Alcalá de Henares, or Alcalá on the Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and formerly one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain. Located in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, 30 km northeast of the city of Madrid, at a height of 2000 feet above sea level, it has a population of around 200,000, the second largest of the region after the Spanish capital itself. The city is generally known simply as "Alcalá", but "de Henares" is often appended to differentiate it from a dozen cities sharing the name Alcalá (from a Moorish Arabic word for fortification). Capital of Comarca del Henares.
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| The Plaza de Cervantes, shown here in the winter, is the social center of Alcalá de Henares. Visible is the statue of Miguel de Cervantes, the city's most famous native. | |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv, vi |
| Reference | 876 |
| Inscription | 1998 (22nd Session) |
The surroundings of the town are austere and bleak, but it is protected by hills on the north and east sides.
History
The city boundaries have been inhabited since the Calcolitic. Pre-Roman Celtiberian tribes populated the hills nearby, but it was the conquering Romans who in 1 BC moved it to its current site. Thus, it became the only Roman town in the Madrid region - its ancient Latin name being Complutum. With 10,000 inhabitants, it reached the status of Municipium and had its own governing institutions. After the falling apart of the Roman Empire, under the Visigoths, it declined, although it also became a pilgrimage place for the Saints Justo and Pastor.
When in 711 the Moors arrived, they subdued the Visigothic city and founded another site, building an al-qalat, which it means "castle" in old Arabic, on a nearby hill, today known as Alcalá la Vieja (Old Alcalá). On May 3, 1118 it was reconquered by the Archbishop of Toledo, Spain Bernardo de Sedirac in the name of Castile. The Christians preferred the Burgo de Santiuste ("Saint Just's borough") on the original Roman site and the Arab one was abandoned. The city was ceded to the Bishopric of Toledo, which granted it ferial rights. Under Christian rule until the end of the Reconquista, the city sported both a Jewish and a Moorish quarter and had 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 had his first meeting here with the Reyes Católicos, Ferdinand and Isabella. In 1496, Cardinal Cisneros founded the Universidad Complutense, which became famous as a centre of learning during the Renaissance. For economic reasons, it was moved to Madrid in 1836 (under the name Universidad Complutense de Madrid). A new university was founded in the old buildings as the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares in 1977. The city suffered severe damage during the Spanish Civil War.
Historic figures
The author Miguel de Cervantes was born in Alcalá de Henares, and baptized in the Church of Santa Maria in 1547, although his family moved from the city when he was still young. The city celebrates his birthday, 9 October, every year and organizes an annual Cervantes festival. The local university is acknowledged as a global leader in the study of Cervantes and his works.
Other notable figures associated with the city are Ferdinand I of Aragon, the mystic John of the Cross and the theologian Gabriel Vázquez.
Ecclesiastical history
The town of historic importance was one of the first 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 sixteenth century, was printed at Alcalá under the care of Cardinal Ximenez'
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, which was formally speaking not canonically erected before while its foundation dated from the Spanish Concordat of 1851.
The bishop's residence has since been used for preserving historical archives. It was designed by Berruguete and has a famous staircase.
The principal towns within the Diocese of Alcalá with their populations in 1904, are: Alcalá itself (10,300), Colmenar de Oreja (3694), Colmenar Viejo (4758), Chinchon (4200), Escorial (4570), Getafe (3820), Leganes (5412), Morata (4000), Navalcarnero (3788), Pinto (2396), San Martin de Valdeiglesias (3290), San Sebastian de los Reyes (1477), Tetuan (2825), Torrejon (3081), Valdemoro (2726) and Vallecas (5625).
The University
The major landmark and greatest pride of the city, its university, is spread throughout the city, but generally exists in two campuses. The first is on the north side of Alcala. This campus includes most science departments and student housing (as well as its own, separate RENFE station). The second, central campus, houses most of the humanity 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, the administration building and several other engineering buildings at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, were modeled after the architecture of Universidad de Alcala de Henares.
It occupies the buildings of the old Universidad Complutense in the city centre. In the Middle Ages Alcala was famous for its university founded by Cardinal Ximenez, which stood on the site of the modern Colegio de San Ildefonso. The old University buildings fell in ruins, and the town which at one time had a population of 60,000, numbered in 1900 about 10,000 inhabitants.
The university chapel dedicated to Saints Just and Pastor has a monument to Cardinal Ximenez by Fancelli, an Italian sculptor.
Climate
The climate in this city of central Spain is the continentalised Mediterranean, with cold, dry winters and hot, dry summers. Rains fall mainly in spring and autumn. Temperatures vary from some degrees below 0ºC in December and January to some over 40ºC in July and August.
Geography
At an average of 654 m of altitude, on the southern part of the Meseta Central and occupying some 88 km²; the city was for a long time encapsuled between the hills and the river Henares to the south and east by the Madrid-Barcelona railway on the north and west. However, the expanding population has forced two new residential areas to be created between the railway and the motorway and beyond the latter. The historical centre lies roughly in the middle of the urban area. It is characterised by lower, Spanish Golden Age buildings, of which the most lavish belong to the University. These historic buildings gained for the city the title of World Heritage Site, awarded by the UNESCO in 1998.
Surrounding it there are the awful, high, swiftly built blocks of the 1960's, the Francoist era. They fill spaces to the north up to the railway line and to the west until the industrial zone begins. This was erected in the early 60s and has developed and expanded. Now it occupies a good third of the city's area being cut by the mentioned railway and motorway. To the east, the old blocks limit with a more recent area of lower blocks with gardens and (semi-)detached houses. This kind of construction also makes up the landscape of the new districts beyond the railway and the motorway.
The river remains widely underused. Although there are plans now in force to reconvert it into a major leisure place for the alcalaínos, it still presents no more than fairly good tracks for cycling and walking.
Immigration
Some 18% of the population are of foreign origin, a large part of the newcomers (30%) are immigrants from Eastern Europe. Many Chinese businesses have also been established in the city.
Transport and Tragedy
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. It was affected particularly badly by the March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks in Madrid as the bombed trains all originated at or passed through Alcalá.
Twinning
Alcalá de Henares, as the birthplace of Catherine of Aragon, is twinned with the English city of Peterborough in the United Kingdom, her final resting-place.
Sources and external links
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public ___domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) Madrid-Alcala- Universidad de Alcala
- Google Maps: The Plaza de Cervantes in Alcalá de Henares
See also
- 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