Meco (municipality)
Encyclopedia
Meco is a municipality in the eastern part of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, (Spain). In 2006, Meco had a population of 11,094 (Spanish National Statistics Institute
).
The town is located to the north of the River Henares, in the comarca
of La Campiña del Henares, and also in one of the two natural sub-comarcas that make up the Comarca de Alcalá
, La Campiña del Henares, characterized by vast grain fields and gentle hills. It is 8 km to the north of the metropolitan area of Alcalá de Henares
and 4 km from the University of Alcalá
. It provides residences for the university and also is part of the Henares Industrial Corridor.
On the east, Meco borders the municipalities of Azuqueca de Henares
and Villanueva de la Torre
, of Guadalajara
, and also the autonomous community
of Castile-La Mancha
. It can be reached by the Royal Cattle Track of Galiana or Riojana, and by the last section of the Henares Canal.
Meco is on the C-2 line of the Cercanías Madrid
railway. It is also served by an exit from Radial Motorway 2 and two exits from the A2 (Nos. M-116 and M-112).
Located at the edge of one of the terraces of the River Henares, 35 km from the capital, Madrid. The rivers Las Monjas, Villanueva, and its tributary, Valdegatos.
Meco also has the distinction of being Spain's most distant populated area from the sea.
, Guadalajara, and Madrid.
. The municipality may have originated as a Roman agricultural estate, and may have been a wheat staple in Muslim times. After the re-conquest
of the Media Marca (Middle March) by Alfonso VI
, it came to form part of the Commune of Villa and Land of Guadalajara. In the 15th century, King Juan II gave it to the Marquis of Santillana, Iñigo López de Mendoza, who passed it ti his second son, Iñigo López de Mendoza, Count of Tendilla. The son of Iñigo López de Mendoza, also of the same name, added the title of Marquis of Móndejar by buying this villa from the Catholic Monarchs
. In 1801, Alcalá de Henares
was separated from the administration of Toledo
and became capital of the administrative region. It also separated from Guadalajara, coming to form part of the region of Alcalá de Henares
.
, and is located on Plaza de la Constitución. Construction started in the middle of the 16th century in the Gothic
Transitional style, and was completed in the 17th in Baroque
style. The presbytery was therefore built of limestone masonry, while the sacristy and tower were brick.
A hall church
with columns, its design has been attributed to Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
by some historians. It has three naves, the middle one with barrel vault
s flattened at the top, and the lateral ones with pointed arch
es. Its Baroque dome
is constructed on pendentive
s. It is surrounded by an atrium
.
It was listed as an Artistic Historical Monument in 1982, and has been part of the Cultural Heritage
of the Community of Madrid since 1992.
The town's main street also has fine examples of spacious historic houses.
There are two hermitages: that of Christ of Succour (Christo del Socorro, late 16th century?) and that of the Virgin (Virgen de la Cabeza, 17th century).
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
).
The town is located to the north of the River Henares, in the 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...
of La Campiña del Henares, and also in one of the two natural sub-comarcas that make up the Comarca de Alcalá
Comarca de Alcalá
Comarca de Alcalá is an historical comarca of Castile, located in what is now the east of the Community of Madrid, in Spain.Its head or capital city is Alcalá de Henares. Officially the Community of Madrid is not subdivided into formal comarcas; however, informally some governmental institutions...
, La Campiña del Henares, characterized by vast grain fields and gentle hills. It is 8 km to the north of the metropolitan area of Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
and 4 km from the University of Alcalá
University of Alcalá
The University of Alcalá is a public university located in Alcalá de Henares, a city 35 km northeast of Madrid in Spain. Founded in 1499, it was moved in 1836 to Madrid. In 1977, the University was reopened in its same historical buildings...
. It provides residences for the university and also is part of the Henares Industrial Corridor.
On the east, Meco borders the municipalities of Azuqueca de Henares
Azuqueca de Henares
Azuqueca de Henares is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2008 census , the municipality has a population of 30,794 inhabitants.-History of Azuqueca:...
and Villanueva de la Torre
Villanueva de la Torre
Villanueva de la Torre is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. The village has a surface of 11,09 km ² with a population of 6321 inhabitants according to the municipal census of the year 2009 and a density of 569,97 hab/km ²....
, of Guadalajara
Guadalajara (province)
Guadalajara is a province of central/north-central Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Cuenca, Madrid, Segovia, Soria, Zaragoza, and Teruel...
, and also the autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
. It can be reached by the Royal Cattle Track of Galiana or Riojana, and by the last section of the Henares Canal.
Meco is on the C-2 line of the Cercanías Madrid
Cercanías Madrid
Cercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, the capital of Spain, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of RENFE, the former monopoly of rail services in Spain. The system is infamous for being the target of the 11 March 2004...
railway. It is also served by an exit from Radial Motorway 2 and two exits from the A2 (Nos. M-116 and M-112).
Geography
- Altitude: 673 m
- Latitude: 40º 33' 00" N
- Longitude: 003º 19' 59" E
Located at the edge of one of the terraces of the River Henares, 35 km from the capital, Madrid. The rivers Las Monjas, Villanueva, and its tributary, Valdegatos.
Meco also has the distinction of being Spain's most distant populated area from the sea.
Economy
A town with a dry-soil agricultural tradition, Meco has long been an exporter of wheat, flour and bread to AlcaláAlcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
, Guadalajara, and Madrid.
History
There are archaeological remains from the Iron Age, as well as a Roman necropolisNecropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
. The municipality may have originated as a Roman agricultural estate, and may have been a wheat staple in Muslim times. After the re-conquest
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 Media Marca (Middle March) by Alfonso VI
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
, it came to form part of the Commune of Villa and Land of Guadalajara. In the 15th century, King Juan II gave it to the Marquis of Santillana, Iñigo López de Mendoza, who passed it ti his second son, Iñigo López de Mendoza, Count of Tendilla. The son of Iñigo López de Mendoza, also of the same name, added the title of Marquis of Móndejar by buying this villa from the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
. In 1801, Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
was separated from the administration of Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
and became capital of the administrative region. It also separated from Guadalajara, coming to form part of the region of Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
.
Art
Among the buildings of the town, a magnificent parish church stands out. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the AssumptionAssumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
, and is located on Plaza de la Constitución. Construction started in the middle of the 16th century in the Gothic
Spanish Gothic architecture
Spanish Gothic architecture is the style of architecture prevalent in Spain in the Late Medieval period.The Gothic style started in Spain as a result of Central European influence in the twelfth century when late Romanesque alternated with few expressions of pure Gothic architecture...
Transitional style, and was completed in the 17th in Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. The presbytery was therefore built of limestone masonry, while the sacristy and tower were brick.
A hall church
Hall church
A hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was first coined in the mid-19th century by the pioneering German art historian Wilhelm Lübke....
with columns, its design has been attributed to Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón was a Spanish architect of the Renaissance.He was born at Rascafría. His workings include the Palace of Monterrey in Salamanca, the Palace of Guzmanes in León, and the facade of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso at the University of Alcalá de Henares...
by some historians. It has three naves, the middle one with barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
s flattened at the top, and the lateral ones with pointed arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es. Its Baroque dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
is constructed on pendentive
Pendentive
A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to points at the bottom and spread at the top to establish the continuous circular or...
s. It is surrounded by an atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
.
It was listed as an Artistic Historical Monument in 1982, and has been part of the Cultural Heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
of the Community of Madrid since 1992.
The town's main street also has fine examples of spacious historic houses.
There are two hermitages: that of Christ of Succour (Christo del Socorro, late 16th century?) and that of the Virgin (Virgen de la Cabeza, 17th century).
Demographic development
| demographic Demography Demography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space... variation of the municipality between 1991 and 2005 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2001 | 1996 | 1991 |
| 10,774 | 9,986 | 8,267 | 4,142 | 2,928 |