Belalcázar
CórdobaAndalucía
Transparent Arabic toponym from Andalusian Bil al-Qaṣr ('beautiful castle') or derived from the Berber anthroponym Balqāẓar.
Town of the Pedroches Valley with the Gothic-Renaissance castle of Belalcázar (1453), one of the best examples of the Cordovan manorial castle. Homeland of the conqueror Sebastián de Belalcázar (1480-1551), founder of Quito (1534) and Cali (1536).
Evolution of the name
- Bil al-Qaṣr Andalusi Arabic 9th–11th centuries
- Belalcázar medieval Castilian from the 14th century
Reflections, to the letter
The name means «beautiful castle», from Andalusi Bil al-Qaṣr, and the word still stands on the skyline: the keep of Belalcázar rises forty-seven metres, the tallest in Spain. From far off, before you reach the village, you already see the very thing the Arabic word set out to name.
Glossary
- Anthroponym
- A personal name, often used as the base of toponyms (Lucronius → Logroño, Sigerici → Castrojeriz, Sacavus → Sacavém).
- Sebastián de Belalcázar
- Spanish conqueror (1480-1551) born in Belalcázar, captain of Pizarro's armies in Peru and later adelantado of Quito and Popayán. He founded the cities of Quito (1534), Cali (1536) and Popayán (1537) in present-day Ecuador and Colombia. His name, originally Sebastián Moyano de Cabrera, was replaced by the native toponym according to the custom of the conquerors.
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