The University of León announced on 5 September the completion of the “Territorios que recuerdan” project. Student Laura Pérez Domínguez from the Primary Education degree documented in Celadilla del Páramo, municipality of Villadangos del Páramo, over 200 place names and more than 500 historical photographs. The work was carried out during the summer months as part of the Becas Ralbar , a funding programme for innovation in rural areas.
According to the university, the project created an initial inventory of local toponymy and the town’s visual memory culture. The collection draws on site visits, conversations with residents and the digitisation of private photographic collections. Its aim is to preserve names and everyday knowledge passed down orally, and make them useful for education and cultural work locally.
The immediate occasion is the presentation of the findings by the University of León and coverage by regional media. For the first time, a comprehensive register is available linking the official names and those commonly used by residents for fields, paths and waterways with historical photographs. The materials collected are intended to provide the municipality with a basis for future projects, such as sharing regional history, local exhibitions or digital archives.
The university places the project within the Becas Ralbar, a programme that gives students practical experience through projects in rural communities in the province of León. Its partner is Fundación Banco Sabadell. The funding scheme aims to combine scientific methods with local expertise, embedding knowledge in the context of each village. For Celadilla del Páramo, this means that the project recorded not only names and images, but also information about land use, routes and changes to the landscape.
Assessment and limitations: The figures now available—more than 200 place names recorded and over 500 photographs—represent a substantial addition to the local historical record. Which parts of the collection will be made publicly accessible depends on rights, technical preparation and agreement with the municipality. Claims about its impact on education and community life should, at this stage, be understood as prospective; there are no robust follow-up studies yet. What is clear, however, is that bringing together toponymy and photographic history gives a more precise picture of Celadilla del Páramo’s recent past and makes it easier to pass on local knowledge.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).