Ulldecona ( Catalan pronunciation: [ˌuʎðeˈkona] ) is a municipality in Catalonia , Spain . It is located in the southern part of the province of Tarragona , in the region of Montsiá . It has had town privileges since 1273.
31-537: The nearest towns are: Alcanar , La Ràpita , Freginals , Godall , La Galera , Mas de Barberans and Cenia in the Montsià region; and Vinaròs , Traiguera , Sant Jordi and San Rafael del Río in Baix Maestrat . Important tourist areas are also nearby, such as Salou and Peniscola . The town has a main population centre and five smaller villages within its administrative perimeter: Traditional local agriculture
62-413: A crossing and a dome were added and the interior was expanded. Next to the shrine is the building of the former guest house in which retains a mosaic that represents the battle of Lepanto . The mosaic was part of the floor of the chapel until it was removed in the early nineteenth century, and as a result is very deteriorated. The image is venerated at the shrine is a small class of about 60 centimetres of
93-531: A house outside of the town, at the coast kills two people and injures another. The next day, August 17, there is a second explosion. Later it would be known that those killed and wounded were terrorists and the explosion was produced by bombs that created the jihadist cell responsible for the 2017 Barcelona attacks . The Alcanar parish church dedicated to Saint Michael ( Sant Miquel in Catalan or San Miguel in Spanish)
124-599: A normal costume, design, make and sew up their own) and enjoy the night at the Carnival's huts enclosure (Fóra Forat Walk). 9th day (Saturday) and 10th day (Sunday) : on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (6 p.m.), troupes parade in a circuit through the major streets of Calle Pilar, Calle Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Calle San Francisco, Avenida País Valencià, Calle Arcipreste Bono, Plaza 1º de Mayo, Calle Costa y Borrás, Avenida País Valencià, Calle Arcipreste Bono, Calle Socorro, Plaza Jovellar and Calle Pilar. 11th day (Monday) : Carnival ends at
155-510: A prominent factor in the Alcan economy. Near the Alcanar Beach, many housing developments have been built that increase the number of tourists during the summer months. One of the oldest summer residences is known as Clos de Codorniu , and once was home to King Alfonso XIII of Spain . It also has several hotels and campsites and other facilities designed to cater to tourism. Most tourists stay at
186-535: A strong decline in the early 20th century as a consequence of the spread of phylloxera in the regions vineyards , which devastated wine production. Today, the prosperity of Vinaròs is bound to tourism and fishing, it is renowned for its tasty prawns . Vinaròs is part of the Taula del Sénia free association of municipalities. Sights in Vinaròs is the fortress-like Església Arxiprestal de l'Assumpció (Archpriestal Church of
217-517: Is a facility serving the cement plant on the southside of the town. Vinar%C3%B2s Vinaròs ( Valencian pronunciation: [vinaˈɾɔs] ) ( Spanish : Vinaroz ) is a city located in eastern Spain and the capital of the Baix Maestrat in the province of Castellón . It is in the border between the Valencian Community and Catalonia. Vinaròs is a fishing harbour and tourist destination. The first historical record of Vinaròs
248-455: Is a half-point arch framed by two columns, and at the top are three niches framed by a triangular pediment. The belltower has a square base and windows on each side. On the outskirts of the village is a shrine devoted to the Mare de Déu del Remei (Our Lady of Good Remedy). It was built in the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth in a Gothic style. In the eighteenth century, a belltower,
279-455: Is a major feature of the municipality. The church is built in the Renaissance style, with a single nave and side chapels; it originally consisted of four bays with a semicircular apse, which disappeared in some nineteenth century rebuilding. It was then expanded with a transept, dome base and a sanctuary. It currently measures 19 metres wide and has a total height of 16 metres. The access door
310-561: Is a native of Ulldecona. Spain international Aleix García Serrano of Manchester City also hails from the town. The Medieval Castle, declared a Castle of Cultural Interest, can be found on the top of a hill known as Mount of the Castle, which is part of the Serra de Godall. The visibility and the fertility and wealth of the land were features that increased the strategic value of this area. The oldest remains that have been discovered show that that area
341-528: Is football. Ulldecona has its own football club, the Club de Futbol Ulldecona, with ten teams and 200 players. The first team plays nowadays in the 1a Regional League. Other important sports are five-a-side football, basketball, twirling and table tennis. Adam Raga , from Ulldecona, has been the World Indoor Trial Champion in 2003, 2004 and 2005. 2012 UEFA Champions League Final winner Oriol Romeu
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#1732891793531372-600: Is in 1233, when the Moorish hamlet of Binarlaros-Ibn Arus in eastern Al-Andalus was captured by King James I of Aragon . It was under rule of the Knights templar order between 1294 and 1311, and of the order of Montesa during the 14th century. The town grew during the 16th and 17th centuries, when fortifications and navy yards were built, and attained great prosperity during the following two centuries, due to its involvement in ship building and Valencian wine trade. The town suffered
403-403: Is regarded as the real foundation of the town. In 1380, the village already contained thirty families, and they were subjected to various attacks by Saracen pirates , which led to the construction of a lookout tower in the fourteenth century. As a precaution, the town was fortified and walled. In 1449, the town became independent of Ulldecona. During the war against John II of Castile ,
434-758: The 2011 Spanish local elections , the People's Party obtained an absolute majority with 11 councillors elected. The PSPV-PSOE obtained 6 city councillors, the Valencian Nationalist Bloc 2. The PVI lost two seats, obtaining just one councillor while Republican Left of the Valencian Country obtained 1 city councillor. In the 2015 Spanish local elections , the People's Party lost three city councillors, obtaining 8 seats. The PSPV-PSOE lost two city councillors, receiving 4. The electors association Each and every one are Vinaròs (TSV) got 5 city councillors and
465-543: The First Carlist War , there was a siege of the city. The city was captured and looted by Carlist troops who held a strong position in the town for a time. On July 11, 1978, a tanker truck carrying flammable liquid exploded in front of the Camping de los Alfaques located at the coast, outside the town, killing 217 people, injuring more than 300 and completely devastating the campsite. On August 16, 2017, an explosion in
496-480: The Assumption of Our Lady), built in the prevailing Renaissance architectural style during 1583-1596, with a 'new' Baroque portal added during 1698–1702. The Carnival of Vinaròs usually takes place during January, February, or March. It has 33 troupes composed of many people (the biggest troupe has around 550 members). Each troupe is represented by a queen who creates a spectacular costume. 1st day (Friday) : in
527-642: The Fóra Forat Walk both. 4th day (Monday) : dinner for the elderly. 5th day (Tuesday) : some troupes compete in the Karaoke Song Contest. 6th day (Wednesday) : people dress up with thematic costumes reflecting the Carnival's theme and they enjoy the night at the Carnival's huts enclosure (Fóra Forat Walk). 7th day (Thursday) : everyone wears pajamas and enjoys the night at the Carnival's huts enclosure (Fóra Forat Walk). 8th day (Friday) : people wear costumes (There are people who, instead of buying
558-695: The Town Hall and then the "Carnestoltes" are burned on the beach or in waste ground. Moreover, in August there's the Summer Carnival with The Queen's Presentation to show the tourists how Carnival is like in Vinaròs. In the 2007 Spanish local elections , the People's Party obtained ten city councillors, the PSPV-PSOE , seven, the Partit de Vinaròs Independent (PVI), three, and the Valencian Nationalist Bloc , one. In
589-471: The Town Hall, Carnival starts by a performance decorated with the Carnival's topic (In 2017 "Bollywood") and the "Carnestoltes" presentation ("Carnestoltes" is a huge wooden man dressed in a costume reflecting the Carnival's Topic). Then, the Mayor and the queens open the Carnival's huts enclosure (in the Fóra Forat Walk where each night's parties are held. Each troupe has a hut with free entry where visitors can enjoy
620-455: The eighteenth century. The temple interior is decorated with a series of paintings made in 1920. The former altar pieces and part of the decoration were destroyed in 1936. Along the coast are the defence towers, which were built between 1530 and 1630 to fend off pirates. They are all square, with door with voussoir , floor and vault. Most of them have been renovated, and are now used as houses or summer residences. Tourism and second homes are
651-441: The night parties). 2nd day (Saturday) : The Queen's Presentation, where they show their fantastic costumes to all the people (until this day, no one knows the form of the queen's costume). It's located on the old football pitch (Boverals H street / Football pitch street. It's placed in front of the river). 3rd day (Sunday) : Flour's battle and Disguised pets Competition in the Carnival's huts enclosure (Fóra Forat Walk), placed in
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#1732891793531682-648: The old and relatively quiet fishing village of Les Cases d'Alcanar or in Alcanar-Platja during the summer season. The small settlement of La Selleta was built by Germans on a hill below the Serra del Montsià in the last half of the 20th century. Agricultural activity continues to develop in the northern town, the furthest from the coast, mainly growing crops of oranges and clementines . Fishing remains important in Alcanar's smaller villages, and they are especially dedicated to catching prawns . The Port of Alcanar
713-426: The other political parties obtained the same number of councillors (2 Compromís , 1 Independent Party of Vinaròs and 1 Civic Agreement ). The PSPV-PSOE , Commitment Coalition and Each and every one are Vinaròs (TSV) signed the "Stables Covenant" in order to form a government with absolute majority, that is with 11 city councillors (5 of TSV, 4 of PSPV-PSOE and 2 of Compromís ). In this document, they agreed that
744-504: The people of Ulldecona are related to the staging of processions with gegants , musical bands and pubilles , as well as traditional dances and the releasing of bulls in the streets (bous). The Passió d'Ulldecona is a yearly festival reenacting the Passion of Jesus staged by local people, including a live donkey and real palm and olive branches. One of the most important sports in Ulldecona
775-486: The town and its surroundings. According to data from 2006 its population is 9,620 inhabitants, although this increased the next year, to 9,969. It is the southernmost town in Catalonia, located just north of the border with the municipality of Vinaròs which is in the province of Castellón and part of the region of Valencia . It was not until the fifteenth century that Alcanar was incorporated as an independent town, but
806-510: The town has been populated for a long time before then. From 1148 the town was part of the municipality of Ulldecona . After it was granted independence, it received the name of the Canar, which originates from republic of its inhabitants . The original charter was granted in February 1239, however the stability of this settlement did not arrive until it was granted a new charter in 1252, that date
837-531: The town was occupied by troops of the king, who burned the town. During the reign of Philip II , various defence towers were built to cope with attacks by Turkish pirates, and Alcanar was again fortified. In the Catalan Revolt of 1640-59, the town remained loyal to the king of Castile, which led to occupation of the city by Catalan troops. A similar event occurred during the Peninsular War . Later, during
868-731: The town. Quarried since ancient times, the stone of Ulldecona has been used in the construction of important public works in Spain, such as the Pedrera in Barcelona, the Town Hall in Zaragoza and the airport of Madrid. Presently it is also exported to different countries, such as the US (Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles), France, Switzerland (Town Hall of Geneva), South Korea, Saudi Arabia and China. The most important customs of
899-454: Was already populated during the Iberian era, between the 5th and the 1st centuries before Christ. Arabic peoples settled there during the 9th century and they started to build some of the buildings whose remains can be seen nowadays in the area. Ramon Berenguer IV conquered the south of the current territory of Catalonia in the 12th century and the medieval buildings started to be built. The castle
930-413: Was based on the produce of the numerous olive , almond and carob trees of the area, as well as fruit and vegetable crops. Leaving aside the agricultural activities, the furniture, construction and service sectors are also of relative importance. In recent years the quarrying of the stone of Ulldecona, a type of high quality marble , from the Serra de Godall hills has become a major income earner for
961-657: Was inhabited until the end of the 13th century, when the people from Ulldecona started to settle in the plain. In 1986, the Town Council bought the Castle. Alcanar Alcanar ( Catalan pronunciation: [əlkəˈna] ) is a Spanish municipality of the Catalan comarca of Montsià , in the Tarragona province . It is a coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea . The Serra del Montsià range and its foothills rise above