Alcalà de Xivert
Encyclopedia
Alcalà de Xivert is a town and municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 in the Baix Maestrat
Baix Maestrat
Baix Maestrat is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain.- Municipalities :*Alcalà de Xivert*Benicarló*Càlig*Canet lo Roig*Castell de Cabres*Cervera del Maestre*Chert/Xert*La Jana*Peñíscola*La Pobla de Benifassà...

 comarca, province of Castelló
Castellón (province)
Castellón or Castelló is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The western side of the province is in the mountainous...

, Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...

, Spain.

The main town is located inland in a flat valley between the two mountain ranges of Serra d'Irta
Serra d'Irta
Serra d'Irta is a 18.8 km long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Pic Campanilles .-Location:...

 and Serra de les Talaies. There is no river in the valley, instead the water emerges in natural ponds known as basses.

The landmark of the town is the Esglèsia de Sant Joan Baptista (Church of Saint John the Baptist), built in 1736-1766, with a large dome, a noteworthy Baroque portal, and an 68m high tower, which is visible from many miles away.

History

Its castle occupied a strong position for the control of the routes along the Mediterranean coast. Here stood a Moorish castle (the name of the town derives from Arabic al-qalat = "the castle") that was captured by James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...

 in 1234, who also resettled the place with Christian villagers.

In contemporary times the economy of the town is devoted mainly to tourism, with several beaches and a busy marina at the villages located on the coast, Alcossebre
Alcossebre
Alcossebre is a seaside village in the Valencian Community located on the Costa del Azahar along the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain in the province of Castelló...

, Capicorb
Capicorb
Capicorb is a quiet seaside village in the Valencian Community located on the Costa del Azahar along the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain in the province of Castelló. This town falls within the municipal limits of Alcala de Xivert along with neighboring Alcossebre and Les Fonts...

 and Les Fonts.

Villages

  • Alcalà de Xivert, 3,971
  • Alcossebre
    Alcossebre
    Alcossebre is a seaside village in the Valencian Community located on the Costa del Azahar along the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain in the province of Castelló...

    , 2,151
  • Capicorb
    Capicorb
    Capicorb is a quiet seaside village in the Valencian Community located on the Costa del Azahar along the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain in the province of Castelló. This town falls within the municipal limits of Alcala de Xivert along with neighboring Alcossebre and Les Fonts...

    , 260
  • Les Fonts, 1,502

External links

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