Alcoy, Spain
Encyclopedia
Alcoy or Alcoi (aɫˈkɔj) is a city and municipality
located in the province of Alicante, Spain
. The Serpis
river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoi. The local authority reported 61,417 residents in 2010, of whom 5,334 were of non-Spanish origin.
s were grown, while mountain fortifications were erected (Mola Alta de Serelles, Mas del Corral, Mas de Menente, El Puig).
After the Roman conquest of the Iberia
ns, several rural villas were built in the area, as well as a necropolis. The town was established in 1256 by James I of Aragon
, with the construction of a castle on a strategic position over the Serpis river, to secure the southern frontier of the Kingdom of Valencia
during the Reconquista
.
In 1291 the town was donated by King James II of Aragon
to the Sicilian admiral Roger of Lauria
; it will not return a royal possession until 1430. During the War of Spanish Succession, Alcoi sided for the cause of archduke Charles
, and was therefore besieged and stripped of numerous privileges, which started a period of decline.
settlement with fragments of Greco
-Roman
pottery.
Buildings with artistic or historical interest in the city include:
, paper
, food
and metal
. Furthermore, it has many factories which manufacture match
es. Alcoi is the financial, commercial and cultural center in the surrounding area.
is famous across Spain for a proverbial match in which they were facing a very adverse score. When the referee was about to close, the Alcoyano players kept asking for more time to score back and reach a draw.
Thus the phrase tener más moral que el Alcoyano ("to have a greater morale than Alcoyano") ponders an undefatigable person.
The most important club in Alcoy is PAS Alcoy, a spanish roller hockey club. Nowadays is playing in the OK Liga
, first division of roller hockey
in Spain.
Municipalities of Spain
The municipalities of Spain In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. municipi.*Galician or , sing. municipio/bisbarra.*Basque , sing. udalerria. are the basic level of Spanish local government...
located in the province of Alicante, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The Serpis
Serpis
The Serpis is a short coastal river in the provinces of Alicante and Valencia, in Spain.The river starts at the feet of the Carrasqueta, a mountain area southwest to Alcoi, by the confluence of the Polop and Troncal streams. In its initial part the Serpis is intermittent. Near Alcoi it joins with...
river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoi. The local authority reported 61,417 residents in 2010, of whom 5,334 were of non-Spanish origin.
History
The first traces of human presence in the area date to c. 60,000 years ago, when Neandertal hunters settled here. A site with rock paintings, dating to c. 10,000/6,500 years ago, has been discovered near la Sarga. From around the mid-3rd millennium BC people started to move from the caves to the plain where cerealCereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s were grown, while mountain fortifications were erected (Mola Alta de Serelles, Mas del Corral, Mas de Menente, El Puig).
After the Roman conquest of the Iberia
Iberia
The name Iberia refers to three historical regions of the old world:* Iberian Peninsula, in Southwest Europe, location of modern-day Portugal and Spain** Prehistoric Iberia...
ns, several rural villas were built in the area, as well as a necropolis. The town was established in 1256 by James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
, with the construction of a castle on a strategic position over the Serpis river, to secure the southern frontier of the Kingdom of Valencia
Kingdom of Valencia
The Kingdom of Valencia , located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. When the Crown of Aragon merged by dynastic union with the Crown of Castile to form the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Valencia became a component realm of the...
during the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
.
In 1291 the town was donated by King James II of Aragon
James II of Aragon
James II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. In 1297 he was granted the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica...
to the Sicilian admiral Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria, Loria or de Llúria in Catalan , was an Sicilian-Aragonese admiral, who was the commander of the fleet of Aragon during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talented naval tactician of the medieval period...
; it will not return a royal possession until 1430. During the War of Spanish Succession, Alcoi sided for the cause of archduke Charles
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
, and was therefore besieged and stripped of numerous privileges, which started a period of decline.
Main sights
Many outdoors rock paintings exist in Alcoi, and there are some ruins of an IberianIberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
settlement with fragments of Greco
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
-Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
pottery.
Buildings with artistic or historical interest in the city include:
- Castell de Bartxell (Barchell Castle, 12th century), of likely Muslim origin. It has a rectangular keep and a court with rainwater tankRainwater tankA rainwater tank is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via rain gutters...
. - hermitage of St. Anthony the Abbot (14th-18th centuries)
- the Archeological Museum
- the conventConventA convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of Sant Agustí, reconstructed in the 18th century with paintings of the 16th century - CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church of Santa Maria, in Valencian BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style - Torre de Na Valora, a watchtower from the 13th century
Economy
Alcoi has an important industry related to textileTextile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
, paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
. Furthermore, it has many factories which manufacture match
Match
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
es. Alcoi is the financial, commercial and cultural center in the surrounding area.
Sport
The local football club CD AlcoyanoCD Alcoyano
Club Deportivo Alcoyano is a Spanish football team based in Alcoy, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1929, it plays in Segunda División, holding home games in Estadio El Collao, with a 5,000-seat capacity...
is famous across Spain for a proverbial match in which they were facing a very adverse score. When the referee was about to close, the Alcoyano players kept asking for more time to score back and reach a draw.
Thus the phrase tener más moral que el Alcoyano ("to have a greater morale than Alcoyano") ponders an undefatigable person.
The most important club in Alcoy is PAS Alcoy, a spanish roller hockey club. Nowadays is playing in the OK Liga
OK Liga
The OK Liga is the Spanish rink hockey league and is widely regarded as one of the best leagues in the world. Since 2009 it includes also a women's league.-Champions by year:-Performance by club:...
, first division of roller hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
in Spain.
External links
- Alcoi Foto Pictures of Alcoi and Moros i Cristianos festivity in Alcoi.
- Christians & Moors Festival Images and a video.
- Alcoi Text, Images and Video.