Agost
Encyclopedia
Agost is a Valencian town and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain
, at a distance of about 18 km from Alicante
, the capital of the province. Due to its relative distance from the Mediterranean Sea
, Agost was not directly affected by the mass tourism that the towns on the Costa Blanca
experienced, and has maintained its local character.
Until the sixties, the economy of Agost was mainly based on pottery
and agriculture. Today most of the traditional potteries have closed, or turned into factories producing construction elements. There are still about 11 potteries active in the town; six of them still produce traditional pottery. Agriculture remains a second income source for many families in Agost.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, at a distance of about 18 km from Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, the capital of the province. Due to its relative distance from the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, Agost was not directly affected by the mass tourism that the towns on the Costa Blanca
Costa Blanca
Costa Blanca refers to the over 200 kilometres of coastline belonging to the province of Alicante in Spain. The name "Costa Blanca" was devised as a promotional name used by BEA when they launched their air service between London and Valencia in 1957. It has a well-developed tourism industry...
experienced, and has maintained its local character.
Until the sixties, the economy of Agost was mainly based on pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and agriculture. Today most of the traditional potteries have closed, or turned into factories producing construction elements. There are still about 11 potteries active in the town; six of them still produce traditional pottery. Agriculture remains a second income source for many families in Agost.
Sights
- The church (Sant Pere Apòstol)
- The hermitage (Ermita de les Santes Justa i Rufina) built in 1821
- The ruins of an old castle (Castell d'Agost and Castell de la Murta)
- Agost's museum (Museu de Cantereria), pottery museum in a turn-of-the-century pottery complex
Fiestas
- Santíssima Mare de Déu de la Pau (15 – 24 January)
- El dia de la Vella (3 weeks after Ash WednesdayAsh WednesdayAsh Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
) - Moros i Cristians, Saint PeterSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
's day (end of June) - Les danses del Rei Moro (26th of December)