Coca is a

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

in the province of Segovia, central Spain, part of the autonomous community of

Castile and Leon Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain * Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha * Kingdom o ...

. It is located 50 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital city of

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...

, and 60 kilometres from

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

Castillo de Coca The Castle of Coca is a castle located in the Coca, Segovia, Coca Municipalities of Spain, municipality, central Spain. The castle was constructed in the 15th century and has been considered to be one of the best examples of Spanish Mudéjar, Mud ...

, a 15th-century

Mudéjar Mudéjar were Muslims who remained in Iberia in the late medieval period following the Christian reconquest. It is also a term for Mudéjar art, which was greatly influenced by Islamic art, but produced typically by Christian craftsmen for C ...

-style

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

is located in the town. It was also the birthplace of Roman Emperor

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

in 347 CE. The town had a population of 1741 in 2023. Castillo de Coca desde el sur

Historically, Coca was home to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community until the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.

Economy

The town is surrounded by

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

forests which contribute to the economy of the town and the region. Tourism is important too, with historic sites as major attractions.

Art and historical landmarks

* Castle of Coca. * Tower of San Nicolás, the only part left of the ancient Church of San Nicolás from the 12th century. * Coca Walls and La Villa main door. *

Vaccaei The Vaccaei or Vaccei were a pre- Roman Celtic people of Spain, who inhabited the sedimentary plains of the central Duero valley, in the Meseta Central of northern Hispania (specifically in Castile and León). Origins Also designated Vaccaena ...

walls. * Santa María la Mayor church, a Romanic-style church holding the Fonseca family tomb. * The City Hall, built in 1930. * Nuestra Señora de La Merced hospital. * '' Verracos vettones'' of Coca. * Roman

domus In ancient Rome, the ''domus'' (: ''domūs'', genitive: ''domūs'' or ''domī'') was the type of town house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras. It was found in almost all the ma ...

. * Roman cloaca. * Puente Grande bridge. * Puente Chico bridge.

References

Municipalities in the Province of Segovia Archaeological sites in Spain {{Segovia-geo-stub