Vinaròs

Vinaròs (Valencian name , Castilian Vinaroz in ) is a common to the north of the Valencian community in Spain. It belongs to the Province of Castellón. It has 22.113 inhabitants and it is the chief town of its Comarque, the Baix Maestrat ( Bajo Maeztrazgo in Castilian).

Geography

Vinaròs is on the Mediterranean coast (Costa del Azahar) in the south of the mouth of the river Sénia ; it is the coastal commune most septentrional of the Valencian Country. Vinaròs is located halfway between Valence - Castellón and Tarragone - Barcelona; it is served by the trunk road 340 and highway AP-7; it is the terminal of the trunk road 232 which passes by Saragossa-Alcanyís-Morella-Vinaròs. It also has a station for the line of the Mediterranean Corridor (Barcelona - Valence). Finally a maritime line connects it to the Islands Balearic Islands.

Its Mediterranean climate is soft the winter and heat and dryness the summer.

Localities bordering

The territory of Vinaròs confronts the following localities: San Jorge, Cálig, Benicarló (all in the Province of Castellón), Alcanar and Ulldecona (both in the Province of Tarragone).

History

The origins of the city of Vinaroz are dubious. There existed however an Iberian village: that of " El Puig".

With the XIIIe century, one found a hamlet at the seaside, known under the name of " Bless-Al-Arus". After the conquest of Peñíscola by the king Jacques Ier the Conqueror, in 1233, this hamlet is mentioned in the charter of repopulation (Carta Puebla) of the September 29th 1241, and accepted the name of Bynalaroç . He transformed himself then into a Christian village. With the Moyen-âge, Vinaròs depended on the castle of Peñíscola, in the same way that its Benicarló neighbor, until it makes independent; then its growth started which transformed it into the principal chief town of the north of the Valencian Community. In XVIe century, she knew the movement of the Germanías; to take the party of the Crown was worth to him, in 1540, the title of City. It had a port of most important of the the Mediterranean, with large arsenals, where large ships were built. In this port, embarked the 15.000 Morisque S expelled of the Kingdom in 1609.

During centuries, Vinaroz suffered the attacks from the moresques pirates; it is, for that as on all the Valencian coast, one meets turns of watchtower, with an aim of informing the population in the event of danger: it is the case of called popularly the torreta dels moros , which is currently in ruin.

At the XIXe century, it had a local militia for the defense of the city and one built a wall which surrounded it. Because of the support which it lent to the throne during the wars carlists, the queen Isabelle II, conceded to him, in 1862, the title of Muy Noble there Leal Villa (" very noble and honest ville"). And in 1881 it accepted from the monarch Alphonse XII, the title of City.

Demography

Administration

Economy

The culture of the vines was the independent source of richness, but will philloxéra it destroyed them; the vines have been replaced by the carroubiers, the olive-trees and the almond trees, and for a few decades by the orange trees.

The fishing port plays a big role. The industry of the piece of furniture will be also noted.

Recently, tourism developed and became one of the axes of the saving in Vinaròs.

Services

Currently it has of a hospital, una music school, two colleges, a barracks of the Guardia Civil…

Monuments

Religious monuments

Churches:

the principal church of the village is the church archipresbytérale of the Assumption (in évêché of Tortosa). It is a building, mixes of Gothic and Renaissance style. It was classified Monumento Histórico-Artístico in 1978. The plan consists of a single nave with side chapels between the buttresses. The church is covered by a cupola on drum, crowned by a lantern, which is supported by four arcs. The frontage with a beautiful gate baroque, (XVIe century) deserves with him-only a visit.
the church of Sant Agustí, beside the market - includes/understands the church closed with the worship and currently transformed into Municipal Auditorium and the vault Santa Victoria, which accommodates the dependences of the Municipal Museum. The building dates from the XVIIIe century and is of style baroque, with a plan in Latin cross and side chapels.
the church of Santa Magdalena, more recent, very white construction.

Hermitages:

most remarkable, the hermitage of Sant Sebastià, owner of the city - old construction, painted all in white, beside a small tower from where one has a full sight around. Under a large cross are the remainders of an Iberian village.
There is also the hermitage of Sant Gregori, beside the municipal Cemetery.

Civil monuments

remainders of the Iberian village (VIIe with Ier front centuries J.C.). They are under a large Cross, near the Hermitage.

the town hall (XVIIe century).

the building of the Municipal Mercat (XXe century). Its constructin started in 1928, on the ground which an old convent agustin ocupait.

the Plaça Boil (Place of bullfights). It is the place built close to the sea.

the monument with Costa I Borràs.

Festivals

Vinaròs is a very festive village. During all the year celebrate quantity of festivals there:

With the Saint Antoine, during the " Ball of Dimonis" , one makes bonfires on the beach and in the village like with the hermitage. Sant Sebastià is the object of large a popular devotion and, on January 20th, the hermitage fills people for the annual pilgrimage. The " Carnival of Vinaròs" , each year, is very famous. During the Holy Week are held processions. In June, the festivals come and fair of Jean Saint and Saint Pierre, later the festivals del Llagostí (actually, all the summer is a festival with Vinaròs).

Famous characters

Borrás Jarque . Writer born in Vinaroz which wrote the " Història de Vinaròs" , regarded as a reference.

Louis-Joseph de Vendôme (Paris, 1654 - Vinaroz, 1712). marshal of the armies of the Bourbons during the War of succession, died in this city (according to what is said, of a shrimp indigestion and shells).

Wenceslao Ayguals de Izco (Vinaroz, 1801 - Madrid, 1875). Though he is recognized basically for his work of novelist, he was also a character strongly implied in various actions, as well cultural as political, of the city.

Josep Doménech Costa I Borràs (Vinaroz, 1805 - 1864)

Leopoldo Querol (Vinaroz, 1899 - Benicasim, 1985). Pianist and professor of the National Academy of Music.

Carles Santos Ventura (Vinaroz, 1940 -). Type-setter born in Vinaroz.

Joan-Elies Adell (Vinaroz, 1968 -). Poet. Belongs to the group of the Imparables .

External bonds

Webcam on Vinaroz

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