Alcanar
Encyclopedia
Alcanar is a municipality
of the Catalan
comarca
of Montsià
, in the Tarragona province. The Serra del Montsià
range and its foothills rises above the town and its surroundings. According to data from 2006 its population is 9,620 inhabitants, although this increased the next year, to 9,969. It is the southernmost town in Catalonia, located just north of the border with the municipality of Vinaròs
which is in the province of Castellón
and part of the region of Valencia
.
. After it was granted independence, it received the name of the Canar, which originates from republic of its inhabitants.
The original charter was granted in February of 1239, but as the stability of this settlement did not arrive until it was granted a new charter in 1252, that date is regarded as the real foundation of the town. In 1380, the village already contained thirty families, and they were subjected to various attacks by Saracen
pirates, which led to the construction of a lookout tower in the fourteenth century. As a precaution, the town was fortified
and walled. In 1449, the town became independent of Ulldecona.
During the war against John II of Castile
, the town was occupied by troops of the king, who burned the town. During the reign of Philip II
, various defence towers were built to cope with attacks by Turkish
pirates, and Alcanar was again fortified.
In the Catalan Revolt
of 1640-59, the town remained loyal to the king of Castile, which led to occupation of the city by Catalan troops. A similar event occurred during the Peninsular War
. Later, during the First Carlist War
, there was a siege of the city. The city was captured and looted by Carlist
troops who held a strong position in the town for a time.
dedicated to Saint Michael (Sant Miquel in Catalan or San Miguel in Spanish) is a major feature of the municipality. The church is built in the Renaissance
style, with a single nave and side chapels; it originally consisted of four bays with a semicircular apse, which disappeared in some nineteenth century rebuilding. It was then expanded with a transept, dome base and a sanctuary. It currently measures 19 metres wide and has a total height of 16 metres. The access door is a half-point arch framed by two columns, and at the top are three niches
framed by a triangular pediment. The belltower has a square base and windows on each side.
On the outskirts of the village is a shrine devoted to the Mare de Déu del Remei (Our Lady of Good Remedy). It was built in the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth in a Gothic
style. In the eighteenth century, a belltower, a crossing and a dome were added and the interior was expanded. Next to the shrine is the building of the former guest house in which retains a mosaic that represents the battle of Lepanto
. The mosaic was part of the floor of the chapel until it was removed in the early nineteenth century, and as a result is very deteriorated. The image is venerated at the shrine is a small class of about 60 centimetres of the eighteenth century. The temple interior is decorated with a series of paintings made in 1920. The former altar pieces and part of the decoration were destroyed in 1936.
Along the coast are the defence towers, which were built between 1530 and 1630 to fend off pirates. They are all square, with door with voussoir
, floor and vault. Most of them have been renovated, and are now used as houses or summer residences.
. It also has several hotels and campsites and other facilities designed to cater to tourism.
Agricultural activity continues to develop in the northern town, the furthest from the coast, mainly growing crops of oranges
and clementine
s. Fishing remains important in Alcanar's smaller villages, and they are especially dedicated to catching prawn
s.
Most tourists stay at the old and relatively quiet fishing village of Les Cases d'Alcanar or to Alcanar-Platja during the summer season.
The small settlement of La Selleta was built by German
s on a hill below the Serra del Montsià in the last half of the 20th century.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of the Catalan
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
comarca
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
of Montsià
Montsià
Montsià is the southernmost comarca of Catalonia in Spain. Its capital and largest city is Amposta.-History:The Montsià was first established as a separate administrative comarca in 1936 and was named after the Serra del Montsià mountain range...
, in the Tarragona province. The Serra del Montsià
Serra del Montsià
Serra del Montsià is a 14.5 km long mountain range in Catalonia. It gives its name to the Montsià, the southernmost comarca of Catalonia. Its highest point is 764 m high La Torreta....
range and its foothills rises above the town and its surroundings. According to data from 2006 its population is 9,620 inhabitants, although this increased the next year, to 9,969. It is the southernmost town in Catalonia, located just north of the border with the municipality of Vinaròs
Vinaròs
Vinaròs is a town and municipality in eastern Spain, in the province of Castelló and part of the autonomous Valencian Community. The town is on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the western Mediterranean Sea, Vinaròs is a fishing harbour and tourist destination....
which is in the province of Castellón
Castellón
-Places:*Castelló de la Plana, the capital city of the province of Castellón, in Valencian Community, Spain*Castelló , a province in Valencian Community, Spain-People:...
and part of the region of Valencia
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
.
Villages
- Alcanar, 7,494
- Alcanar-Platja, 988
- Les Cases d'Alcanar, 1,391
- La Selleta, 96
History
It was not until the fifteenth century that Alcanar was incorporated as an independent town, but the town has been populated for a long time before then. From 1148 the town was part of the municipality of UlldeconaUlldecona
Ulldecona is a town in the South of Catalonia, in Montsià , near the Senia River. Ulldecona is part of the Taula del Sénia free association of municipalities....
. After it was granted independence, it received the name of the Canar, which originates from republic of its inhabitants.
The original charter was granted in February of 1239, but as the stability of this settlement did not arrive until it was granted a new charter in 1252, that date is regarded as the real foundation of the town. In 1380, the village already contained thirty families, and they were subjected to various attacks by Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
pirates, which led to the construction of a lookout tower in the fourteenth century. As a precaution, the town was fortified
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
and walled. In 1449, the town became independent of Ulldecona.
During the war against John II of Castile
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
, the town was occupied by troops of the king, who burned the town. During the reign of Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, various defence towers were built to cope with attacks by Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
pirates, and Alcanar was again fortified.
In the Catalan Revolt
Catalan Revolt
The Catalan Revolt affected a large part of the Catalan Principality of Catalonia between the years of 1640 and 1659. It had an enduring effect in the Treaty of the Pyrenees , which ceded the county of Roussillon and the northern half of the county of Cerdanya to France , thereby splitting the...
of 1640-59, the town remained loyal to the king of Castile, which led to occupation of the city by Catalan troops. A similar event occurred during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. Later, during the First Carlist War
First Carlist War
The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833-1839.-Historical background:At the beginning of the 18th century, Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, promulgated the Salic Law, which declared illegal the inheritance of the Spanish crown by women...
, there was a siege of the city. The city was captured and looted by Carlist
Carlism
Carlism is a traditionalist and legitimist political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina , and was founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread...
troops who held a strong position in the town for a time.
Culture
The Alcanar parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
dedicated to Saint Michael (Sant Miquel in Catalan or San Miguel in Spanish) is a major feature of the municipality. The church is built in the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style, with a single nave and side chapels; it originally consisted of four bays with a semicircular apse, which disappeared in some nineteenth century rebuilding. It was then expanded with a transept, dome base and a sanctuary. It currently measures 19 metres wide and has a total height of 16 metres. The access door is a half-point arch framed by two columns, and at the top are three niches
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
framed by a triangular pediment. The belltower has a square base and windows on each side.
On the outskirts of the village is a shrine devoted to the Mare de Déu del Remei (Our Lady of Good Remedy). It was built in the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth in a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. In the eighteenth century, a belltower, a crossing and a dome were added and the interior was expanded. Next to the shrine is the building of the former guest house in which retains a mosaic that represents the battle of Lepanto
Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto normally refers to the 1571 Holy League victory over the Ottoman fleet. There were also three earlier battles fought in the vicinity of Lepanto:*Battle of Naupactus in 429 BC, an Athenian victory during the Peleoponnesian War...
. The mosaic was part of the floor of the chapel until it was removed in the early nineteenth century, and as a result is very deteriorated. The image is venerated at the shrine is a small class of about 60 centimetres of the eighteenth century. The temple interior is decorated with a series of paintings made in 1920. The former altar pieces and part of the decoration were destroyed in 1936.
Along the coast are the defence towers, which were built between 1530 and 1630 to fend off pirates. They are all square, with door with voussoir
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
, floor and vault. Most of them have been renovated, and are now used as houses or summer residences.
Economy and tourism
The tourism and second homes are a prominent factor in the Alcan economy. Near the Alcanar Beach, many housing developments have been built that increase the number of tourists during the summer months. One of the oldest summer residences is known as Clos de Codorniu, and once was home to King Alfonso XIII of SpainAlfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
. It also has several hotels and campsites and other facilities designed to cater to tourism.
Agricultural activity continues to develop in the northern town, the furthest from the coast, mainly growing crops of oranges
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
and clementine
Clementine
A clementine is a variety of mandarin orange , so named in 1902. The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines can be separated into seven to fourteen segments. They tend to be very easy to peel, like a tangerine, but are almost always seedless...
s. Fishing remains important in Alcanar's smaller villages, and they are especially dedicated to catching prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
s.
Most tourists stay at the old and relatively quiet fishing village of Les Cases d'Alcanar or to Alcanar-Platja during the summer season.
The small settlement of La Selleta was built by German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
s on a hill below the Serra del Montsià in the last half of the 20th century.