Alcalá del Valle is a city located in the province of
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
, Spain. According to the 2006
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
, the city has a population of 5,355.
It is the last village along the Route of the White Villages, it serves as a bridge between the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga and also between the two national coasts, the Costa de la Luz and the Costa del Sol. Located in a valley crossed by numerous creeks that supply its inhabitants with fresh water, the village of Alcalá del Valle has views of the local natural environment, including nature reserves such as Tomillos or Las Errizas.
It has an important historical heritage, thanks to its "Mannerist-style" buildings. Local restaurants offer a variety of Mediterranean cuisine.
Geography limits
*To North:
Sierra de Mollina,
Cerro de la Atalaya and the
Arroyo de Tomillo
*To South: the town,
Setenil de las Bodegas
Setenil de las Bodegas is a town (pueblo) and municipality in the province of Cádiz, Spain, famous for its dwellings built into rock overhangs above the Río Guadalporcún. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 3,016 inhabita ...
;
*To East: the
Serranía de Ronda
The Serranía de Ronda is a comarca in the western part of the province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. As is currently (as of 2009) the norm in Andalusia, it has no formal status. The 2007 Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia, unlike its 1981 predecess ...
;
*To West: the
Guadalporcún river and
Torre Alháquime
Torre Alháquime is a village located in the province of Cádiz, southern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(Eng ...
.
Monuments and sights
* ''Iglesia de Santa María del Valle''
:It is a baroque-style church dedicated to the patron of Alcalá. It was built between 17th and 18th century. The interior is divided into three naves separated by large archways. The facade has a stepped design with a bell tower and a clock. The church possessed different pieces of work, like ''La Tabla del Milagro'', which was brought there during the reconstruction of Caños Santos and ''El Cristo de la Buena Muerte.''
*''Ermita del Cristo de la Misericordia''
:This chapel is dedicated to Lord of Mercy. It is home to one of the brotherhoods, the "''coloraos''". It is considered as a place of worship for locals.
*''Grupo dolménico de la Dehesa del Tomillo''
![Feriadsr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Feriadsr.jpg)
:The megalith deposit is located in the north of the Dehesa del Tomillo. It has been excavated in 1983 by the
Museo Provincial de Cádiz and is confirmed to have served burials during the catholic period before 2000 a. C. The dolmenic group indicates an early population in this part of the sierra gaditana. It consists of a group of three dolmens arranged in a circle with a monolithic entrance and can be related to other similar groups in the regions of Sevilla and Malaga.
![Church of Alcala](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Church_of_Alcala.jpg)
:The most outstanding object in this deposit is a menhir, a huge rock of sharp end placed vertically on a small tumulus of stones. This menhir is the only example of this type in the province of Cádiz.
* ''Cortijo de La Cacería''
:At the municipal border, a little separated from the village, the Cortijo de La Cacería arises majestically. Its ancient appearance of a palace or a retreat can be explained by its former existence as residence of the marquis of Benamejí. The construction dates back to the XVI century. High walls are an example of precious stonework with volcanic rocks and stout masonry. The main courtyard is dominated by an impressive arcade. Above its pillars a second unit of arcs and double stairs is rising up. Today the Cortijo is mainly used to provide accommodation for mountain hunters.
*''Fuente Grande (Great Fountain)''
:This spring is known from the beginning of the Moorish settlement. Nowadays it is embellished and completely restored. Water from this source is natural and it flows through five pipes.
:In the area of the Fuente Grande, there have been found the archaeological remains of the Roman era, demonstrating the existence of population in antiquity. Excavations are being carried out to determine the type of site, which appears to be a villa with annexes agricultural production and ceramics.
*''Monasterio de Caños Santos'':
:Caños Santos is a Convent-Monastery dating back to 16th century. It is situated only 6 kilometres from Alcalá and it offers views of the landscape.
:The origins of the monastery of Caňos Santos are connected to the Celtic village of Caricus, which was reduced to a Visigoth hamlet. After the Islamic invasion its inhabitants hid an image of the virgin in the nearby mountains which was discovered in 1512 in the rocky cavity of a spring. A small chapel consecrated to Our Lady of Caňos Santos was built soon after and in the middle of the 16th century a monumental complex was built and it was inhabited by Franciscan friars due to the great devotion of the parishioners. Therefore, in its architecture there is a mixture of the original building and the renovations from the 17th and 18th centuries.
:This convent building, under restoration with state and European funds, consists of a church of Baroque and mannerism style, and a cloister around which there are other buildings. The church tower stands out, erected on one side of the facade, as the best-preserved element. The stoned carved baptismal font that came from the old sanctuary and the polychrome high relief that depicts the discovery of the virgin in this place are also worthy of mention.
:Declared a Bien de Interes Cultural (BIC), with the category of Monumental in 2001, the monumental building of Caňos Santos is located on a natural balcony with a grove of chestnut, elms and olive trees, and in its surroundings there is the cave where, according to the popular belief, the virgin who gives the name to the convent appeared in the springs.
Celebrations
*''Semana Santa''
*''Romería de la Virgen del Valle''
*''Romería de San Isidro Labrador''
*''Feria y Fiestas de San Roque''
*''Procesión de la Virgen del Valle''
*''Carnavales''
Economy
*
Olive
*
Esparto
Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa, Spain and Portugal. It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. '' Stipa tenacissima'' and '' Lygeum spart ...
*
Animal husbandry
File:Spargel - Asparagus.jpg, Asparagus are the main money income of Alcalá del Valle
File:SuspirosDeMerengue.JPG, Suspiros, typical pastry
Flora and fauna
Flora
*
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
*
Portuguese oak
*
Cistaceae
The Cistaceae are a small family of plants (rock-rose or rock rose family) known for their beautiful shrubs, which are profusely covered by flowers at the time of blossom. This family consists of about 170(-200) species in nine genera that are ...
*
Spanish broom
*
Asparagus
Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus '' Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable.
It was once classified in ...
*
Daphne
Daphne (; ; el, Δάφνη, , ), a minor figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater.
There are several versions of the myth in whi ...
Fauna
*
Common swift
The common swift (''Apus apus'') is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barn swallow or house martin but somewhat larger, though not stemming from those passerine species, being in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between t ...
*
Great tit
The great tit (''Parus major'') is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and east across the Palearctic to the Amur River, south to parts of North Af ...
*
Blue tit
The Eurasian blue tit (''Cyanistes caeruleus'') is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is easily recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage and small size.
Eurasian blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, ar ...
*
Bonelli's eagle
The Bonelli's eagle (''Aquila fasciata'') is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an ...
*
Griffon vulture
The Eurasian griffon vulture (''Gyps fulvus'') is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It may also be known as the Griffon vulture, though it may be used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confused with Rü ...
Demographics
References
External links
Portal sobre Alcalá del VallePortal de los pueblos de la Serranía de Ronda- Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alcala Del Valle
Municipalities of the Province of Cádiz