Cullera
Encyclopedia
Cullera is a municipality
in Valencia
in the Valencian Community
, Spain
, situated in the Ribera Baixa
comarca
.
river, 40 kilometers from the capital of Valencia
.
, Corbera, Llaurí, Favara, and Tavernes de Valldigna all neighbor Cullera. They are all in the province of Valencia
.
. It has an altitude of 233 meters. The historical parts of the city are to the south, and the modern tourist district is to the east, looking to the sea.
The San Lorenzo lagoon is a small lake situated north of the mountain. It once formed part of a much bigger lake before the lands were drained for agricultural use. The lake now marks the southern limit of the Parque Natural de la Albufera.
and oranges
as important crops. Fishing, historically a large part of the economy, has diminished in importance due to important tourism developments, both nationally and internationally, in the region.
, which is characterized by a rich selection of vegetables. In Cullera's orchards, there are many citrus crops (oranges, mandarins and lemons), as well as fish and seafood of the nearby ocean.
Alongside the offerings of the orchards, not to mention the seafood, there are dozens of ways to prepare rice: arroz al horno, arroz a banda, etc.
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...
in Valencia
Valencia (province)
Valencia or València is a province of Spain, in the central part of the Valencian Community.It is bordered by the provinces of Alicante, Albacete, Cuenca, Teruel, Castellón, and the Mediterranean Sea...
in the Valencian Community
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...
, 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...
, situated in the Ribera Baixa
Ribera Baixa
Ribera Baixa is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.-Municipalities:*Albalat de la Ribera*Almussafes*Benicull de Xúquer*Corbera*Cullera*Favara*Fortaleny*Llaurí*Polinyà de Xúquer*Riola*Sollana*Sueca...
comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
.
Geography
Cullera is situated at the mouth of the JúcarJúcar
The Júcar or Xúquer is a river on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The river runs for approximately 509 km from its source at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, on the eastern flank of the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico...
river, 40 kilometers from the capital of Valencia
Valencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
.
Neighborhoods and hamlets
The main neighborhoods of Cullera are:- El Brosquil.
- Cullera-Park.
- Cap-Blanc.
- El Dosel.
- El Estany.
- El Marenyet.
- Mareny de San Lorenzo.
- Mareny Blau.
Bordering cities
SuecaSueca
Sueca is a city in eastern Spain in the Valencian Community. It is situated on the left bank of the river Xúquer. The town of Sueca is separated from the Mediterranean Sea 11 km to the east by the Serra de Cullera, though the municipality possesses 7 km of Mediterranean coastline...
, Corbera, Llaurí, Favara, and Tavernes de Valldigna all neighbor Cullera. They are all in the province of Valencia
Valencia (province)
Valencia or València is a province of Spain, in the central part of the Valencian Community.It is bordered by the provinces of Alicante, Albacete, Cuenca, Teruel, Castellón, and the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Topography
The mountain of Cullera, known as Munt de l'Or or Muntanya de l'Or is the last mountain in the Iberian range before the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean 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...
. It has an altitude of 233 meters. The historical parts of the city are to the south, and the modern tourist district is to the east, looking to the sea.
The San Lorenzo lagoon is a small lake situated north of the mountain. It once formed part of a much bigger lake before the lands were drained for agricultural use. The lake now marks the southern limit of the Parque Natural de la Albufera.
Demographics
| 1990 | 1992 | 1994 | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.927 | 20.336 | 20.663 | 20.595 | 20.397 | 20.663 | 20.622 | 22.544 |
Economy
The economy in Cullera is traditionally based in agriculture, with riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and 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....
as important crops. Fishing, historically a large part of the economy, has diminished in importance due to important tourism developments, both nationally and internationally, in the region.
Historical and artistic landmarks
- Castle: At the top of the mountain, dominating the city and the sea, there is a fortress built in the 13th century over the old MoorishMoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
fortress. It once was walled, although those walls no longer remain. Located there are the rest of the old towers, forming part of the old walled area on the mountain.
- Sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo: (19th century) Within the fortress, there is the sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo, whose festival is celebrated the week after PassoverPassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
.
- Church of the Saint Johns: A neoclassical temple from the 17th century built over an older GothicGothic architectureGothic 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....
temple. Inside, there is a sacristía and the interior of a bell tower. The temple has recently been restored.
- Torre del marenyet: An old defensive tower built to watch the Júcar river. It was erected in the 15th century as a defense against pirates.
- Cave of Dragut: This cave depicts the invasion of the BerbersBerber peopleBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
in Cullera, and it is said that the pirate Dragut was once there.
Food
The typical food of the region is the so-called Mediterranean dietMediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional recommendation inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of southern Italy, Crete and much of the rest of Greece in the 1960s....
, which is characterized by a rich selection of vegetables. In Cullera's orchards, there are many citrus crops (oranges, mandarins and lemons), as well as fish and seafood of the nearby ocean.
Alongside the offerings of the orchards, not to mention the seafood, there are dozens of ways to prepare rice: arroz al horno, arroz a banda, etc.
External links
- Instituto Valenciano de Estadística
- Castillo de Cullera
- http://www.costamediterranea.com/dondeir/valencia/cullera.html
- http://www.valencians.com/valencia/rb/cullera