a town of Spain, province of Salamanca, in a mountainous district, 16 miles W. of Ciudad-Rodrigo, and near the left bank of the Rio das Casas, on the frontier of Portugal. In 1811, this was the scene of several battles between the English and the French; but especially on March 5, between Wellington and Massena.

FUEROS are certain immunities constituting what may be termed the Magna Charta of that part of Spain known as the Basque Provinces, namely Guipúzcoa, Alava, Biscay, and Navarra. The term is probably derived from the Spanish fuero, outside, indicating that these provinces are without the pale of the ordinary administration of the Spanish monarchy.

The fueros differ as to their details in the different provinces; but the main features are the same in all, the form of government being essentially republican, and the royal authority only nominal. Taking the province of Biscay as an example, we find that the only prerogative of the crown is that of nominating the corregidor, or highest officer of the state; and that even this nomination is subject to the approval of certain members of the junta or states, in which is vested the chief management of public affairs. The junta is the most popularly constituted representative body existing in modern times, excepting the American congress. The right of voting in the election of its members belongs to every man who is master of a dwelling within the lordship, and its functions include the general administration of the affairs of the commonwealth, the collection of taxes, the protection and defence of the territory, and the nomination of all the officers of government, except the corregidor. The inhabitants of the province are exempt from all imposts except the self-imposed ones of their own locality, and from all duties on imported merchandise. They claim the privileges of Spanish nobility on merely proving their descent from pure Biscayan blood. They are not obliged to appear before any tribunal beyond the bounds of their own lordship, or to tolerate any royal intendant or comptroller within the province, or to allow any royal monopoly as in the rest of Spain, or have any royal establishment except the post-office, or admit royal troops within the territory, or furnish recruits for the royal army. But they are privileged to defend their territory with their own means and their own blood; and moreover to visit with summary punishment whoever may attempt even to interfere with these their constitutional rights.

The history of the fueros is lost in their profound antiquity; but they are believed to date from the brave Cantabrians who were never completely subjugated to the Roman yoke, and who, even when partially conquered, maintained their own laws and customs inviolate. Whether this was the origin of the fueros, or not, it is certain that from time immemorial the Basque provinces have enjoyed certain privileges unknown throughout the rest of the Spanish dominions. They existed only in the traditions of the country, and seem nevertheless to have been well understood and observed till the year 1235, when, in consequence of the accession of a French prince to the throne, some misunderstanding arose, and it was deemed necessary to embody these privileges in a written code. The charter thus framed was enlarged under the sanction of Charles V., and was recognised as the Magna Charta of the Basque provinces till the revolution of 1833, when its maintenance became the occasion for a series of sanguinary hostilities which devastated Spain for several years. These struggles terminated only when the Spanish government and the Cortes entered into a formal recognition of the rights, privileges, and ancient customs of the Basque provinces.