Soria
Main square of Soria
Flag Seal
Soria Location in Spain.
Coordinates: 41°46′N 2°28′W / 41.767°N 2.467°W / 41.767; -2.467
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Castile and León
Province	Soria
Comarca	Comarca de Soria
Government
• Mayor	Carlos Martínez Mínguez
Area
• Total	272 km2 (105 sq mi)
Elevation	1,063 m (3,488 ft)
Population (2010)
• Total	39,838
• Density	150/km2 (380/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website	Official website

Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. As of 2010^[update], the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province. Situated on the Rio Duero in the east of the autonomous community, the city is noted for its walls and a number of architecturally distinctive churches.

Name[link]

It is claimed that in Roman times there was a castle called Oria, purportedly named after a Greek knight called Doricus. Based on this folk etymology, some historians guessed that the first inhabitants of this city might have been the Dorians. Archaeology has not confirmed that story. Instead it has suggested that the first inhabitants were the Suebi, whose kings (as reported by Tutor and Malo in their Compedio historial de las dos Numancias) established one of their courts in Soria. These two hypotheses have been abandoned because of lack of evidence. It seems more likely that the name Soria may have its origin in the word dauria from the river Durius (Duero).

History[link]

Madonna del Mirón Hermitage, started to be built in the 6th century BC by the Suebi.

The area of Soria was inhabited by the Iberians, who merged with the Celts to form the Celtiberians around the 4th century BC.

During the Roman conquest of Iberia, Soria was besieged and its population committed a collective suicide in order to escape slavery. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the rebuilt city was occupied by the Suebi. Later, after the Arab conquest of Spain, it grew in importance due to its proximity to the border of the Christian lands, which in the 8th century had settled along the Duero river.

In 869 Soria was the centre of the rebellion of Suleyman ibn-Abus against the caliph of Córdoba, who sent his son Hakan to quench it. In the early 12th century the city was conquered by Alfonso I the Battler, being absorbed into the Kingdom of León in 1134. Due to its strategic placement at the borders of the Kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, Navarre and León, Soria in the Middle Ages was at the centre of several conflicts between them. Alfonso VIII of Castile, in reward for its support, gave the city several privileges which it maintained until modern times. In 1195 the town was stormed by Sancho VII of Navarre, but later recovered and continued to develop its splendour and trades, mostly held by a community of Jews.

Palomar in Alameda de Cervantes.

Soria lost most of its importance after the unification of Aragon and Castile in 1479, and above all after the decree of exile issued against the Jews in 1492. In the War of Spanish Succession (early 18th century), Soria sided for Philip V. In 1808 it was captured and set on fire by the French troops.

The economical and social crisis of Spain in the early 20th century, and the Spanish Civil War with Francisco Franco's dictatorship which followed, had negative effects on Soria and its neighborhood, which became depopulated due to strong emigration.

The policy of the current authorities aims to strengthen the local economy pivoting on Soria's tourism potential, and has also launched a program of reconstruction for the neighbouring villages.

Geography[link]

Soria sits on the banks of Douro river, in its upper course. Its municipality is formed by the city, Barrio Las Casas and three locations: Oteruelos, Pedrajas and Toledillo.

Climate[link]

Winters in Soria are cold by Spanish standards (2.9 °C (37 °F) in January) with almost 90 frost days. Summers are dry and warm (average 20 °C (68 °F) in July and August) with the daytime temperature usually around28 °C (82 °F) (and regularly reaching 35 °C (95 °F) on the hottest days) but sometimes dropping all the way to 10 °C (50 °F) at night. It has scant rainfall (570 mm per year) and spring is the rainiest season. It is the coldest provincial capital in Spain.

Main sights[link]

Santa Clara Convent, founded in 1224.

• The Renaissance Ayuntamiento (Town Hall, 16th century), in the Plaza Mayor (main square)
• Palacio de la Audiencia (theatre), from 1739
• Nuestra Señora de la Mayor (16th century), with a Romanesque portal
• Iglesia del Espino (16th century)
• Plateresque Concatedral de San Pedro, erected in the 12th-13th centuries, rebuilt in the 16th century, and its cloister.
• San Juan de Rabanera, Romanesque church from the 12th century
• San Polo, a former monastery of the Knights Templar. The churches of San Nicolás and San Ginés are from the same age.
• the Romanesque convent church of Santo Domingo (12th century)

La Soledad Hermitage.

San Saturio Hermitage.

• San Juan de Duero with its 12th century ruined cloisters located on the other side of the river from the old town.
• sanctuaries of Ermita de San Saturio (18th century) and Ermita de la Soledad (17th century)
• Palacio de los condes de Gomara (Judiciary Palace, 1592)
• remains of the medieval castle, commanding the town from the eponymous hill, and of the walls

A few kilometres north of the town are the ruins of Numantia, a Celtiberian town whose inhabitants destroyed it rather than let it fall to Scipio. In Soria is the Museo Numantino, devoted to the archaeological remains of this site.

Culture[link]

San Juan´s feast day in Soria.

The 20th century Spanish poet Antonio Machado spent five years in Soria teaching French in a secondary school in the early part of the century, before spending 12 years in the neighbouring town of Segovia. These years were to prove essential to his further literary development. He married and lost his wife there and discovered much about the nature of the Castilian people – a subject the Generation of '98 authors were very interested in.

Sport[link]

The city's professional football club is called CD Numancia.

Two of Spain's foremost runners of the late 20th century lived and trained in Soria: Fermín Cacho, a gold medallist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and Abel Antón, a two-time World Champion in the marathon. The area in which they trained, Monte Valonsadero, is now host to the annual Cross Internacional de Soria meeting – one of Spain's most prestigious cross country running competitions.^[2][3]

The European Youth Orienteering Championships were held in Soria in July 2010.

Twin towns[link]

• Collioure, France

See also[link]

• List of Spanish cities
• List of municipalities in Soria
• Numantia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Soria

References[link]

v t e Municipalities in Soria 30,000+ Soria 1,000+ Ágreda Almazán Arcos de Jalón Berlanga de Duero Burgo de Osma-Ciudad de Osma Covaleda Duruelo de la Sierra Ólvega San Esteban de Gormaz San Leonardo de Yagüe Vinuesa under 1,000 Abejar Adradas Alconaba Alcubilla de Avellaneda Alcubilla de las Peñas Aldealafuente Aldealices Aldealpozo Aldealseñor Aldehuela de Periáñez Alentisque Aliud Almajano Almaluez Almarza Almazul Almenar de Soria Alpanseque Arancón Arenillas Arévalo de la Sierra Ausejo de la Sierra Baraona Barca Barcones Bayubas de Abajo Bayubas de Arriba Beratón Blacos Bliecos Borjabad Borobia Buberos Buitrago Cabrejas del Campo Cabrejas del Pinar Calatañazor Caltojar Candilichera Carabantes Caracena Carrascosa de Abajo Carrascosa de la Sierra Casarejos Castilfrío de la Sierra Castillejo de Robledo Castilruiz Cañamaque Centenera de Andaluz Cerbón Cidones Cigudosa Cihuela Ciria Cirujales del Río Coscurita Cubilla Cubo de la Solana Cueva de Ágreda Deza Dévanos El Royo Escobosa de Almazán Espeja de San Marcelino Espejón Estepa de San Juan Frechilla de Almazán Fresno de Caracena Fuentearmegil Fuentecambrón Fuentecantos Fuentelmonge Fuentelsaz de Soria Fuentepinilla Fuentes de Magaña Fuentestrún Garray Golmayo Gormaz Gómara Herrera de Soria Hinojosa del Campo La Losilla La Póveda de Soria La Riba de Escalote Langa de Duero Las Aldehuelas Liceras Los Rábanos Los Villares de Soria Magaña Maján Matalebreras Matamala de Almazán Medinaceli Miño de Medinaceli Miño de San Esteban Molinos de Duero Momblona Monteagudo de las Vicarías Montejo de Tiermes Montenegro de Cameros Morón de Almazán Muriel Viejo Muriel de la Fuente Nafría de Ucero Narros Navaleno Nepas Nolay (Soria) Noviercas Oncala Pinilla del Campo Portillo de Soria Pozalmuro Quintana Redonda Quintanas de Gormaz Quiñonería Rebollar Recuerda Rello Renieblas Retortillo de Soria Reznos Rioseco de Soria Rollamienta Salduero San Felices San Pedro Manrique Santa Cruz de Yanguas Santa María de Huerta Santa María de las Hoyas Serón de Nágima Soliedra Sotillo del Rincón Suellacabras Tajahuerce Tajueco Talveila Tardelcuende Taroda Tejado Torlengua Torreblacos Torrubia de Soria Trévago Ucero Vadillo Valdeavellano de Tera Valdegeña Valdelagua del Cerro Valdemaluque Valdenebro Valdeprado Valderrodilla Valtajeros Velamazán Velilla de la Sierra Velilla de los Ajos Viana de Duero Villaciervos Villanueva de Gormaz Villar del Ala Villar del Campo Villar del Río Villasayas Villaseca de Arciel Vizmanos Vozmediano Yanguas Yelo

v t e Capitals of provinces of Spain A Coruña Albacete Alicante Almería Ávila Badajoz Barcelona Bilbao Burgos Cáceres Cádiz Castellón de la Plana Ciudad Real Córdoba Cuenca Donostia-San Sebastián Girona Granada Guadalajara Huelva Huesca Jaén Logroño Las Palmas León Lleida Lugo Madrid Málaga Murcia Ourense Oviedo Palencia Palma Pamplona Pontevedra Salamanca Santander Santa Cruz Segovia Seville Soria Tarragona Teruel Toledo Valencia Valladolid Vitoria-Gasteiz Zamora Zaragoza

Carlos Soria
Governor of Río Negro
In office December 9, 2011 – January 1, 2012
Lieutenant	Alberto Weretilneck
Preceded by	Miguel Saiz
Succeeded by	Alberto Weretilneck
Mayor of General Roca, Río Negro
In office December 10, 2003 – December 9, 2011
Preceded by	Miguel Saiz
Succeeded by	Martín Soria
Secretary of State Intelligence
In office January 2, 2002 – July 10, 2002
Preceded by	Carlos Sargnese
Succeeded by	Miguel Ángel Toma
National Deputy for Buenos Aires Province
In office December 10, 1999 – January 2, 2002
Minister of Justice and Security for Buenos Aires Province
In office September 21, 1999 – December 10, 1999
Preceded by	Osvaldo Lorenzo
Succeeded by	Aldo Rico
National Deputy for Río Negro Province
In office December 10, 1983 – September 21, 1999
Personal details
Born	(1949-03-01)March 1, 1949[1] Bahía Blanca, Argentina
Died	January 1, 2012(2012-01-01) (aged 62) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina
Political party	Justicialist Party/Front for Victory
Spouse(s)	Susana Freydoz
Alma mater	University of Buenos Aires
Profession	Lawyer

Carlos Ernesto Soria (March 1, 1949 – January 1, 2012) was an Argentine lawyer and Justicialist Party politician. He died in the early hours of January 1, 2012, from a gunshot wound, at his farm, after the New Year celebrations. Soria was the governor of Rio Negro Province at the time. His widow was charged with first-degree murder on January 19, 2012.

Life and times[link]

Early life and career[link]

Soria was born in Bahía Blanca in 1949, and was raised in a nearby rural town, General Daniel Cerri. His father, Ernesto Soria, was an outspoken Peronist, and was arrested shortly after the 1955 coup against President Juan Perón. Following his release several months later, the Sorias relocated to Bariloche. The elder Soria was again arrested amid a crackdown on Peronist protests during a state visit to Bariloche by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower in March 1959, and was imprisoned in Bahía Blanca. He was released in April 1962 and the family settled in General Roca, Río Negro, where they opened a neighborhood store.^[2]

Carlos Soria enrolled at the University of Buenos Aires, earning a Law degree in 1973. Elections that March returned Peronists to power, and Soria was elected to the local Justicialist Party (JP) chapter. He was later elected to the Provincial Council of the JP, and upon the return of democracy in 1983, won a seat in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies.^[2]

Tenure in Congress[link]

Soria would be elected to Congress for four consecutive terms, becoming Chairman of the Constitutional Affairs Committee. He also served in the Justice, Impeachments, and Money Laundering committees; chaired the joint committee investigating the 1992 Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires and the 1994 AMIA bombing (the two most significant acts of Islamic terrorism in Argentine history);^[3] and served in the Council of Magistrates of the Nation.^[4]

Soria shared President Carlos Menem's opposition to trials opened in 1996 in Spanish courts against Dirty War perpetrators by Judge Baltasar Garzón, and personally led a delegation to protest these trials; when Judge Garzón turned the tables on the delegation by calling them to testify, they returned, however, creating an embarrassing diplomatic incident.^[5] He later presented a bill to restrict rights and toughen sentences for those accused of violent crime, as well as another which would have granted congressional immunity to all members in perpetuity; both bills were defeated.^[5]

Soria would later be indicted for obstruction of justice in his capacity as Chair of the Joint Committee on the AMIA bombing, and though he was cleared of all charges, the Río Negro PJ dropped him from their party list ahead of the 1999 elections.^[5] Soria was then offered a place in the Buenos Aires Province PJ list for Congress by Governor Eduardo Duhalde. Shortly before the October 1999 elections, moreover, Duhalde appointed Soria as Provincial Minister of Justice. His appointment took place on the heels of the September 16 Ramallo massacre, a botched Provincial Police intervention during an armed bank robbery that resulted in the deaths of two hostages.^[6] Soria promptly released hitherto sequestered police files relating to the case which confirmed that the robbery, as well as the deaths of all robbers and hostages alike, had been orchestrated by Provincial Police officers.^[7]

Remaining on the electoral list for National Deputies, Soria took his seat in Congress in December representing the Province of Buenos Aires. He became among the leading congressional opponents of President Fernando de la Rúa's austerity package, scuttling a 2000 decree which would have cut public sector salaries (this ultimately took place the following year).^[8] President de la Rúa's resignation in December 2001, and the subsequent Congressional designation of Duhalde as provisional president resulted in Soria's appointment as Secretary of State Intelligence (SIDE) in January 2002.^[3]

Tenure at State Intelligence[link]

Taking office, as President Duhalde did, amid widespread protest, Soria's tenure at SIDE would eventually be marred by a June 26 incident in which two piqueteros, Maximiliano Kosteki and Darío Santillán, were shot in the back in Avellaneda by Provincial Police officers. SIDE had produced intelligence reports stating that the overthrow of the national government had been openly advocated in piqueteros' assemblies, and that these were attended by the extremist group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).^[5] Phone conversations between minutes before the assassinations between a policeman implicated in the incident and the Undersecretary of Intelligence at the time, Oscar Rodríguez, proved SIDE involvement in the tragedy in subsequent trials.^[9]

Fallout from this incident was compounded by allegations made by Senator Cristina Fernández de Kirchner that SIDE personnel were spying on her husband, Santa Cruz Governor Néstor Kirchner, who had recently declared his intention to run for President the following year.^[5] These controversies, and Soria's own plans to run for Governor of the Province of Río Negro, prompted his resignation from SIDE in July. He was narrowly defeated in provincial elections in August 2003 by UCR candidate Miguel Saiz,^[10] though in elections held later in 2003, Soria narrowly won the election for mayor of the city of General Roca (the largest in the province).^[2] Duhalde and Soria continued to face charges in court related to the 2002 deaths. Soria declared at trial in 2005 that "democracy works with order, and we needed to establish order";^[11] both men were cleared of all charges.^[5]

Return to Río Negro[link]

Soria was overwhelmingly reelected as mayor of General Roca in 2007, garnering 73% of the vote.^[2] He clinched the Justicialist Party nomination for Governor of Río Negro in 2011, and ran with the support of the Front for Victory (FpV) faction of the party despite his long-standing alliance with the FpV's main rival, Duhalde. Soria's principal opponent in the race, UCR nominee César Barbeito, also professed his support of the FpV's standard-bearer, President Cristina Kirchner. The president formally endorsed Soria despite their past differences, however, while maintaining her distance from both candidates.^[5] Soria was elected governor in September with 51% of the vote, besting Barbeito by nearly 14%.^[12]

Death[link]

Soria died on January 1, 2012, during the new year celebrations with his family at his farm near General Roca. He was shot in the face with a .38 caliber weapon at around 5 am, and was moved immediately to a nearby hospital, where he died minutes later.^[13] The police didn't determine initially whether the death was caused by an accident or foul play; his wife was held for further questioning.^[13][14] He received a private funeral.^[13] His widow was charged with first-degree murder on January 19, 2012.^[15]

Vice-governor Alberto Weretilneck succeeded Soria as governor. Weretilneck considered calling new elections, despite provisions in the Constitution of Río Negro Province that would allow him to complete the remainder of Soria's term.^[13]

See also[link]

• List of Argentine Secretaries of Intelligence

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website of Río Negro Province
• Soria/Weretilneck 2011

Pepe Mel

Mel in 2011
Personal information
Full name	José Mel Pérez
Date of birth	(1963-02-28) 28 February 1963 (age 49)
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Betis (coach)
Youth career
1974–1982	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1982–1983	Real Madrid C
1983–1987	Real Madrid B	71	(15)
1983–1984	→ Alcalá (loan)
1987	Osasuna	0	(0)
1987–1989	Castellón	62	(28)
1989–1993	Betis	112	(50)
1993–1995	Granada	65	(31)
1995–1996	Benidorm	31	(15)
1996–1997	Getafe	37	(17)
1997–1998	Écija
1998	Angers
Teams managed
1999–2000	Coslada
2000–2001	Murcia
2001–2002	Tenerife
2003	Getafe
2003–2004	Alavés
2004–2005	Ejido
2006–2010	Rayo Vallecano
2010–	Betis
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

José "Pepe" Mel Pérez (born 28 February 1963 in Madrid) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker, and the current manager of Real Betis.

Playing career[link]

Mel started his senior career at Real Madrid Castilla - joining Real Madrid's youth system at the age of 11, in 1974, he never represented however the first team - playing alongside the likes of Emilio Butragueño and Míchel. In 1987, after a very brief spell with CA Osasuna (he did make his official debuts), he moved to Segunda División with CD Castellón, where he played two years, helping the Valencian Community side return to La Liga in his second season, after an absence of seven years.

Mel enjoyed his best years at Real Betis, signing with the team in 1989, and helping the Andalusians promote in his debut campaign, whilst winning the Pichichi Trophy with 22 goals (one better than in the previous season, at Castellón). In the following year, he played his first – and only – season in the top level, scoring 14 times but once again suffering immediate relegation.

Mel played his remaining years in the third division, in his country but also in France, successively representing Granada CF (two years), Benidorm CF and Getafe CF, splitting his final season with Angers SCO and Écija Balompié and retiring at the age of 35, amassing Spanish second division totals of 195 games and 73 goals.

Manager career[link]

Mel started coaching one year after retiring, his first club being amateurs CD Coslada, in the Community of Madrid. After one year at Real Murcia in division two, in 2001, he replaced Valencia CF-bound Rafael Benítez at the helm of CD Tenerife, having his first spell in the top flight as a coach,^[1] and suffering relegation.

In the following four seasons, Mel worked in the second level, being sacked early into the 2005–06 season by Polideportivo Ejido.^[2] Shortly after, he dropped down a level and moved to Rayo Vallecano, helping the Madrid outfit return to the second division in his second year, subsequently leading the side to the fifth place, with chances of promotion until the very last month of competition.

On 15 February 2010, after a string of poor results, Mel was sacked by Rayo, being replaced by director of football Felipe Miñambres, who helped the club to the 11th place.^[3] In the summer, he signed with former side Betis, also in the "silver category",^[4] leading the Verdiblancos back to the top division in his first year.

References[link]

External links[link]

• BDFutbol player profile
• BDFutbol coach profile
• Transfermarkt profile
• Worldfootball profile