Alcoy

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Alcoy municipality
coat of arms Map of Spain
Alcoy Coat of Arms
Alcoy (Spain)
Finland road sign 311 (1994-2020) .svg
Basic data
Autonomous Community : Valencia
Province : Alicante
Coordinates 38 ° 42 ′  N , 0 ° 29 ′  W Coordinates: 38 ° 42 ′  N , 0 ° 29 ′  W
Height : 562  msnm
Area : 129.86 km²
Residents : 58,994 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density : 454.29 inhabitants / km²
Postal code : 03801-03804 and 03818
Municipality number  ( INE ): 03009
Alcoy
Alcoy
Alcoy
Alcoy

The Spanish city ​​of Alcoy ( Valencian Alcoi , Spanish Alcoy ) is located in the province of Alicante in the autonomous Valencian Community . Alcoi can be reached via the national road N-340 via Alicante .

location

Alcoy is one of the oldest industrial cities in Spain in the hinterland of the Costa Blanca , framed by the Molinar and Riquer rivers , which merge behind Alcoy to form the Serpis River . Alcoy itself is the capital of the comarca Hoya de Alcoy .

history

At the beginning of the 19th century, the rivers gave Alcoy a tremendous industrial boom, because textile machines could be operated with the help of water power . However, thousands of weavers who had lived there for generations and who still worked with the winding wheel and loom lost their livelihood. The discovery of coal seams near the town also made the use of steam power profitable. Some of the huge steel machine structures from the 19th century can still be admired today.

As early as the 16th century, the meager yields of agriculture forced the residents to look for additional income. Due to the abundant water in the rivers, a cloth industry developed: thanks to water power, hydraulic machines could be driven and the water-intensive dyeing of fabrics could be carried out. A paper industry (still today: cigarette paper ) that required plenty of water was also created.

Due to the growing industry, the medieval city center was expanded and bridges were built to connect the individual parts of the city. One of the oldest bridges is the María Cristina Bridge. The Canalejas Viaduct , which spans the Molinar River , was an important novelty due to its metal structure when it was built around 1907.

Culture

The historic center of Alcoy is the Plaza de España , where the town hall, the Church of Saint Mary and a hall built by the architect Santiago Calatrava are located. The archaeological museum and the museum dealing with the festival of the Moors and Christians are worth seeing.

Festivals

  • Moors and Christians of Alcoy (April 22nd to 24th), Festival of Moors and Christians - More than a hundred amateur actors re-enact the battle of the Moorish and Christian troops, and there are parades of the costumed brotherhoods.
  • The Romería a la Font Roja pilgrimage (every last Saturday in September) in honor of the Blessed Virgin, the virgen de los lirios .

Museums and monuments

  • Medieval quarter
  • Santa María Church
  • Santo Tomás Church
  • San Jorge Church
  • Municipal Archaeological Museum "Camilo Visedo Molto"
  • Festival museum in the "House of Casal San Jordi" (about the Moors and Christians)
  • Parish Museum "San Mauro y San Francisco"

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Alcoi  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).