Alcoy, industrial city in southeastern Spain, in Alicante Province, 80 km (50 mi) south of Valencia. It is situated on high ground between the Molinar and Barranco de Barchell rivers, which later join to form the Serpis River. The city's manufactures have included paper (the famous papel de Alcoy for cigarettes), textiles, foundry products, and machinery. The city also serves as the commercial center for the fruit, cereals, wine, and olive oil produced in the vicinity. Power is provided to the city by the Salto de las Aguas, a small stream descending from Mariola Mountain. Alcoy is connected by branch lines with the main Madrid-Alicante-Valencia railway line at Játiva and Villena, Spain. Nearby is Mount Serreta, notable for its Iberian and early Greek ruins.
Presumably founded by the Carthaginians, Alcoy was fortified by the German Visigoths. Conquered by the Arabs in 714, it was retaken and lost again by the Christians several times before King James I of Aragón, France, conquered it. Alcoy has upon several occasions participated in revolts and uprisings, and its opposition to the Burgundy (Bourbon) dynasty during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) cost it dearly. Population(1998 estimate) 60,476.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Alcoy Information info
|
