L'Alcúdia
Encyclopedia
L'Alcúdia is a town and municipality
in the province of Valencia, Spain
. It is located on the left bank of the river Xuquer.
farmhouse, granted in 1238 by the Aragonese king Jaume I (James I) to Pere de Montagut
. On January 17, 1252 this latter conceded the right to found a township upon these lands to 54 Christian pioneers after the reconquista
of the Valencian
Moorish territories. The town took active participation in all the conflicts that shook Spain
along the history: it was sacked during the "Revolta de les Germanies
" in the beginning of the 16th century; in the 18th century, during the War of the Spanish Succession
, the Bourbon
troops plundered it again, and finally, during the Peninsular War
it lodged a camp of French troops that looted everything from the villagers, leaving them in the red. In the Spanish Civil War, it was lucky to keep on the rearguard, although it did not spare the town being bombed by the Italian fascist planes, supporting Franco’s uprising.
A former name for this locality in Spanish
is Alcudia de Carlet, which was in use during Franco's regime. After Franco's death in 1975 and the institution of democracy in Spain, the name fell into disfavor and the population unanimously voted to change it.
) which has become a major source of revenue for Alcudian growers.
l'Alcúdia has recently become an industrial town, with a number of factories producing furniture and general light industry.
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 province of 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...
. It is located on the left bank of the river Xuquer.
History
The locality is named after a 13th-century MoorishMoors
The 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...
farmhouse, granted in 1238 by the Aragonese king Jaume I (James I) to Pere de Montagut
Pere de Montagut
Pere de Montagut was a Catalan squire who helped, in the 1230s, King James I of Aragon to conquer some zones of the kingdom of Valencia from the Moors. As a reward, he was given some territories under the condition that he had to repopulate them with Christian settlers. L’Alcúdia was undoubtedly...
. On January 17, 1252 this latter conceded the right to found a township upon these lands to 54 Christian pioneers after the reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
of the Valencian
Valencian
Valencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
Moorish territories. The town took active participation in all the conflicts that shook 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...
along the history: it was sacked during the "Revolta de les Germanies
Revolta de les Germanies
The Revolt of the Brotherhoods was a revolt by artisan guilds against the government of King Charles I in the Kingdom of Valencia, part of the Crown of Aragon. It took place from 1519–1523, with most of the fighting occurring during 1521...
" in the beginning of the 16th century; in the 18th century, during the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
troops plundered it again, and finally, 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...
it lodged a camp of French troops that looted everything from the villagers, leaving them in the red. In the Spanish Civil War, it was lucky to keep on the rearguard, although it did not spare the town being bombed by the Italian fascist planes, supporting Franco’s uprising.
A former name for this locality in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
is Alcudia de Carlet, which was in use during Franco's regime. After Franco's death in 1975 and the institution of democracy in Spain, the name fell into disfavor and the population unanimously voted to change it.
Economic resources
Up to not many years ago the town relied almost exclusively on its agriculture production (mainly oranges and vegetables), some years ago a new and pretty exotic product was re-introduced into the orchards of l'Alcudia and the surrounding district, the caqui (PersimmonPersimmon
A persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family . The word Diospyros means "the fire of Zeus" in ancient Greek. As a tree, it is a perennial plant...
) which has become a major source of revenue for Alcudian growers.
l'Alcúdia has recently become an industrial town, with a number of factories producing furniture and general light industry.
Main sights
Notable architectural structures in the municipality include:- The Franciscan convent, ca. 1600, in ruins but with plans for restoration in progress
- Church of the Immaculada (Verge de la Purisima) in MontortalMontortalMontortal is a pedania of l'Alcúdia in the province of Valencia, Spain, situated about two kilometres south of the centre of the town. Formerly it was owned by the Marquesses of Montortal....
, 17th century. - Church of Sant Andreu.
- The Waterwheel (La Noria), dating from the 19th century,
- La Mota, an aqueductAqueductAn aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
from the 19th century that pumped water from the Royal Irrigation Canal of the river Xuquer and provided water to almost the whole zone - The House of Culture, inaugurated in 1987, a modern and singular building.
- L'Hort de Manus, where the Verge of the Church of Sant Andreu was reportedly hidden under a cattle trough during the Spanish Civil War