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A very brief description of the square in Mingorria.
THE MAIN SQUARE IN MINGORRÍA
There is a strret lamp in the square in my village. There is only one tree, a pine, and a bush.

The square is surrounded by houses and the Town Hall is there too. The church, symbol of the religious power, is built near two crosses.
The square is rebuilt.
Ignacio Martín.
The main square in Las Berlanas, a village in Ávila
THE SQUARE.
The name of the square of my village is “Square of the Peace”. It is situated in the centre of then village and it was built in 1960 and it inaugurated in June of 1963 .
The square is the centre of meeting because people always go there especially at the weekend and on Sundays after mass.
In the middle of the square there is a street lamp which is decorated with lights of colours in Christmas and in parties.
Opposite the street lamp the principal church is. It was built in 1960 too; next to the church the priest's house is and on the other side there is another square. Next to the street lamp there are houses, one phone, a letter box and the doctor and on the other side there is a place for young people, a “cinema”, a bar; the city council and one house.
When you go to the square, there is a park surrounded by bushes where there are swings for the children on the right, and on the left there is other park where there is a fountain and benches.
The square is closed for the cars.
Before, the school was in the square, but today this building is a house; and in the priest's house the catechism is taught.
Finally, the square was built because of a flood.
Villagers gathering their belongings
Sheila Herráez García
Report about your square
Now, you can post a description of the square in your village or any other you like
The role of Main Squares in towns.
The Square in Villanueva del Campillo
Squares in towns have a symbolic meaning as a representation space. They are the iconography of power, so they become symbols of the economical, political and religious power.
Our squares have suffered formal changes all through history, from the agora or public square in Greek polis, the forum in Roman cities, the medieval marketplaces to our contemporary squares, the designed ones or the shopping malls.
They have lived important historical moments, social events, executions, meetings. In certain way, they are a page in our history.
Squares in villages have the same function. A “verraco” was found and restored months ago and it has been taken to Villanueva del Campillo. It is in the middle of the square.
Look at these pictures. Remember what you know about the squares and post comments with your descriptions.

These pictures represent usual activities in the Amblés Valley nowadays. Compare today's lifestyle with Vettons' economy. Point out similarities and differences.
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| Milking a cow | Cows in a shed |
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| Pine wood | After the harvest |
Although the Adaja is a small river, it also suffers aggressions from human activities.
Avila does not have polluting industry but other human activities damage the Adaja. For example, shedded livestock or intensive farming produce spills and dangerous changes in the soil composition due to pesticides. On the other hand, population is getting bigger and bigger, so the town and its villages are spreading and coming near the river.
As a matter of fact, the river is not any longer the source we saw at Villatoro Pass. Although it flows quietly by the old San Segundo hermitage and the Roman Walls, our river has problems.
Write your own reports and let us comment about the possible solutions.
Illegal dumps spoil our landscape and damage our environment.
It is not strange to find illegal dumps such as the one in the pictures. People living in small villages do not have a quick way to get rid of construction materials, old electrical appliances or furniture. Sometimes they start throwing away their waste in ravines by rural roads. They are not easy to see from the road, so villagers expect not to be fined.
In fact, everybody knows where these dumps are, even the police. But these environment offenders are difficult to be caught.
Have you ever thought what happens when there is a storm and water floods dumps?
Have you ever thought about the dangers for animals?
Think about it for a while and then answer the questions.
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Rivers and streams have always been the origin of civilizations.
Civilizations by rivers
Ancient civilizations settled by rivers or streams and their lifestyle was deeply connected with water. Pottery, iron industry, clothes manufacture, masonry, domestic life, farming, livestock, everything spun around water. Some cultures, for instance Celts, thought wells to be sacred.
In Ávila, Vettons, a pre-roman culture, got their highest splendour between IV and II century B.C. They built their “castros” or oppida near the main rivers in the province: Tormes, Corneja, but very specially near the Adaja.
Vettons’ economy was based on agriculture and livestock: sheep, goats, pigs and cows were their most precious treasure and so they constantly looked for good pasture and marked the areas with “verracos” or stone sculptures. Taking livestock from one place to another to find fresh grass was one of their most important tasks. Their animals provided them with meat, milk, fur to make clothes and horns to make tools. When they died, they were cremated with everything they owned and the remains were kept in funerary urns. They defended their possessions with iron weapons inside their fortified settlements.
Now, choose a picture, give it a title and write a comment concerning the activity it involved and its
connection with water.
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