LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY
The Historical Centre of Salvatierra is strategically located upon a hill at the crossroads of the routes that link Eastern Castile with the Basque ports and secondarily, the Ebro Valley with the coast.
It overlooks the eastern part of the Llanada Alavesa between the mountain ranges of Urkilla, Iturrieta and Enzia. The urban centre is divided by the former route of the N-1, which simplifies the task of identifying the original town.
    HISTORIC EVOLUTION AND URBAN STRUCTURE

HISTORY		  
Salvatierra was founded by Sancho el Sabio in 1181, although there existed an earlier settlement called Hagurahim which had in turn been constructed upon a Roman settlement by the name of Alba. It became property of the Crown of Castile and Alfonso X el Sabio granted it the same charter as Vitoria to become definitively part of Castile in 1371 under the reign of Enrique II. In 1382, Juan II awarded the town to the House of Ayala with the title of County until 1521 when Carlos I took it back for the Crown and granted it privileges for its loyalty in the War of the Comunidades. It suffered first the plague and then a fire in 1564 which almost completely destroyed it. Felipe II granted the town tax exemptions for 15 years in order to carry out its reconstruction.
During the 19th century it underwent French occupation (1808) and two Carlist wars (1835 and 1872), beginning a new period of reconstruction. Although in 1564 a decrease in the population had begun, it was between 1583 and 1683 when it suffered its greatest recession. The type of society was chiefly rural until the 1960s, its wealth based on the possession of land. There was a small group of craftsmen and traders (in the Jewish quarter). The social groups were clearly defined: rich men, the nobility and farmers. It was from 1960 onwards when the population made the leap beyond the town walls with the phenomena of industrialisation and consequent depopulation. A gradual neglect of the town began, leading to both demolitions and the construction of unsuitable buildings.
URBAN GROWTH  
Urbanistically, Salvatierra fits into the typical model of city of passage. It was adapted to the terrain on which it lies and was built very quickly, according to its precise needs (military defence) and was previously planned to this end. There were three streets, the central one being the widest, with various transverse alleyways connecting them. The whole town was contained within the walls, with two defensive churches, one at either end. Access to the walls was gained through seven gates: two large important ones at the northern and southern ends of the town and five others in the eastern and western flanks.

 
TYPES OF BUILDING  
Domestic buildings were constructed at the same time as the city, undergoing changes with time until 1564, a crucial date when all of them were destroyed by fire. There were two types: houses and mansions.
There are arcades of Castilian influence, used to hold markets, from the end of the 16th century (San Juan y Santa María).
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS  
The structural elements in the Historical Centre are: the Walls, defining the extension of the town; the churches of San Juan and Santa Maria, as defensive structures, and that of San Martín; and the alignments of the streets, alleyways and open spaces within the walls.

 		 
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