Algete (Madrid)

Algete
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Madrid
Province :	Madrid
Coordinates	40 ° 36 ′  N , 3 ° 30 ′  W Coordinates: 40 ° 36 ′  N , 3 ° 30 ′  W
Height :	600  msnm
Area :	38 km²
Residents :	20,611 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	542.39 inhabitants / km²
Municipality number  ( INE ):	28009
administration
Website :	aytoalgete.es
Location of the city

Algete is a small town in the northeast of the autonomous region of Madrid and is 38 kilometers northeast of the city of Madrid not far from the national road I , which leads to the Basque Country and France .

geography

Geographical location

The municipality is located on a plain on the Jarama River , embedded between the Llano del Campo high plateau in the west and smaller hills in the east. The place itself is on a hill dominated by higher hills that protect Algete from the winds.

The altitude is between 600 meters on the Jarama and 780 meters on a few hills in the east.

climate

The climate is subtropical continental, the average temperatures are between a minimum of 4 ° C in winter and a maximum of 35 ° C in summer.

Flora and fauna

The tree population is mainly composed of holm oaks , although these continue to decline. Ash and poplars can be found here and there along the streams ; there are almond trees and olive groves , but they are not used industrially. Gorse and thyme can be found on the hills and meadows , as well as felted smut herb . In wooded areas there is a variety of low vegetation such as B. white-stemmed asparagus, daisies, nettles. The formerly rich and diverse animal population (wild boars, hares, rabbits, partridges, quails) has been decimated by hunting. Most characteristic of the area around Algete is the bird life typical of the Jarama area, including the hoopoe , the bee-eater and the red thrush ; there are also other vertebrates such as toads , frogs , snakes and lizards .

history

Finds from the Neolithic Age have been made on the site of today's Algete . Later the Romans and the Visigoths settled here . The first document dates from 720 AD from the time of the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Arabs under Tariq ibn Ziyad . On the way north, he set up a garrison called Al-Satt on the hill of Algete in order to monitor the Jarama river from there. This garrison was believed to be under the Kingdom of Toledo . From 1081 the conquest of the Jaramasenke begins by Alfonso VI. which had the majority of the Muslim population expelled.

In the 16th century, Algete was granted city rights . The current parish church dates from this period and presumably replaced a Romanesque previous church. Under Pope Gregory XIII. Algete came from the possession of the Archdiocese of Toledo to the Spanish King Philip II , who sold the city to García Hurtado de Mendoza , the Marquis of Cañete and Viceroy of Peru .

Culture and sights

Buildings

The typical house shape used to consist of brick or Toledan composite walls (bricks with clay alone or with pebbles). They were mostly single-storey and had curved roofs with a slope of about 40% and canopies under which the swallows nest . The wooden doors were made of wide boards or square panels with large nails, and there were wrought iron bars on the windows. Two-story houses usually had a terrace or gallery with wooden railings or balconies with wrought iron railings. There are still a few examples of this type of house in the old town center. In the last few decades it was mainly multi-family houses that were built; in recent years there has been a trend towards row houses.

Economy and Infrastructure

The population remained largely stable between the 16th century and the 1970s with around 2,000 inhabitants. From then on it grew enormously to 20,611 on January 1, 2019. The traditional employment in the village was agriculture, which has now been displaced by the service sector and small businesses. A large part of the population has a job in Madrid or at Madrid-Barajas Airport , which is only 20 kilometers away since Terminal 4 opened.

sons and daughters of the town

• Ofelia Nieto (1898–1931), singer

Web links

Commons : Algete  - 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).