Callosa de Segura
Encyclopedia
Callosa de Segura is a municipality
in the comarca of Vega Baja del Segura
in the Valencian Community, Spain
. It contains the historic monument of the Church of St Martin
.
Callosa de Segura is a traditional Spanish-speaking town located north-west of Orihuela
. It can be reached via the A-7 (E15) motorway, junction 79, or from the AP-7 motorway, junction 733 and is situated just 30 minutes from Alicante
and Murcia airports and 30 minutes from Guardamar beach.
The town is dominated by the huge Sierra de Callosa
mountains standing behind it, and some of the houses of the town creep up the side of the mountain together with various crops high up on terraced slopes.
which stands high above the town as if guarding it; above the hermitage is the castle of Callosa. The hermitage was built in 1579–1798 in honour of the patron saint of Callosa de Segura - Saint Roque, it is said that Saint Roque appeared on the spot where the hermitage is built.
The Saint Martin's Church, dating from the 16th - 18th centuries, has a blue decorated dome. The chapel
of the church contains some pieces of gold work by Miguel de Vera. The old part of the town, just below the hermitage, has very narrow streets.
The original town slaughterhouse
built in 1929 is now renovated and houses a history
museum
of the town. The museum has four sections:
of the town is dependent mostly on agriculture
and manufacturing
; hemp and its products being an important part of this.
Municipalities of Spain
The municipalities of Spain In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. municipi.*Galician or , sing. municipio/bisbarra.*Basque , sing. udalerria. are the basic level of Spanish local government...
in the comarca of Vega Baja del Segura
Vega Baja del Segura
Vega Baja del Segura is a comarca in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain.To the North its neighbouring comarcas are the Baix Vinalopó and Vinalopó Mitjà...
in the Valencian Community, Spain
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...
. It contains the historic monument of the Church of St Martin
Church of St Martin, Callosa de Segura
The Arciprestal Church of St Martin Obispo is a church in Callosa de Segura, Alicante, Spain. It is a historic monument.It was built in the 16th century and is an example of a Renaissance hall-church, with a nave and two aisles of equal height with vaults resting on tall classical columns,...
.
Callosa de Segura is a traditional Spanish-speaking town located north-west of Orihuela
Orihuela
Orihuela is a city and municipality located at the feet of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Spain. The city of Orihuela had a population of 32,472 inhabitants in the beginning of 2006...
. It can be reached via the A-7 (E15) motorway, junction 79, or from the AP-7 motorway, junction 733 and is situated just 30 minutes from Alicante
Alicante Airport
Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty...
and Murcia airports and 30 minutes from Guardamar beach.
The town is dominated by the huge Sierra de Callosa
Sierra de Callosa
Sierra de Callosa is a long mountain range in the Vega Baja del Segura comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Águila...
mountains standing behind it, and some of the houses of the town creep up the side of the mountain together with various crops high up on terraced slopes.
Main sights
The Saint Roque HermitageHermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
which stands high above the town as if guarding it; above the hermitage is the castle of Callosa. The hermitage was built in 1579–1798 in honour of the patron saint of Callosa de Segura - Saint Roque, it is said that Saint Roque appeared on the spot where the hermitage is built.
The Saint Martin's Church, dating from the 16th - 18th centuries, has a blue decorated dome. The chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of the church contains some pieces of gold work by Miguel de Vera. The old part of the town, just below the hermitage, has very narrow streets.
The original town slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
built in 1929 is now renovated and houses a history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of the town. The museum has four sections:
- The Archaeological Museum (Antonio Ballester Ruiz) where artefacts can be viewed dating back to the early history of the town, exhibits include funeral trousseaus, urns, copper halberds, coins, glassware and ceramics. There are artefacts from the Neolithic Era, the Argaric culture, the Iberian Culture, the Roman occupation and other more recent ones.
- The Hemp and Agricultural Museum, outlining the history of hempHempHemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
production, an important part of the town's economy, and showing samples of the many products made from hemp. - The Holy Week Museum (Santa Semana) containing thrones and images by José Noguera, Hurtado Carré and José Hernández.
- The Fiesta Museum
Economy
The economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
of the town is dependent mostly on agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
; hemp and its products being an important part of this.