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{{Expand Spanish|topic=geo|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Alcalá de Henares
| settlement_type = [[Municipalities of Spain|Municipality]]
| image_skyline = {{Multiple image
| perrow = 1/2/1/2
| border = infobox
| total_width = 280
| caption_align = center
| image1 = Universidad-Alcala-180819 (cropped).jpg
| caption1 = [[University of Alcalá]]
| image2 = Alcalá de Henares Cathedral II.jpg
| caption2 = [[Alcalá de Henares Cathedral|Magistral Cathedral]]
| image3 = Palace of Laredo, Alcalá de Henares.jpg
| caption3 = [[Palace of Laredo]]
| image4 = Alcalá de Henares (RPS 08-11-2014) Plaza de Cervantes.png
| caption4 = Plaza de Cervantes
| image5 = Archiepiscopal Palace of Alcalá de Henares.jpg
| caption5 = [[Archiepiscopal Palace of Alcalá de Henares|Archiepiscopal Palace]]
| image6 = Courtyard of Saint Thomas of Villanueva, Alcalá de Henares.jpg
| caption6 = Courtyard of Saint Thomas of Villanueva
}}
| image_flag = Bandera_de_Alcalá_de_Henares.svg
| image_shield = Coat of Arms of Alcalá de Henares.svg
| nickname =
| motto =
| image_map = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=y|frame-width=285|frame-height=180|frame-align=center|frame-coordinates={{Coord|39.5|N|3.7|W}}|zoom=4|type=point|title=Alcalá de Henares|marker=city|type2=shape|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080|text=Interactive map of Alcalá de Henares.}}
|map_caption = Location of Alcalá de Henares
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = [[Spain]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[Autonomous communities of Spain|Autonomous community]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Community of Madrid]]
| seat =
| coordinates = {{coord|40|28|N|3|22|W|type:city(203645)|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 594
| elevation_min_m =
| elevation_max_m =
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 87.72
| established_title = Founded
| established_date =
| population_as_of = {{Spain metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_footnotes = {{Spain metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
| population_total = {{Spain metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population_demonyms = ''Alcalaíno -a, complutense''
| population_note =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| blank_name_sec1 = [[Languages of Spain|Official language(s)]]
| blank_info_sec1 =
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| postal_code_type = [[List of postal codes in Spain|Postal code]]
| postal_code = 28801-28807
| area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in Spain|Dialing code]]
| area_code = (+34) 91
| leader_title = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name = {{ill|Judith Piquet Flores|es}}
| leader_party = [[People's Party (Spain)|PP]]
| website = {{official website|http://www.ayto-alcaladehenares.es}}
| footnotes = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
|child = yes
|Official_name = [[University of Alcalá|University]] and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares
|ID = 876
|Year = 1998
|Criteria = Cultural: ii, iv, vi
}}
| image_caption =
}}
'''Alcalá de Henares''' ({{IPA|es|alkaˈla ðe eˈnaɾes|Spanish|Pronunciation_of_Alcalá_de_Henares_in_Spanish.ogg}}) is a Spanish municipality of the [[Community of Madrid]]. Housing is primarily located on the north bank of the [[Henares River|Henares]]. {{As of|2018}}, it has a population of 193,751, making it the region's third-most populated [[Municipalities in Spain|municipality]].
Predated by earlier hilltop settlements (''[[oppidum|oppida]]'') and the primitive ''Complutum'' on the left bank of the Henares, the new Roman settlement of ''[[Complutum]]'' was founded in the mid 1st century on the right bank (north) river meadow,<ref>{{Cite journal|title=El origen del urbanismo romano en la actual Comunidad de Madrid: La fundación de Complutum en el Cerro de San Juan del Viso (Villalbilla, Madrid)|journal= Zona arqueológica|issn=1579-7384|volume=20|issue=1|page=155|first=Sandra|last=Azcárraga Cámara|___location=Alcalá de Henares|publisher=[[Regional Archaeological Museum of the Community of Madrid|Museo Arqueológico Regional]]|year=2017}}</ref> becoming a bishopric seat in the 5th century. One of the several Muslim citadels in the [[Central March|Middle March of al-Andalus]] (hence the name ''Alcalá'', a derivative of the Arabic term for citadel) was established on the left bank, while, after the Christian conquest culminated {{Circa|1118}}, the bulk of the urban nucleus returned to the right bank. For much of the late middle-ages and the early modern period before becoming part of the province of Madrid, Alcalá de Henares was a seigneurial estate of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toledo|archbishops of Toledo]].
Its historical centre is one of [[UNESCO]]'s [[World Heritage Site]]s.
The city has a long university tradition. [[Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros]] founded the [[Complutense University of Madrid#History|Complutense University]] in Alcalá de Henares in the late 15th century. The city currently hosts the (refounded) [[University of Alcalá]]. It is the native city of [[Miguel de Cervantes]].
== Name ==
Locally, it is generally known simply as {{lang|es|Alcalá}}, but {{lang|es|de Henares}} (‘of the river [[Henares]]’) is appended when needed to differentiate it from a dozen Spanish cities sharing the name [[Alcalá (disambiguation)|Alcalá]] (from the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] word {{lang|ar|القلعة}} {{Transliteration|ar|al-qalʿa}}, for fortification or [[citadel]], typically a castle).
Its Latin name, {{wikt-lang|la|complutum|Complutum}}, means "[[confluence]]",<ref>{{cite book|author1=Mercedes García-Arenal|display-authors=etal|title=The Orient in Spain: Converted Muslims|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VYSQWmuaLLgC&pg=PA367|date=2013|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-25029-1|page=367|quote=etymology of Alcalá: its Roman name, Complutum, arose from the fact that all the water-courses met there|access-date=2020-08-21|archive-date=2023-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419164514/https://books.google.com/books?id=VYSQWmuaLLgC&pg=PA367|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Bulletin of the New York Public Library|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HwM9AQAAIAAJ|year=1938|page=407|quote=Its old Roman name of Complutum was given to it, because it was the confluence, or meeting place of two rivers|last1=Library|first1=New York Public|access-date=2020-08-21|archive-date=2023-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419164502/https://books.google.com/books?id=HwM9AQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> where rivers' water (or rain water) flow into one place (i.e., a {{wikt-lang|la|compluvium}}).<ref>{{cite book|last=Freund|first=Wilhelm|title=Grand dictionnaire de la langue latine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BIl5c7gtad4C&pg=PA569|year=1882|publisher=Firmin-Didot|language=fr|page=569|quote=On a appelé {{lang|la|compluvium}} le lieu où réunissaient les eaux pluviales. [[Varro]]|access-date=2020-08-21|archive-date=2023-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419164443/https://books.google.com/books?id=BIl5c7gtad4C&pg=PA569|url-status=live}} = "They called the place where rain waters flowed together {{lang|la|compluvium}}."</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Stoughton|first=John|author-link=John Stoughton|title=The Spanish Reformers Their Memories and Dwelling-places|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S9kCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA21|year=1883|publisher=Religious Tract Society|page=21|quote=The old city bore the name of Complutum, or Compluvium, from a confluence of rivers close to it .|access-date=2020-08-21|archive-date=2023-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419164458/https://books.google.com/books?id=S9kCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA21|url-status=live}}</ref>
==History==
{{Main|Complutum}}
[[File:ComplutumEstaciones.jpg|thumb|left|Roman mosaic of the four seasons, the House of Bacchus, Complutum]]
The city boundaries have been inhabited since the [[Chalcolithic]] phase of the [[Bronze Age]]. [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] conquered the area in the 1st century BC, and built the town of ''Complutum'' near a previous [[Carpetani]]an settlement, Iplacea. With 10,000 inhabitants, it reached the status of ''[[municipium]]'' and had its own governing institutions. It played an important role, located on the Roman road connecting [[Emerita Augusta]] and [[Caesaraugusta]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM002175.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM002175.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|page=12|year=2003|title=La ciudad romana de Complutum. Guía arqueológica|isbn=84-451-2392-0|first1=Antonio|last1=Méndez Madariaga|first2=Sebastián|last2=Rascón Marqués|publisher=Consejería de las Artes de la Comunidad de Madrid}}</ref>
<!--
[[File:Alcalá de Henares. Torre albarrana de Alcala la Vieja.jpg|thumb|left|Tower of the Old Castle of Alcalá La Vieja]]
-->
After the downfall of the Roman Empire, under the [[Visigoths]], it declined, although it also became a pilgrimage destination in remembrance of the [[Justus and Pastor|Saints Justo and Pastor]].
When the [[Moorish invasion of Iberia|Moors invaded]] in 711, they conquered the Visigothic city and founded another site, building an {{Transliteration|ar|al-qalʿa}}, which means "citadel" in Arabic, on a nearby hill, today known as {{lang|es|Alcalá la Vieja}} (Old Alcalá). On 3 May 1118, it was reconquered by the [[Archbishop of Toledo]] [[Bernard de Sedirac]] at behest of [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]].
Soon after, on 10 February 1129,{{Sfn|García Valcárcel|Écija Moreno|Valcárcel|2001|p=167}} [[Alfonso VII of León and Castile|Alfonso VII]] gave Alcalá to [[Raymond de Sauvetât]], also Archbishop of Toledo, becoming an archiepiscopal property for centuries to come.{{Sfn|Castillo Oreja|2006|p=34}} Raymond granted the town an old ''[[fuero]]'' (charter) in 1135.{{Sfn|Pérez-Bustamante|1986|p=747}}
The Christians preferred the ''Burgo de Santiuste'' ("Saint Just's borough") on the original Roman site, and the Muslim one was abandoned.
Under [[Christians|Christian]] rule until the end of the Reconquista, the town had both a Jewish and a Moorish quarter and a renowned marketplace. Its central position allowed it to be a frequent residence of the [[Kings of Castile]], when travelling south.
At some time in the 1480s, [[Christopher Columbus]] first met there the ''[[Reyes Católicos]]'', [[King Ferdinand II of Aragon]] and his wife [[Queen Isabella I of Castile]], who financed the travel for the ''[[Voyages of Christopher Columbus|Discovery of America]]''.
[[Cardinal Cisneros]] granted the town a new ''fuero'' in 1509.{{Sfn|Pérez-Bustamante|1986|p=745}}
[[File:Anthonis van den Wijngaerde (1565) Alcalá de Henares.png|thumb|center|upright=3.5|View of the town by [[Anton van den Wyngaerde]] (1565)]]
Despite being largely ruined, the town acquired the status of city in 1687 after long negotiations.{{Sfn|Gómez López|1992|p=180}}
[[File:Hauser y Menet (ca. 1910) Alcalá de Henares, calle Mayor y Hospital de Antezana.png|thumb|right|Calle Mayor, {{circa|1910}}]]
In decadence since the mid-18th century, Alcalá de Henares experienced a relative demographic and economic upturn in the second half of the 19th century, based on its newly acquired condition of military outpost, to which an embryonic industrial nucleus was also added.{{Sfn|Gómez Mendoza|2008|pp=625–628}}
The population steadily increased from 1868 to 1939.{{Sfn|Vadillo Muñoz|2017|pp=279–284}} The population was still agrarian to a large extent, with high levels of illiteracy and poverty.{{Sfn|Vadillo Muñoz|2017|pp=279–284}} Seeking social change, [[Republicanism in Spain|Republican]] and later Socialist movements grew in force in the city.{{Sfn|Vadillo Muñoz|2017|pp=279–284}} The leading figure in the latter movement was {{ill|Antonio Fernández Quer|es}}, who became the first municipal councillor from the [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party]] in the province of Madrid in 1903.{{Sfn|Vadillo Muñoz|2017|pp=279–284}} Emerging in reaction to Socialist advances, [[Catholic social teaching|Social catholicism]] also took hold in the city from 1905, founding a number of organizations such as ''Centro Católico de Acción Social Popular'' and the ''Mutual Obrera Complutense''.{{Sfn|Vadillo Muñoz|2017|pp=279–284}}
Following the [[Spanish coup of July 1936|1936 coup d'etat]] that sparked the [[Spanish Civil War]], putschist elements seized key posts around the city.{{Sfn|Sánchez Moltó|2014|p=120}} However, following the botched coup in Madrid, Rebel forces in Alcalá eventually surrendered to Republican Colonel [[Ildefonso Puigdendolas]] and his troops on 21 July.{{Sfn|Sánchez Moltó|2014|p=120}} Alcalá, that reportedly became a Soviet power base during the conflict—a "republic within the republic" where the Republican national government held a tenuous grip—was the place were [[POUM]] leader [[Andrés Nin]] was transferred to and tortured and killed in June 1937 by [[NKVD]] agents.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/113489/1/577389.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/113489/1/577389.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=El asesinato de Andreu Nin, más datos para la polémica|year=2010|first=Pelai|last=Pagès i Blanch|journal=Ebre|issue=38|issn=1696-2672}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lne.es/sociedad-cultura/2008/03/18/cadaver-andreu-nin-acusa/618446.html|website=La Nueva España|title=El cadáver de Andreu Nin acusa|date=18 March 2008|access-date=25 July 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725160903/https://www.lne.es/sociedad-cultura/2008/03/18/cadaver-andreu-nin-acusa/618446.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
The city suffered severe damage during the [[Spanish Civil War]].
Thousands of prisoners were held in different camps in the city after the end of the war.<ref name=ep /> From March 1939 to February 1948, at least 264 individuals were executed in Alcalá by the [[Francoist Spain|Francoist authorities]].<ref name=ep>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2008/03/25/madrid/1206447862_850215.html|website=[[El País]]|title=La fosa estaba bajo el campo de concentración|date=24 March 2008|first=Rafael|last=Fraguas|access-date=25 July 2020|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726083900/https://elpais.com/diario/2008/03/25/madrid/1206447862_850215.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Ecclesiastical history===
<!--
[[File:Alcalá de Henares Palacio Arzobispal 6045.JPG|thumb|Tower of Tenorio of the [[Archbishop's Palace of Alcalá de Henares|Archbishop's Palace of Alcalá]].]]-->
The town of historic importance was one of the first [[Diocese|bishoprics]] founded in Spain.
The polyglot Bible known as the [[Complutensian Polyglot Bible]], the first of the many similar Bibles produced during the revival of Biblical studies that took place in the 16th century, was printed at Alcalá under the care of [[Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros|Cardinal Cisneros]].
A [[papal bull]] of 7 March 1885, united Alcalá with (effectively merging it into) the [[diocese of Madrid]], which includes the civil province of Madrid, [[suffragan]] of the [[archbishopric of Toledo]]. The bishop's residence has since been used for preserving historical archives. It was designed by [[Alonso Berruguete]] and has a famous staircase. In 1991 Madrid and Alcalá de Henares were separated and the new [[Diocese of Alcalá de Henares]] was erected.
===Jewish history===
During [[Muslim]] rule, the [[Jewish]] community of the city was granted equal rights as the [[Christians]] living in it: special restrictions were not placed on Jews regarding criminal compensation, residency, and other municipal aspects. In the [[Middle Ages]], the Jewish congregation of the city paid taxes to the [[Archbishop of Toledo]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0001_0_00697.html |title=Alcalá de Henares<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2015-11-14 |archive-date=2015-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022017/https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0001_0_00697.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Jews]] of Alcalá were mentioned in the 14th-century Satire by [[Marrano]] [[Pero Ferrús]]. During the 15th century, the Jewish congregation of the city was one of the largest in [[Crown of Castile|Castile]], having about 200 Jewish families. [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] studies at the [[University of Alcalá]] were encouraged by Cardinal [[Francisco Jimenez de Cisneros]] during the 16th century, bringing some Jews and [[Marrano]] Hebraists to work in the city.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The ___location of the [[Jewish quarter (diaspora)|Jewish quarter]] of the city is well known – between Mayor, Santiago, Imagen and Cervantes streets. One [[synagogue]] stood in Carmen Calzado street, no. 10. The other was on Santiago street. After the 1492 [[Alhambra Decree]] Jews were required to become Christians to continue living in Castile and Aragon; those who refused had to leave these kingdoms and most of them found residence in the North of Africa, Amsterdam and the Ottoman Empire.
The origins of Miguel de Cervantes' family are supposed (there is no total certainty) to be Jewish. Because his father worked on the former Jewish neighbourhood, the birthplace was close to the workplace, and also because the surname Cervantes makes reference to a different site in the Northwest of Spain, and geographical surnames were common among the Jewish population.
== Geography ==
=== Location ===
[[File:Alcalá de Henares (ESA 16-11-2015) vista desde el satélite Sentinel-2A.png|thumb|right|upright=1.3|Alcalá de Henares as seen by the [[Sentinel-2]] of the [[European Space Agency]]]]
Alcalá de Henares is located in the central part of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], in the southern half of the [[Meseta Central|Inner Plateau]]. It lies on the valley of the [[Henares]], a left-bank tributary of the [[Jarama]], which is in turn a right-bank tributary of the [[Tagus]]. The right (north) bank of the river (on which the current urban nucleus was built) displays a very flat relief with a series of quaternary [[fluvial terrace]]s, while the left (southern) bank features a very steep slope of [[clay]]s from the [[miocene]],{{Sfn|Aranegui|Pacheco|1927|p=342}} rapidly rising up to the [[Moorland|moors]] of [[La Alcarria]].
Standing at an average altitude of 654 m, and occupying some 88 km<sup>2</sup>; the city was for a long time contained in between the Henares to the South and the [[Madrid-Barcelona railway]] to the North. However, the increasing population brought on the sprawl of the urbanised area to the area located in between the railway and the [[Autovía A-2|A-2 motorway]] and beyond.
===Climate===
The climate in this city of central Spain is [[semi-arid climate|semi-arid]], with cold, dry winters and hot, dry summers. The average year-round temperature is {{convert|14|°C|0|abbr=on}}. The average year-round rainfall is about {{convert|300|mm|1|abbr=on}}, mainly in spring and autumn. Temperatures vary from some degrees below {{convert|0|°C|0|abbr=on}} in December and January to some over {{convert|40|°C|0|abbr=on}} in July and August. Dry season coincides with maximum heat in summer.
{{weather box
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|rain colour=green
|width=auto
|___location=Alcalá de Henares, 1981–2010
|Jan high C = 11.0
|Feb high C = 13.3
|Mar high C = 17.5
|Apr high C = 19.1
|May high C = 23.5
|Jun high C = 29.9
|Jul high C = 33.8
|Aug high C = 33.1
|Sep high C = 28.2
|Oct high C = 21.2
|Nov high C = 15.0
|Dec high C = 11.3
|year high C =
|Jan low C = 0.1
|Feb low C = 0.9
|Mar low C = 3.0
|Apr low C = 5.0
|May low C = 8.5
|Jun low C = 12.8
|Jul low C = 15.2
|Aug low C = 14.8
|Sep low C = 11.7
|Oct low C = 7.8
|Nov low C = 3.5
|Dec low C = 1.2
|year low C =
|Jan rain mm = 24.8
|Feb rain mm = 25.1
|Mar rain mm = 17.7
|Apr rain mm = 35.6
|May rain mm = 38.2
|Jun rain mm = 19.6
|Jul rain mm = 9.6
|Aug rain mm = 8.4
|Sep rain mm = 19.8
|Oct rain mm = 38.0
|Nov rain mm = 35.6
|Dec rain mm = 34.2
|year rain mm =
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref>{{cite web|url = https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=2174|title = World Weather Information Service – Alcala de Henares|publisher = World Meteorological Organization|access-date = November 12, 2022|archive-date = November 16, 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221116202843/https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=2174|url-status = live}}</ref>
}}
==University==
{{Main|University of Alcalá}}
[[File:Universidad de Alcala.jpg|thumb|The ''rectorado'' of the [[University of Alcalá]]]]
The major landmark and one of the great prides of the city, its university, uses sites throughout the city, but has two main campuses. The first is on the north side of Alcalá. This campus includes most science departments and student housing (as well as its own, separate [[Renfe]] [[Alcalá de Henares Universidad railway station|station]]). The second, central campus, houses most of the humanities and social-science departments, including a law school.
The architectural influence of the university can be found in other present-day academic institutions. The [[University of San Diego]] is largely based on the Spanish university; its campus and address take the name "Alcalá Park". In addition, some buildings at [[Texas Tech University]] in [[Lubbock, Texas]] were modeled after the architecture of Universidad de Alcalá de Henares.<ref>
{{cite book
|last= Barrick|first= Nolan
|title= Texas Tech... The Unobserved Heritage
|publisher= [[Texas Tech University Press]]
|year= 1985|___location= [[Lubbock, Texas]]
|pages= 18, 23|isbn= 0-89672-125-6
}}
</ref>
[[File:University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares-112993.jpg|thumb|left|Cloister part of the university]]
In 1293 in Alcalá de Henares King [[Sancho IV of Castile]] founded the ''[[Complutense University of Madrid|Universidad Complutense]]'', one of the oldest universities in the world, as a [[Studium Generale]]. With the patronage of [[Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros|Cardinal Cisneros]], it was recognized in a 1499 [[papal bull]], and quickly gained international fame as a main centre of learning of the [[Renaissance]] thanks to the production of the [[Complutensian Polyglot Bible]] in 1517, which is the basis for most{{quantify|date=June 2019}} of the current translations. By royal decree, the university moved to Madrid in 1836 (initially as the Universidad de Madrid, later as the Universidad Central, which in the 1970s would finally be renamed ''[[Universidad Complutense de Madrid]]''). A new university was founded in the old buildings as the ''[[Universidad de Alcalá]]'' in 1977. Parts of the new university occupy the buildings of the old Universidad Complutense in the city centre, including the modern Colegio de San Ildefonso, the [[College of Málaga|Colegio de Málaga]] and other ''Colegios'', and the structures have served as a model for other universities across the Spanish territories in the Americas and other dependencies.
[[File:Palacio Laredo (30-06-2007) balcón y minarete.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Palace of Laredo]]]]
The university chapel dedicated to Saint Ildefonso has a monument to the university's founder, Cardinal Cisneros, by [[Fancelli]], an Italian sculptor.
Although the present university is named "Universidad de Alcalá", the ancient institution founded by Cisneros is the one now called "Universidad Complutense", translocated in the capital city of Madrid ("Complutensis" is the Latin word for "native of Alcalá"). The modern university is related to the original institution in name only, although it occupies the former buildings of the Complutense.
==Cathedral==
{{Main|Alcalá de Henares Cathedral}}
[[File:Alcala cathedral 2023 - western façade.jpg|thumb|[[Cathedral of the Santos Niños]].]]
Aside from the buildings associated with the university, one of the city's most important and historic building is the Cathedral-Magistral of Saints [[Justus and Pastor]], known formally in Spanish as the {{lang|es|Santa e Insigne Catedral-Magistral de los Santos Justo y Pastor}} or more familiarly as the {{lang|es|Catedral de los Santos Niños}}. Constructed between 1497 and 1514, the cathedral houses the remains of Saints Justus and Pastor, two Christian schoolboys martyred near the city during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor [[Diocletian]] at the beginning of the 4th century.
[[File:Alcala cathedral 2023 - western portico.jpg|thumb|left|The western [[façade]] of the [[Cathedral of the Santos Niños]], in a "florid" or "[[Isabelline Gothic]]" style]]
In 414 a chapel was erected at the site of Justus and Pastor's martyrdom, and was converted into a [[cathedral]] during the period of [[Visigoths|Visigoth]] control of [[Hispania]]; bishops from Alcalá were present at the [[Councils of Toledo]] beginning in the 7th century. In 1053 the old city of Alcalá (''Alcalá la Vieja'') was conquered by [[Ferdinand I of León|Ferdinand the Great]], only to be recaptured the following year by the Moorish armies then warring for control of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], who destroyed the cathedral as an act of retaliation. At that time the relics of Saints Justus and Pastor were taken to [[Huesca]] for safekeeping until after the reconquest of Alcalá in 1118. Although a church was rebuilt on the site in 1122, Pope [[Urban II]], under the influence of his friend [[Raymond de Sauvetât]], the [[Archbishop of Toledo]], decided not to restore the Diocese of Alcalá at that time. Instead, de Sauvetât was able to secure the incorporation of Alcalá into his own archiepiscopal territories through a donation from King [[Alfonso VII of León|Alfonso VII]] in 1129.
The church was rebuilt again some three hundred years later by a subsequent archbishop of Toledo, Alfonso Carrillo de Acuña, who elevated it to the status of a [[collegiate church]]. It was finally reconstructed in its present Isabelline Gothic style under Cardinal Cisneros (1495–1517), the founder of the university. A tower was added between 1528 and 1582, achieving its modern appearance in 1618. The processional [[cloister]] and the Chapel of Saint Peter were incorporated into the building in the 17th century.
The building was declared a national monument in 1904. Nevertheless, it was burned during the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936–1939), and practically all of its contents were destroyed with the exception of a few minor relics and choir seats.
[[File:Cardinal cisneros' tomb.jpg|thumb|left|Cardinal Cisneros' tomb, in the cathedral]]
[[File:Capilla del Oidor.jpg|thumb|Oidor Church]]
It was not until 1991 that the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Alcalá de Henares|Diocese of Alcalá]] was finally restored, being separated from the Archdiocese of Madrid, at which time the building was granted its present status of cathedral-magistral (although the title "magistral" was originally granted by Cardinal Cisneros, the building was still technically only a [[collegiate church]], and not yet a cathedral within the ecclesiastical meaning of the term).
The Cathedral of Alcalá is notable as one of only two churches in the world to be granted the special title "magistral" (along with [[St. Peter's Church, Leuven|St. Peter's Church]] in [[Leuven]], [[Belgium]]). The title reflects its former status as a [[collegiate church]], and derives from the requirement that all of the [[Canon (priest)|canons]] of the cathedral must possess the academic distinction of [[Doctor of Theology]] in order to serve there.
In addition to that of Saints Justus and Pastor, the cathedral also houses the tomb of renowned 17th-century Spanish sculptor [[Gregorio Fernández]].
==Other buildings==
The city is also home to the Archbishops Palace. This site is where Christopher Columbus and King Ferdinand planned the excursion to the West as well as the birthplace of [[Catherine of Aragon]], daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, who would be the first wife of King [[Henry VIII of England]] and therefore queen consort of [[England]].
Alcalá's [[Corral de comedias de Alcalá de Henares|Corral of Comedies]], which hosts a full program of theatre and is open for tours, is the oldest documented corral in the history of Spain.
==The city today==
The center of the city remains essentially medieval, with many winding cobbled streets, and many historic buildings. The city centre surrounds the ''Plaza de Cervantes'' and is traversed by a long pedestrian main street, the ''Calle Mayor''. The city includes the Moorish quarter, the Jewish quarter, and the Christian quarter. These distinct neighborhoods have given Alcalá the reputation of "the city of three cultures".
The old city centre has been largely preserved, unlike the suburbs. There has been no clear planning by the city councillors regarding expansion, and the sprawling suburban areas are irregularly constructed, with the addition of 1970s-style high rise blocks in many places.
One of the most important streets in the city is the ''Calle del Cardenal Cisneros'' which takes tourists from the Madrid Gate at the entrance of the city, to the old city center and the cathedral in Santos Niños Square. The main park of Alcalá, Parque Municipal O'Donnell is a major recreational center for city residents and lies along a main road of Alcalá, Vía Complutense.
Recent archaeological excavations have opened up the city's Roman forum where a large complex comprising a basilica, public baths, a [[cryptoporticus]], a market and a large monumental façade stands out. Alongside the forum is the Domus with an extraordinary collection of Roman domestic mural paintings. On the outskirts is the House of Hippolytus, an old school. In turn, the [[Regional Archaeological Museum of the Community of Madrid|Regional Archaeology Museum]] (MAR) holds highly valuable mosaics.
The city hosts a large population of international students due to the presence of the university, and in particular its [[Spanish language]] and literature programs for foreign students. Alcalingua, a branch of [[University of Alcalá]], is one of the major foreign language learning centers for students from abroad.
===The storks===
Alcalá is well known for its population of [[white stork]]s. Their large nests can be observed atop many of the churches and historic buildings in the city, and are themselves a significant tourist attraction. Situated in the lowlands of the [[Henares|Henares river]], the city is an attractive home for the migratory storks due to the wide availability of food and nesting material in the area.
For over twenty years, Alcalá's storks have been counted and studied, and the active protection and maintenance of their nests is by official policy. Although once in danger of disappearing, with only eleven pairs counted between 1986 and 1987, the population has grown to around 90 resident pairs today, many of which have shortened the distance and duration of their typical migrations to remain in the city nearly all year.<ref>[http://www.ayto-alcaladehenares.es/template2.asp?cat_id=2483&mcat_id=1107&site_language=2&opt=m01_010&mcat=3909 "''Las cigüeñas de Alcalá'' at The City of Alcalá's official web site (in Spanish)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208002217/http://www.ayto-alcaladehenares.es/template2.asp?cat_id=2483&mcat_id=1107&site_language=2&opt=m01_010&mcat=3909 |date=2008-12-08 }}</ref>
<!--
[[File:Alcala de henares plaza cervantes.JPG|thumb|In the background, the remains of the iglesia de Santa María la Mayor: chapel of the Oidor and tower. The iglesia de Santa María la Mayor was destroyed in a fire during the [[Spanish Civil War]], losing much of the paintings housed. Among the remains that were preserved, these include fragments of the pile where was baptized [[Miguel de Cervantes]].]]
[[File:Torre de Santa María la Mayor, Alcalá de Henares, España, 2015-01-10, DD 07.JPG|thumbnail|Tower of Santa María la Mayor]]-->
==Immigration==
Some 18% of the population are of foreign origin, according to the official data, a large part of the newcomers (30%) are immigrants from [[
== Politics ==
The current mayor of the municipality is Judith Piquet Flores, of the [[People's Party (Spain)|PP]]. In the most recent [[2023 Spanish local elections|2023 elections]], the PP benefitted from the fall of [[Citizens (Spanish political party)|Ciudadanos]], as happened nationally.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Party
!Votes
!%
!+/-
!Seats
!+/-
|-
| bgcolor="#E4003B" |
|[[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party|PSOE]]
|35,014
|37.17
|{{Increase|20.1}} 0.28
|11
|{{Decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor="{{party colour|People's Party (Spain)}}" |
|[[People's Party (Spain)|PP]]
|33,485
|35.54
|{{Increase|20.1}} 18.61
|11
|{{Increase|20.1}} 6
|-
| bgcolor="{{party colour|Vox (political party)}}" |
|[[Vox (political party)|Vox]]
|10,929
|11.60
|{{Increase|20.1}} 3.75
|3
|{{Increase|20.1}} 1
|-
| bgcolor="{{party colour|Más Madrid}}" |
|[[Más Madrid]]
|6,086
|6.46
|{{Increase|20.1}} 4.02
|2
|{{Increase|20.1}} 2
|-
| bgcolor="{{party colour|United Left (Spain)}}" |
|[[United Left (Spain)|United Left]]
|2,674
|2.83
|''New''
|0
|''New''
|-
| bgcolor="{{party colour|Citizens (Spanish political party)}}" |
|[[Citizens (Spanish political party)|Ciudadanos]]
|2,328
|2.47
|{{Decrease}} 16.66
|0
|{{Decrease}} 6
|-
| bgcolor="{{party colour|Humanist Party (Spain)}}" |
|[[Humanist Party (Spain)|Humanist]]
|279
|0.29
|{{Decrease}} 0.1
|0
|{{No change}} 0
|-
| bgcolor="{{party colour|Falange Española de las JONS}}" |
|[[Falange Española de las JONS (1976)|Falange]]
|146
|0.15
|''New''
|0
|''New''
|-
| bgcolor="black" |
| colspan="6" |'''No overall control'''
|}
==
[[File:014312 - Alcalá de Henares.jpg|thumb|right|The A-2 highway as it passes through the municipality]]
Alcalá's excellent transport links with Madrid have led to its becoming a commuter town, with many of its inhabitants travelling to work in the capital. By Cercanias (railway) is the lines C2 and C7 that links Alcalá de Henares with Madrid in 35 minutes, or Guadalajara in 25 minutes, also exists in the peak hours trains called CIVIS, direct train, that makes the journey in 20 minutes. Also it is linked by bus to Madrid, Guadalajara and several towns and villages in nearby. By car, Alcalá de Henares is well linked with the state roads network with the nearby [[Autovía A-2|A-2]], the highway which starts in Madrid and continues on to Barcelona and to France.
Alcalá also has an intensive bus system called "Alcalá-Bus" which runs to all the major neighborhoods and costs 1,30 euro per ride. {{citation needed|date=April 2015}}
== Culture ==
;Cervantine city
[[File:Quijote and Sancho.jpg|thumb|right|Statues of [[Don Quixote]] and [[Sancho Panza]] outside Cervantes' birthplace]]
The city celebrates the birthday of native son [[Miguel de Cervantes]] on 9 October every year and organizes an annual Cervantes festival, the {{ill|Semana Cervantina (Alcalá de Henares)|es|Semana Cervantina de Alcalá de Henares|lt=Semana Cervantina}} (''Cervantine Week'').
Every year on 23 April, the anniversary of Cervantes' death, the city of Alcalá hosts the [[Miguel de Cervantes Prize]], the [[Hispanophone|Spanish-speaking world]]'s most prestigious award for lifetime achievement in literature. The award is presented by the [[Monarchy of Spain|king of Spain]] at the University of Alcalá's historic {{lang|es|Colegio de San Ildefonso|italic=no}}. Speeches about the importance of the Spanish language are customarily given by the king, the minister of culture and the laureate. The ceremony attracts a wide range of dignitaries to the city including members of the royal family, the prime minister, and others. During this ceremony the citizens of Alcalá can be heard singing the city's song, entitled "Alcalá de Henares".
Alcalá de Henares is a member (and promoter) of the Red de Ciudades Cervantinas (Network of Cervantine Cities).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.es/cultura/abci-ciudades-cervantinas-inaugura-pagina-201706010054_noticia.html|website=[[ABC (Spain)|ABC]]|title=La Red de Ciudades Cervantinas inaugura su página web|date=1 June 2017|access-date=25 July 2020|archive-date=3 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603101002/http://www.abc.es/cultura/abci-ciudades-cervantinas-inaugura-pagina-201706010054_noticia.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
;Festivals
Alcalá hosts an annual "Noche en Blanco". During this festival the streets are filled with music, art, theatre, and dance as the city residents celebrate Alcalá's rich cultural heritage. The festival goes well into the night and centers around the Plaza de Cervantes where stages are set up to host the performances.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain}}
===Twin towns – sister cities===
Alcalá de Henares has reached [[Twin towns and sister cities|twin town and sister city agreements]] with:
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Talence]], France (1985).<ref name=coodeddhh>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ayto-alcaladehenares.es/portalAlcala/RecursosWeb/DOCUMENTOS/1/0_19624_1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ayto-alcaladehenares.es/portalAlcala/RecursosWeb/DOCUMENTOS/1/0_19624_1.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|publisher=Ayuntamiento de Alcalá de Henares|title=Plan Municipal de Cooperación al Desarrollo y Derechos Humanos (2019-2023)|page=31}}</ref>
* [[Peterborough]], United Kingdom (1986).<ref name=coodeddhh />
* [[Guanajuato, Guanajuato|Guanajuato]], Mexico (1990).<ref name=coodeddhh />
* [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], United States (1990).<ref name=coodeddhh />
* [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]], United States (1995).<ref name=coodeddhh />
* {{ill|Plaza de la Revolución (municipality)|es|Plaza de la Revolución (municipio)|lt=Plaza de la Revolución}}, Cuba (1998).<ref name=coodeddhh />
* [[Lublin]], Poland (2001).<ref name=coodeddhh /><ref name="Lublin twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.lublin.eu/Miasta_partnerskie_Lublina-1-443-3-413_436.html|title=Miasta Partnerskie Lublina|access-date = 2013-08-07|work=Urząd Miasta Lublin |language=pl|trans-title=Lublin - Partnership Cities|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116171020/http://lublin.eu/Miasta_partnerskie_Lublina-1-443-3-413_436.html|archive-date=2013-01-16}}</ref>
* [[Alba Iulia]], Romania (2005).<ref name=coodeddhh />
* [[Azul, Buenos Aires|Azul]], Argentina (2011).<ref name=coodeddhh />
{{div col end}}
[[Didacus of Alcalá|Saint Didacus]], known as San Diego in Spanish, was born in Alcalá de Henares and is the namesake for the city of [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], United States. Alcalá de Henares is the birthplace of [[Catherine of Aragon]]; it is twinned with the English city of [[Peterborough]] in [[England]], her final resting place.
==Notable people==
*[[Miguel de Cervantes]] (1547–1616), Spanish writer who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. His major work, ''[[Don Quixote]]'', is considered the first modern novel, a classic of Western literature.
*[[Juan Ruiz]] (1283–1350), known as the Archpriest of Hita, was a medieval Castilian poet. He is best known for his ribald, earthy poem, ''Libro de buen amor'' ("''[[The Book of Good Love]]''").
*[[Catherine of Aragon]] (1485–1536), the last surviving child of [[Queen Isabella I of Castile]] and [[King Ferdinand II of Aragon]], was born in the Archbishop's palace in Alcalá de Henares on December 16, 1485. She was Queen of England from June 1509 until May 1533 as the first wife of King [[Henry VIII]].
*[[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor]] (1503–1564), [[Holy Roman Emperor]] from 1558, king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526, and king of Croatia from 1527 until his death
*[[Manuel Azaña]] (1880–1940), Prime Minister and President of the [[Second Spanish Republic]]
*[[Antonio Claudio Álvarez de Quiñones]] (1670s–1736), Roman Catholic [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bogotá|Archbishop of Bogotá]]
*[[Pedro Obiang]] (born 1992), professional footballer for Italian club [[U.S. Sassuolo Calcio]]
*[[Roberto Sánchez (footballer)|Roberto Sánchez]] (born 1989), Spanish footballer
==See also==
{{portal|Spain}}
*[[Complutenses]], authors of the courses of Scholastic philosophy, theology and moral theology who were lecturers of the philosophical college of the Discalced Carmelites at Alcalá de Henares
*[[Hermitage of San Isidro (Alcalá de Henares)]]
==References==
;Citations
{{Reflist}}
;Bibliography
* {{Cite journal|first1=Pedro|last1=Aranegui|first2=Francisco H.|last2=Pacheco|title=Las terrazas cuaternarias del río Henares en las inmediaciones de Alcalá (Madrid)|year=1927|journal=Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural|volume=27|pages=341–343|url=https://www.euskalmemoriadigitala.eus/bitstream/10357/47845/1/Terrazas%20cuaternarias%20del%20rio%20Henares.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.euskalmemoriadigitala.eus/bitstream/10357/47845/1/Terrazas%20cuaternarias%20del%20rio%20Henares.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book|url=http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM002451.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM002451.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Guía de Alcalá de Henares. La ciudad histórica|first=Miguel Ángel|last=Castillo Oreja|year=2006|isbn=84-451-2894-9|___location=Madrid|publisher=Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico. Consejería de Cultura y Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid}}
* {{Cite book|first1=Reyes|last1=García Valcárcel|first2=Ana María|last2=Écija Moreno|first3=Soledad|last3=Valcárcel|year=2001|___location=Madrid|title=Tierras de Alcalá. El valle del Henares (I)|url=http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM001162.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM001162.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|isbn=84-451-2101-4|publisher=Secretaría General Técnica. Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad de Madrid}}
* {{Cite journal|url=http://revistas.uned.es/index.php/ETFVII/article/view/2204|___location=Madrid|publisher=[[Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia]]|volume=5|year=1992|title=La instrumentalización de los espacios urbanos en los siglos XVI y XVII: el ejemplo de la Plaza del Mercado de Alcalá de Henares|first=Consuelo|last=Gómez López|doi=10.5944/etfvii.5.1992.2204|journal=Espacio Tiempo y Forma. Serie VII, Historia del Arte|issue=5|issn=1130-4715|doi-access=free}}
* {{cite book|journal=Madrid, de la Prehistoria a la Comunidad Autónoma|url=http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM001818.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM001818.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Alcalá contemporáneo y el corredor del Henares|first=Josefina|last=Gómez Mendoza|pages=623–646|publisher=Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad de Madrid|author-link=Josefina Gómez Mendoza|___location=Madrid|year=2008|isbn=978-84-451-3139-8}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Pérez-Bustamante|first=Rogelio|year=1986|title=Pervivencia y reforma de los derechos locales en la época moderna. Un supuesto singular: el Fuero de Alcalá de Henares de 1509|journal=En la España Medieval|volume=9|issn=0214-3038|publisher=[[Complutense University of Madrid|Ediciones Complutense]]|___location=Madrid|url=https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ELEM/article/view/ELEM8686220743A}}
* {{Cite journal|title=El Patrimonio durante la Guerra Civil: destrucción, salvaguardia y propaganda. La Magistral de Alcalá de Henares|first=Manuel Vicente|journal=Revista de la CECEL|issn=1578-570X|issue=14|year=2014|pages=119–160|last=Sánchez Moltó|url=http://cecel.es/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Revistacecel-14-SanchezMolto.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://cecel.es/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Revistacecel-14-SanchezMolto.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|___location=Madrid|publisher=Confederación Española de Centros de Estudios Locales}}
* {{Cite journal|title=El movimiento obrero en Alcalá de Henares (1868-1939)|first=Julián|last=Vadillo Muñoz|pages=279–284|url=https://journals.openedition.org/bhce/778?lang=es|year=2017|issue=51|issn=1968-3723|journal=Bulletin d'Histoire Contemporaine de l'Espagne}}
== External links ==
{{Commons}}
*{{wikivoyage inline|Alcalá de Henares}}
*[https://artsandculture.google.com/story/agXhkBx8wyUD-w?hl=en University and Historic Precinct of Alacalá de Henares] UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture
*{{Catholic|wstitle=Madrid-Alcalá}} [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09516a.htm Madrid-Alcalá]
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