Alcoy, Spain

Alcoi/Alcoy
Municipality
Alcoi

Flag
Coat of arms
Alcoi/Alcoy

Location in Spain

Coordinates: 38°41′54″N 0°28′25″W / 38.69833°N 0.47361°W / 38.69833; -0.47361
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Valencian Community
Province Alicante
Comarca Alcoià
Judicial district Alcoi
Government
 • Mayor Antonio Francés Pérez (2011) (PSOE)
Area
 • Total 129.86 km2 (50.14 sq mi)
Elevation 562 m (1,844 ft)
Population (2010)
 • Total 95,526
 • Density 740/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Alcoià, alcoiana (Valencian)
alcoyano, alcoyana (Spanish)
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 an industrial and university city and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain. The Serpis river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoi. The local authority reported 95.526 residents in 2010.[1][2]

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 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.

In 1873 the workers of Alcoy revolted in the Petroleum Revolution.

Main sights

Many outdoor 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:

Economy

Alcoi had an important industry related to textile, paper, food and metal. Furthermore, it had many factories which manufacture matches. Today, Alcoi is the financial, commercial and cultural center in the surrounding area.

Culture

Alcoy hosts the oldest Cavalcade of Magi in the world. The Jesuset del Miracle is commemorated on the last day of January. The most important touristic celebration is Moros i Cristians, in April.

Sport

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. Currently they play in the Segunda División B.
The city is also home to PAS Alcoy, a Spanish roller hockey club, which plays in the OK Liga,the first division of roller hockey in Spain.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Estadísticas de la población". Ajuntament d'Alcoi (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 October 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  2. ↑ "Estadísticas de la población - Por paises de procedencia". Ajuntamient d'Alcoi (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Notas de fútbol: Tienes más moral que el Alcoyano
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