Covarrubias is a town in the Arlanza district of Burgos and, like many other municipalities spread throughout Spain, is struggling against depopulation, which has worsened over the years. Today it has 529 registered residents; less than twenty years ago and a far cry from the thousand he welcomed in the 60s and 70s. So far, there is nothing that feels exceptional or strange about other towns that have been hit by demographic winter, urban exodus, and urban exodus. The phenomenon of “emptied Spain”. What is interesting is how Covarrubias wants to reverse this trend. Its goal is to repopulate itself with the help of the Norse.

And he has an ally to help him do it: a medieval Norse princess.

Somewhere in Arlanza… Maybe its population has decreased over time, but Covarrubias has an enviable history and heritage. In the 10th century, the successors of the Count of Lara settled here and over time it became one of the most influential points of the district. What remains of its rich history today is a fascinating historical centre, preserved since 1965, and defensive walls dating back to between the 10th and 13th centuries, such gems as the church of Santo Tomás or the former Anglican Church of San Cosme and San Damián. a medieval temple.

A Scandinavian princess. Covarrubias’s prominence on the Spanish map is due to another feature closely linked to its history and heritage: the Scandinavian aristocrat, King Henry IV. Haakon’s connection to his daughter Kristina of Norway. In the mid-13th century, King Alfonso came to the peninsula to marry one of his brothers.

His story was temporary. And in a way it’s tragic. After moving to Seville, the princess died a few years later, in 1262, when she was under 30 years old. He did this without abandoning his lineage or adapting to the country’s climate, which was very different from the Scandinavian peninsula. Blows of history and fate, Kristina nevertheless managed to create a fascinating bond between Norway and Covarrubias.

Which link? The princess was buried in a stone sarcophagus in the collegiate church of Covarrubias, a temple where her husband, the infant Felipe of Castile, served as abbot before leaving priestly life. The story of Princess Kristina might have disappeared then, but over time it became one of the biggest tourist attractions and part of Covarrubias’ identity. And not just because of the sarcophagus in which his bones were found.

There is a statue commemorating the Scandinavian aristocrat in the town, and a few years ago, in the 21st century, a hermitage paying homage to him was built near the historical center of Covarrubias, thanks to the joint efforts of many entities, among them the Princess. Foundation, Kristina, the City Council, the Oslo and Valladolid schools of architecture and the Norwegian Embassy in Spain.

Statue of Princess Kristina in Covarrubias.

A temple of San Olav in Burgos. The retreat opened in September 2011 and has served to further strengthen the bond between Covarrubias and Scandinavia. There is an explanation for the decision to build a strictly religious building: by doing so – remember the foundation named after the princess – the request that Kristina made to her husband, baby Felipe, more than 740 years ago was fulfilled. It was the Norwegian noblewoman’s wish that a chapel be built in Spain in honor of St. Olav, better known as the 1st-century Norwegian king Olaf Haraldsson.

This project took some time to complete, but in 2011, almost seven and a half centuries after Kristina’s death, a chapel commemorating the Norse saint was opened in Covarrubias. The temple also serves as a tribute to Kristina, creating a unique bridge between the small town of Burgos and the country more than 2,000 km away.

From history… Promoting population growth and tourism is what they want to achieve in Covarrubias after seeing neighboring censuses slowly decline, collapsing some local businesses. The idea is simple. Some time ago, the company Adoshorasde, headquartered in Covarrubias, saw the opportunity to represent and support an initiative of this connection between the town of Burgos and Scandinavia with a rather descriptive name: ‘Norwegian Connection’. The company explains that its aim is to “find Norwegian repopulators” for the municipality.

Counter population decline. “The aim is to contribute to the reactivation of Covarrubias and the region on an economic, social and environmental scale, for a sustainable re-evaluation of rural environments in the face of population decline, and to offer Norwegian tourists and residents a quality, original and unforgettable experience,” is detailed on their website. In other words, take advantage of the connection represented by the former Princess Kristina to make Covarrubias known among Norwegians.

And it does this by focusing on two profiles: “silver tourism”, which is designed for people over 55 and provides a certain freedom when traveling; and remote workers, a topic that other cities outside and inside Spain are discussing.

Norwegians are hunting. The initiative was presented a few weeks ago in Covarrubias with the participation of the Norwegian ambassador, representatives of the Burgos Provincial Council, Covarrubias City Council, representatives of Agalsa, Sabinares del Arlanza Natural Park and the Norwegian Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. There was a group photo. And the start signal of the project was given.

Shortly thereafter the ‘Norwegian Connection’ was presented at a special forum (and venue): the XXII Hispano-Norwegian Conference of L’Alfàs del Pi in Alicante, a municipality in Marina Baixa where approximately 2,500 Norwegians are registered. .

What is the purpose? The project’s website repeats two words that summarize the project very well: “repopulation” and “tourism”. In fact, when talking about the potential that Covarrubias could have in the economy silverThose responsible emphasize: “[Es un] “It’s an important niche because of its tourism and repopulation potential.” freelancersHe states that they may also agree to “half-stay periods”.

Adoshorade founder Pedro Aizpún Alonso insisted on this double message in a recent speech. El Periodico (EPE). “Covarrubias’ relationship with Norway is something different and we wanted to use this to reposition the town as a tourist destination and address the problem of depopulation.”

“We do not want a city like a postcard”. Aizpún admits that tourism promotion is a “core part” of the initiative, but emphasizes that the company wants to go further in a town whose population has been declining for decades and has already had to deal with the closure of many local businesses. “We don’t want this to be a post town and no one there on Monday morning.”

The question now is whether Kristina’s claim will be attractive enough to attract Norwegian retirees and digital nomads.

Pictures | Manuel Zaera (Flickr) 1 and 2, Vidar Nordli-Mathisen (Unsplash), Luiyo (Flickr)

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