Calp

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Calp municipality
coat of arms Map of Spain
Coat of arms of Calp
Calp (Spain)
Finland road sign 311 (1994-2020) .svg
Basic data
Autonomous Community : Valencia
Province : Alicante
Coordinates 38 ° 39 ′  N , 0 ° 4 ′  E Coordinates: 38 ° 39 ′  N , 0 ° 4 ′  E
Height : 59  msnm
Area : 23.51 km²
Residents : 22,725 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density : 966.61 inhabitants / km²
Postal code : 03710
Municipality number  ( INE ): 03047
administration
Website : www.calp.es
Geographical location of Calps on the Costa Blanca

The small town of Calp ( Valencian ; until December 4, 2008 also Spanish Calpe ) is located on the east coast of Spain , between Valencia and Alicante on the Costa Blanca . The place is a very popular tourist destination, and many Germans, British, Swiss and other foreigners spend their old age here. In July and August the city is populated by up to 200,000 people. Many high-rise buildings are being built near the beach, but - except in summer - they are almost uninhabited. The building boom is very reminiscent of Benidorm . There are more than 60 settlements around the old town and the beaches of Calp. a. Maryvilla, Canuta (both southwest of the old town), Tossal de Cometa, Gran Sol and Ortembach (all three north of the salt lake).

Topography and settlement structure

Calp with the Serra d'Olta in the background

In the municipality of Calp, the coastline of the Mediterranean initially runs from the north in an approximately north-south direction to the 327 meter high Penyal d'Ifac (Spanish: Peñón de Ifach) , which forms a cape. In the west, the approximately 3.5 kilometers wide, gently curved Bay of Calp connects. Its end is formed by the Morro de Toix crag in the west , which belongs to the up to 338 meter high Serra de Toix , on the northeastern slope of which is the holiday home area ( urbanización ) Maryvilla and which slopes steeply into the sea to the southwest. To the northwest of it lies the steep El Mascarat gorge and behind it the municipal boundary to Altea runs along the southern foothills of the Serra de Bernia (up to 429 meters high). Then the municipal boundary (now to the neighboring municipality of Benissa) runs northeast through the Serra d'Olta , in which the highest point of the municipality is located at 538 meters about two kilometers from the coast. To the east of the Serra d'Olta , the border runs in an approximately north-east direction through a hilly country with hills of up to 200 meters, only to bend to the south, where it meets the coast again at Les Bassetes .

The old town of Calp is located on a 50 meter high hill about 2.5 kilometers west of the Penyal d'Ifac about half a kilometer from the coast. The coast from there to the Penyal d'Ifac is characterized by high-rise buildings (hotels and holiday apartments), as is the stretch of coast north of the Penyal over a length of about one kilometer. Large parts of the hills of the hinterland are occupied by urbanizaciones . A total of approx. 11 km² and thus about half of the municipality area is settlement and traffic area.

etymology

The origin of the name Calp is unclear. According to one theory, it should be derived from the similarity of the Penyal d'Ifac with the Rock of Gibraltar , which has only had its current name since the Moorish period and was previously called Mons Calpe (one of the pillars of Heracles ) in Roman times .

Penyal d'Ifac

history

Early history and antiquity

The earliest archaeological finds indicate a settlement by people who can be assigned to the culture of the "Valencian Bronze Age" ( bronce valenciano ) (approx. 1,500 BC). For the period from the 5th to the 1st century BC Four Iberian settlements are documented: one on the slope of the Serra d'Olta , one on the slope of the Serra de Toix , one in the area of ​​today's urbanización L'Empedrola and one on the northern slope of the Penyal d'Ifac . Finds show that there was commercial exchange with Phoenicians and Greeks. The site was particularly suitable for landing boats, as the Penyal offers shelter either on the Playa de la Fosa located to the north or on its west side, depending on the wind direction .

With the Second Punic War , the area of ​​Calp also came under Roman rule. The Romans founded a settlement ( vicus ) west below the Penyal d'Ifac . It comprised several large buildings, a thermal baths and fish-farming basins right on the coast. This settlement or the archaeological excavation site is known today as Baños de la Reina . Probably operated at the site of today's salt lake, the Romans already salt pans for salt extraction to fish salting and garum to manufacture. The remains of buildings excavated in the Baños de la Reina suggest that the settlement has existed since at least the first century AD. Since the area of ​​Calp was off the Via Augusta , which ran inland from Valencia , the sea route continued to be of great importance.

middle Ages

With the end of the Western Roman Empire , the area came under Visigothic rule , like most of the Iberian Peninsula . In an effort to regain the western provinces, from the middle of the 6th century Ostrom brought under his rule a stretch of coast along the Mediterranean. The area of ​​Calp also belonged to this Byzantine Provincia Spaniae . The foundations of a Byzantine watchtower were found on the northern slope of the Penyal d'Ifach . It was only a short episode, because the Visigoths were able to regain the Provincia Spaniae back in the early 7th century .

The remains of the Castellet de Calp above the Mascarat Gorge.

In 713 the Levant and with it the area of ​​Calp fell to the Moors and thus became part of al-Andalus . After the collapse of the Caliphate of Cordoba , the area became part of the Taifa of Denia (1010-1076), which was then conquered by the Taifa of Saragossa , before it fell to the Almoravids and then to the Almohads in 1090, as practically all of Al-Andalus . During this period of Muslim rule , a Hisn was located above the El Mascarat gorge at the point where the remains of a later watchtower ( Castellet de Calp ) still stand today . Ein Hisn was a castle that also served as the administrative seat of the surrounding district. The Hisn of Calp included u. a. the area of ​​today's municipalities of Calp, Benissa and Teulada . In the area of ​​today's old town of Calp there was probably a smaller rural settlement ( alquería ).

During the third phase (1242–1245) of the conquest of the Levant, the area of ​​Calp also fell to the Christian crown of Aragón and became part of the Kingdom of Valencia .

On royal orders, Roger de Llúria had a walled settlement built on the northern slope of the Penyal d'Ifac from 1289 to protect the coast. This new settlement ( Pobla d'Ifac ) covered an area of ​​approx. 40,000 m² and the walls surrounding it had a total length of approx. 800 meters. It was therefore much more important than the small settlement in the area of ​​today's old town. However, the Pobla d'Ifac was severely damaged by projectiles as early as 1359 during the war between Castile and Aragón when a Castilian- Genoese fleet under Egidio Boccanegra attacked .

The medieval city wall with the tower of the old parish church.

This led to the fact that many residents left the settlement on Penyal d'Ifac and settled in Benissa, Teulada or Calp, which had proven to be safer because of the greater distance from the sea. The Pobla d'Ifac fell into disrepair. In 1418 Alfonso the Younger , Duke of Gandía , ordered the repopulation and fortification of the Pobla d'Ifac . However, the Calpins managed to convince him to abandon the project and use the funds earmarked for it to improve the fortifications of their place.

The medieval city walls of Calp were approx. 200 meters long and in today's cityscape encompassed the area of ​​the Plaza de la Villa and the houses surrounding it. The north-western section of the walls is still present or has been restored. The northern corner of the fortification was formed by the still existing old parish church (today a side chapel of the modern parish church), which functioned as a fortified church . The growing population meant that, over time, small suburbs ( arrabales ) formed outside the walls .

Modern times

The urban area between the Penyal d'Ifac and the old town with the course of the city walls

From the end of the 15th century to the 18th century, the raids of the barbarian corsairs were a constant threat to the Alicante coast and Calp was also attacked several times. To warn of approaching pirates, there was a sentry post at Penyal d'Ifac and a watchtower over the Mascarat Gorge ( Castellet de Calp ).

In August 1637 there was the most devastating attack on Calp. The corsairs looted the city and dragged large numbers of residents to Algiers , where they could only be ransomed five years later. Before the attack, Calp had around 500 inhabitants, a figure that was not reached again until three quarters of a century later.

Another corsair attack that was important for the history of the city occurred on October 22nd, 1744. Although it was difficult to repel, it proved the inadequacy of the city's fortifications, which date back to the Middle Ages. Thereupon, according to plans by the fortress builder Carlos Desnaux, a more modern second wall ring with bulwarks was built, which also encompassed the suburbs. He protected the entire area of the present Old City and its history followed approximately today's streets Avenida de Ifach , Carrer de la Justicia , Calle Libertad , Carrer de la Purissima and Calle del Mar . After 1744 there were no more corsair raids. No remains of this second wall ring have survived.

Towards the end of the War of Independence there were two attempts by small French troops to conquer Calp in 1813, but both failed.

The bridges over the El Mascarat gorge: old road bridge (19th century, front), new road bridge (1967, center) and railway bridge (1915, rear).

The El Mascarat gorge has always been an obstacle to land traffic from Calp towards Altea, which was only possible over a narrow pass. This problem was only solved at the end of the 19th century with the construction of three tunnels and the 60 meter high bridge over the Mascarat Gorge. Only since then has there been a safe and reliable connection with Altea and Alicante by land.

In Calp, as in the entire area of ​​the Marina Alta, viticulture and the production of raisins were of great economic importance . When the phylloxera plague reached Marina Alta at the beginning of the 20th century , this led to an economic slump. The population of Calp stagnated at around 2,400 for several decades. From 1920, the unprofitable fishing in a place like Calp, which had no developed port, even led to a population decline to less than 2,000 inhabitants.

Calp Beach

Finally, in October 1936, work began on building a port, but it came to a standstill in 1938 due to the Spanish Civil War . The port was not completed until 1957. After severe storms in 1957 and 1958, which partially destroyed the facilities, the jetties had to be reinforced.

During the Second World War , in which Spain remained neutral, the German submarine U-77 was sunk by British aircraft on March 28, 1943, about nine nautical miles from the Penyal d'Ifac . 38 crew members died, nine were rescued by fishermen from Calp.

The first tourism infrastructures were built in the first decades of the 20th century. However, the expansion of tourism did not lead to a population explosion until the 1970s. Numerous holiday home areas ( urbanizaciones ) emerged on the slopes and high-rise buildings directly on the main beaches of Playa de Arenal-Bol and Playa de la Fosa . The construction boom lasted until the economic crisis of 2008. From the mid-2010s onwards he started with major projects such as the 30-story Suitopia Hotel.

population

Population of Calp
year 1857 1887 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1981 1991 2000 2006 2010 2011 2012 2015
population 1,667 2.008 2,415 2,306 2,480 2,241 1,922 1,970 2,177 3,399 8,000 10,962 16,733 26,382 29,909 30,719 29,550 21,540

The official population as of January 1, 2015 is 21,540. 11,309 of these are Spaniards and 10,231 foreigners. The largest groups of foreigners are British (2,071), Romanians (1,510) and Germans (1,138).

Compared to the number of inhabitants before 2014, there is a considerable decrease (loss of 8,000 inhabitants in the period from 2012 to 2015). However, this is less due to an actual change in the situation, but rather to an adjustment of the register of residents affecting foreigners. The official population as of January 1, 2013 was 29,442, of which 11,179 were Spaniards (fewer than 2015) and 18,263 foreigners (i.e. 8,000 more than 2015).

politics

The election to the city council on May 26, 2019 had the following result:

Political party be right Share of votes Seats
Partido Popular (PP) 2,702 37.98% 9
Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) 1,873 26.33% 6th
Compromis 809 11.37% 2
Ciudadanos 593 8.33% 2
Defendamos Calp 565 7.94% 2
VOX 248 3.49% 0
Ghent de Calp 153 2.15% 0
Calp Despierta (CADE) 124 1.74% 0

In Gent de Calp , Defendamos Calp Calp and Despierta is parties whose activities are limited to one community (ie by "City Parties") that are allowed under Spanish law. Gent de Calp is a spin-off from PP, Defendamos Calp is a spin-off from Gent de Calp .

Mayor Ana Sala (PP), governs the city in a coalition of PP and Ciudadanos .

Attractions

Penyal d'Ifac

The Penyal d'Ifac with the salt lake

The landmark of Calp is the 332 m high rock Penyal d'Ifac (Spanish: Peñón de Ifach ). The rock is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land and is under nature protection . There is a hiking trail to the top. This leads up to the foot of the almost vertically rising north flank, which is well developed. From there, a small tunnel built in the 20th century leads to the north-eastern flank, via which the ascent to the summit is possible.

Below the Penyal is the Poble d'Ifac archaeological site , where the remains of the medieval settlement from the 13th and 14th centuries have been uncovered in annual excavation campaigns by the Alicante Archaeological Museum since 2005 . It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the province of Alicante.

beaches

The main beaches of Calp: Playa del Arenal-Bol (left) and Playa de la Fosa (right)

Calp has two large sandy beaches: the 1.5 km long Platja del Arenal-Bol on the Bay of Calp south of the city center and the 900 meter long Platja de La Fossa north of the Penyal d'Ifac . There are also some smaller sandy beaches and several small bays ( calas ) with pebble or rocky beaches.

salt lake

Behind the headland that connects the Penyal d'Ifac with the mainland, there is an approx. 20 hectare salt lake. It is a lagoon separated from the sea by two spits . Salt was probably extracted here in ancient times. The salt water works until 1998. Today the water is under nature protection and is primarily used as a habitat for birds, including a large colony of flamingos .

Old town

The Carrer de Puchalt in the old town

The center of the old town with its narrow streets is the Plaza de la Villa , where the parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves ( Maria Snow Church ) is located, which consists of a modern part (1970s of the 20th century) and the old Fortress church (15th century) exists. There is also a restored section of the medieval city wall with a fortified tower, the Torreó de la Peça . Some of the alleys that lead up the old town hill are designed as stairs, including Carrer de Puchalt , which is a popular photo opportunity with its steps painted in the Spanish national colors.

Bofill building

Edificio Xanadú by Ricardo Bofill

To the west of the center, above the small bay of Cala La Manzanera, there are three post-modern apartment buildings, which are early works by the architect Ricardo Bofill : the Muralla Roja , Xanadú and Anfiteatro .

Baños de la Reina

At the eastern end of the Platja del Arenal-Bol lies the Baños de la Reina ("Baths of the Queen"), an archaeological site from Roman times. The name is derived from a 165 m² large water basin carved out of the bank rock, which is connected to the sea via four channels. According to legend, it is said to be the baths of a Moorish queen, but the basin actually dates from Roman times and served as a fish farm. Above this basin lie the excavated remains of a Roman settlement ( vicus ), probably from the first century AD, which also had a thermal bath.

Lonja

In the harbor is the fish auction hall ( Lonja ), in which the catches of the Calpinian fishermen are auctioned from Monday to Friday from 5 p.m.

Festivals

The patronage festival takes place at the end of July / beginning of August. The one-and-a-half-week festival program covers the Maria Snow Memorial Day (August 5th). It includes u. a. a procession and bull runs ( Bous al Carrer ).

Another important festivity is the Moros y Cristianos , which are celebrated every October in memory of the corsair attack of 1744.

Transport infrastructure

Although the coastal motorway touches the municipality in the far west, Calp does not have its own motorway exit. The most important traffic artery is therefore the national road N-332, via which you can get to Altea and Benissa and thus to the next motorway exits. The CV-746 regional road runs from Calp along the coast towards Moraira .

Calp also has a train station on the narrow-gauge coastal railway that connects Dénia with Alicante .

In addition to the main port below the Penyal d'Ifac , which is used both as a fishing and sports port, there is another small sports port, Puerto Blanco, in the west of the Bay of Calp, which has not been in operation since 2016.

The two airports of Alicante and Valencia are 70 and 125 kilometers away from Calp.

Partnerships

There is an international city partnership with the Rhineland-Palatinate city of Oppenheim and an inner-Spanish one with El Puerto de Santa María ( province of Cádiz ).

Personalities

  • Erwin Nievergelt (1929–2018), Swiss economist and chess player, lived in Calp
  • Roy Black (1943–1991) owned several houses in Calp

Web links

Commons : Calp  - album with pictures, 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).
  2. ↑ Calp és ja l'únic topònim oficial a proposta del BLOC i amb l'oposició del PSOE. Valencianisme.com, December 4, 2008, accessed June 25, 2009 .
  3. ↑ La Marina Alta pierde más de 23,000 habitantes con la depuración de padrones impuesta por el INE. In: La Marina Plaza. December 29, 2014, Retrieved February 24, 2016 (Spanish).