| Alcoi/Alcoy | |||
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| — Municipality — | |||
| Alcoi | |||
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Alcoi/Alcoy
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Spain | ||
| Autonomous community | Valencian Community | ||
| Province | Alicante | ||
| Comarca | Alcoià | ||
| Judicial district | Alcoi | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Jorge Sedano (2007) (PP) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 129.86 km2 (50.1 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 562 m (1,844 ft) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 61,417 | ||
| • Density | 472.9/km2 (1,224.9/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Alcoià, alcoiana (Valencian) alcoyano, alcoyana (Spanish) |
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| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 03801-03804 and 03818 | ||
| Official language(s) | Valencian, Spanish | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Alcoy (Spanish: [alˈkoi]) or Alcoi (Valencian: [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,[1] of whom 5,334 were of non-Spanish origin.[2]
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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 cereals 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 Iberians, 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.
Many outdoors rock paintings exist in Alcoi, and there are some ruins of an Iberian settlement with fragments of Greco-Roman pottery.
Buildings with artistic or historical interest in the city include:
Alcoi has an important industry related to textile, paper, food and metal. Furthermore, it has many factories which manufacture matches. Alcoi is the financial, commercial and cultural center in the surrounding area.
The most important touristic celebration is Moros i Cristians, in April.
The local football club CD Alcoyano 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.[3] 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.
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