Location
This Spanish city is located in the
community of Madrid, 30km northeast of the city of Madrid and 15
minutes from Barajas Airport. It has a population of approximately
200,000. The city is generally known as Alcalá but 'de
Henares' is often added to differentiate it from a city in a much
smaller Spanish town in Andalucia, Alcalá de
Guadaira.
History
The city is of Roman origin and the
only Roman town in the Madrid region. At some time in the
1480s Christopher Columbus had his first meeting in the city with
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to discuss his exploration of the
Americas. Their daughter Katharine of Aragón was born
in 1485 and later became the first wife of Henry VIII. She
died 7 January 1536 and was buried in Peterborough Cathedral on 29
January 1536. It is for this reason that Peterborough was twinned
with Alcalá de Henares.
In 1496 the Universidad Complutense was founded and became
famous as a centre of learning during the Renaissance period. It
was moved to Madrid in 1836. 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. Important historical figures associated with the city include
Miguel de Cervantes born author of Don Quixote. Other notable
figures associated with the city are the theologian Gabriel
Vazquez, the artist Pablo de Cespedes, the mystic John of the Cross
and Mañuel Azaña, President of the 2nd Republic.
Culture
Each year the city celebrates the
birthday of Cervantes on 9 October and organises an annual
Cervantes Festival. The local university is generally acknowledged
as a global leader in the study of Cervantes and his works. The
King and Queen of Spain come to Alcalá each year to
present the Premio de Literatura 'Miguel de Cervantes'. The
University and historic precinct of Alcalá de Henares
became a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation) World Heritage site in 1998. The
university founded by Cardinal Jimenez de Cisneros in the early
16th century was the world's first planned university city. It
served as a model for universities in Europe and elsewhere.
Economy
Before the 1950s potteries and
brick were traditional industries. During the sixties, largely due
to the proximity of Madrid, expansion took place and large and
medium sized companies such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, food,
cosmetic, electrical companies became established.
Alcalá's excellent
transport links with Madrid have led to it becoming a commuter town
with many of its residents travelling to work in the capital. On
March 11 2004 it was badly affected by the terrorist attacks in
Madrid as the bombed trains all originated or passed through
Alcalá.
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