Alcoy ( ca-valencia, Alcoi) is an industrial and university city, region and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

located in the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wi ...

, Spain. The

Serpis The Serpis () is a short coastal river in the provinces of Alicante and Valencia, in Spain. The river starts at the feet of the Carrasqueta, a mountain area southwest to Alcoi, by the confluence of the Polop and Troncal streams. In its initial pa ...

river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoy. The local authority reported a population of 61,135 residents in 2018.

History

The first traces of human presence in the area date to c. 60,000 years ago, when

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While the ...

hunters settled here, in a site now called

El Salt El Salt is an archaeological site from the Middle Paleolithic near Alcoy, in the Spanish Province of Alicante, which was frequented by groups of archaic humans for thousands of years. Scientists have found evidence of Neanderthal settlements, in ...

. A site with

rock paintings In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also m ...

, 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

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

ns, several rural villas were built in the area, as well as a necropolis. The town was established in 1256 by

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 12 ...

, 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 The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

. In 1291 the town was donated by King

James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Spanish: ''Jaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just,, an, Chaime lo Chusto, es, Jaime el Justo. was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He ...

to the Sicilian admiral

Roger of Lauria Roger of Lauria (''c''. 1245 – 17 January 1305) was a Neapolitan admiral in Aragonese service, who was the commander of the fleet of the Crown of Aragon during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talen ...

; it will not return a royal possession until 1430. During the

War of Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phili ...

, Alcoy sided for the cause of

archduke Charles Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Laurentius of Austria, Duke of Teschen (german: link=no, Erzherzog Karl Ludwig Johann Josef Lorenz von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen; 5 September 177130 April 1847) was an Austrian field-marshal, the third s ...

, 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 The Petroleum Revolution (Valencian: ''La Revolució del Petroli'') was a libertarian and syndicalist leaning workers' revolution that took place in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain in 1873. The event is called the ''Petroleum Revolution'' since the worker ...

Main sights

Many outdoor

rock painting In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

s exist in Alcoy, and there are some ruins of an Iberian settlement with fragments of

Greco Greco may refer to: People * Greco (surname), a list of people with this surname * a masculine variant of Greca (given name), an Italian feminine given name * Greco Mafia clan, one of the most influential Mafia clans in Sicily and Calabria Wine ...

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

pottery.

Buildings with an artistic or historical interest in the city include: *

Casa del Pavo The Casa del Pavo (''Peacock House'') is a private building at 15 Sant Nicolau Street, in the city center of Alcoy (Alicante), Valencian Community, Spain. It is one of the main works of the Art Nouveau in Alcoy. Building The building was design ...

(Turkey's house), Art Nouveau work of

Vicente Pascual Pastor Vicente Juan Pascual Pastor ( Alcoy, June 3, 1865 – Alcoy, February 2, 1941) was a spanish architect, one of the main architects of the Art Nouveau in Alcoy and the Valencian Art Nouveau. Biography Vicente Pascual Pastor was formed in the Ba ...

, (1909). * Cercle Industrial, Art Nouveau work of Timoteo Briet Montaud, (1909-1911). * Casa d'Escaló, Art Nouveau work of

, (1906-1908). *

Casa Laporta The Casa Laporta ''(''Laporta house'')'' is a private building at 26 País Valencià avenue, in the city center of Alcoy (Alicante), Valencian Community, Spain. It is one of the main works of the Art Nouveau in Alcoy. Building The building was ...

, Art Nouveau work of Timoteo Briet Montaud, (1904). * Casa Vilaplana, Art Nouveau work of

, (1906). * Casa Briet, Art Nouveau work of Timoteo Briet Montaud, (1910). * Llotja de Sant Jordi, designed by the architect

Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculp ...

. Made during the years 1992–1995. * Pont de Sant Jordi, of art déco style, is considered to be the most popular image of the city. * Plaça de Dins, a neoclassical square in the city center of Alcoy. * Església arxiprestal de Santa Maria, in Valencian Baroque style. * Hermitage of St. Anthony the Abbot (14th-18th centuries). * ''Torre de Na Valora'', a watchtower from the 13th century. * Barxell Castle (13th century), of likely Muslim origin. It has a rectangular keep and a court with a

rainwater tank A rainwater tank (sometimes called a rain barrel in North America in reference to smaller tanks, or a water butt in the UK) is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via pipes. Rainwater tanks are device ...

. * Alcoy Cemetery, considered to be one of the most interesting in the Valencian Community, due to its unusual architecture and examples of Valencian Art Nouveau period funerary sculpture. It is listed on the European Cemeteries Route. *

Convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

of ''Sant Agustí'', reconstructed in the 18th century with paintings of the 16th century.

Museums

* Museu Alcoià de la Festa, a museum dedicated to the Moors and Christians of Alcoy, where the visitors can experience all the details, aspects and feelings surrounding this international festival. *

Archaeological Museum Camil Visedo The Archaeological Museum Camil Visedo of Alcoy, Spain, Alcoy (Alicante province, Alicante), in Spain, is located in a building of Valencian Gothic and Renaissance styles that was the town hall between the 16th and 19th centuries and which later ho ...

, established in 1945. * Shelter of Cervantes, an air-raid bunker of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

(1938). * Firefighters Museum of Alcoy

Natural parks

* Font Roja Natural Park *

Serra Mariola Natural Park The Serra Mariola Natural Park (, es, Parque Natural de la Sierra de Mariola) is a mountain range in the Valencian Community, Spain, one of the most peripheral offsprings of the Baetic System. Most of its territory is included in a natural park f ...

Economy

Alcoy has important industries related to

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...

, food and

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

. Furthermore, Alcoy has many factories that manufacture

match A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...

es. Today, Alcoy is the financial, commercial and cultural center of the surrounding area.

Celebrations

* Moors and Christians of Alcoy Alcoy hosts the oldest Cavalcade of Magi in the world. The

Jesuset del Miracle Each year on 31 January, the people of Alcoy, Spain hold a solemn procession, the Procession of the Miraculous Baby Jesus (Jesuset del Miracle), commemorating the theft of liturgical vessels that took place in 1568. History On 29 January 1568 Joh ...

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 Club Deportivo Alcoyano, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Alcoy, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1928 it plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 2, holding home games in '' Estadio El Collao'', with a 4,850-sea ...

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.Notas de fútbol
Tienes más moral que el Alcoyano Thus the phrase ''tener más moral que el Alcoyano'' ("to have greater morale than Alcoyano") ponders an undefatigable person. Currently, they play in the Segunda División B at El Collao Stadium. The city is also home to PAS Alcoy, a Spanish roller hockey club, which plays in the

OK Liga The OK Liga is the Spanish rink hockey league. History The league was founded in 1969 as División de Honor as an expansion to all the Spanish territory of the Catalan Championship. Until 1971 teams from outside Catalonia did not join the competit ...

, the first division of roller hockey in Spain.

Notable residents

Camilo Sesto Camilo Blanes Cortés (16 September 1946 – 8 September 2019), known professionally as Camilo Sesto "El Rey del Amor", was a Spanish singer, songwriter and music producer. There are various sales figures for him, ranging from 70 to 200 million ...

(1946-2019), singer *

Notes

References

External links

Alcoi Foto
Pictures of Alcoy and ''Moors and Christians'' festivity in Alcoy.
Christians & Moors Festival
Images and a video.
Alcoi
Text, Images and Video. {{Navboxes , title = Articles related to Alcoy / Alcoi , list = {{Alcoia {{Municipalities in Alicante, state=autocollapse {{Authority control Alcoy Alcoià Municipalities in the Province of Alicante Populated places in the Province of Alicante