples (Vettones) in connection to the Roman policy enforcing the abandonment of surrounding hilltop oppida. Medieval Christian settlement took hold in the 11th century, with the growing status of milieus associated to the council militias and the discrimination against peasantry deepening the social inequality from a relatively egalitarian starting point.
Ávila is sometimes called the "City of Stones and Saints" due to its well-preserved medieval architecture and its connection to prominent Spanish mystics.
The Old Town of Ávila with its extra muros churches were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.