Cullera

Cullera
Municipality

Flag
Coat of arms
Cullera
Location in Spain
Cullera
Cullera (Valencian Community)
Cullera
Cullera (Spain)
Coordinates: 39°9′50″N 0°15′6″W / 39.16389°N 0.25167°W / 39.16389; -0.25167Coordinates: 39°9′50″N 0°15′6″W / 39.16389°N 0.25167°W / 39.16389; -0.25167
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Valencian Community
Province Valencia
Comarca Ribera Baixa
Judicial district Sueca
Government
 • Alcalde Jordi Mayor
Area
 • Total 53.8 km2 (20.8 sq mi)
Elevation 2 m (7 ft)
Population (2008)
 • Total 24,821
 • Density 460/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Cullerenc, cullerenca
Cullerà, cullerana
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code 46400
Official language(s) Spanish, Valencian
Website Official website
Torres de San Antonio Resort beach, Cullera

Cullera (Valencian pronunciation: [kuˈʎeɾa]) is a municipality in Valencia in the Valencian Community, Spain, situated in the Ribera Baixa comarca.

Geography

Cullera is situated at the mouth of the Júcar river, 40 km from the capital of Valencia.

Neighbourhoods and hamlets

The main neighbourhoods of Cullera are:

  • El Brosquil.
  • Cullera-Park.
  • Cap-Blanc.
  • El Dosel.
  • El Estany.
  • El Marenyet.
  • Mareny de San Lorenzo.
  • Mareny Blau.
  • Bega de Mar,
  • El Perelló,

Bordering cities

Sueca, Corbera, Llaurí, Favara, Alzira and Tavernes de Valldigna all neighbour Cullera. They are all in the province of Valencia.

Topography

The mountain of Cullera, known as Munt de l'Or or Muntanya de l'Or, is the last mountain in the Iberian System before the Mediterranean Sea. It has an altitude of 233 meters. The historical parts of the city are to the south, and the modern tourist district is to the east, looking to the sea.

The San Lorenzo lagoon is a small lake situated north of the mountain. It once formed part of a much bigger lake before the lands were drained for agricultural use. The lake now marks the southern limit of the Parque Natural de la Albufera.

Demographics

Demographic Change[1]
19901992199419961998200020022004200620082010
20.92720.33620.66320.59520.39720.66320.62222.54423.61923.77723.813

Economy

The economy in Cullera is traditionally based in agriculture, with rice and oranges as important crops. Fishing, historically a large part of the economy, has diminished in importance due to important tourism developments, both nationally and internationally, in the region.

Historical and artistic landmarks

Santa Ana tower
Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Castle
  • Castle: At the top of the mountain, dominating the city and the sea, there is a fortress built in the 13th century over the old Moorish fortress. It once was walled, although those walls no longer remain. Located there are the rest of the old towers, forming part of the old walled area on the mountain.[2]
  • Sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo: (19th century) Within the fortress, there is the sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo, whose festival is celebrated the week after Passover.
  • Church of the Saint Johns: A neoclassical temple from the 17th century built over an older Gothic temple. Inside, there is a sacristía and the interior of a bell tower. The temple has recently been restored.[3]
  • Torre del marenyet: An old watchtower built to watch the Júcar river. It was erected in the 15th century as a defense against barbary pirates.[4]
  • Cave of Dragut: This cave depicts the invasion of the Berbers in Cullera, and it is said that the pirate Dragut was once there.[5][6]
  • Air-raid shelter-Museum of the Mercat Municipal: A bomb shelter constructed under the Town's Market under the threat of air bombing during the Spanish Civil War.[7]
  • Hermitage of the stone saints (Abdon and Sennen): The building, situated on a hill surrounded by rice crops, was dedicated to these saints because they are related to the welfare of the crops. Nowadays, the Hermitage, which was built in the 18th century, has been reconverted into a museum dedicated to rice, from species to crops and tools, which is very important for Valencian cuisine.[8]
  • Abric Lambert cave paintings: Named after its discoverer Lambert Oliver, the Abric Lambert is located in the north-west side of the mountain. The paintings are several figures painted in a dark red shade with cruciforms and comb-shaped figures that have been interpreted as animal and human figures.[9]

Food

The typical food of the region is the so-called Mediterranean diet, which is characterized by a rich selection of vegetables. In Cullera's orchards, there are many citrus crops (oranges, mandarins and lemons), as well as fish and seafood of the nearby ocean. Alongside the offerings of the orchards, not to mention the seafood, there are dozens of ways to prepare rice: arroz al horno, arroz a banda, etc.

Twin towns

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ficha municipal Cullera" [Municipal sketch Cullera] (PDF) (in Spanish). Institut valencià d'estadística. 2011. p. 1. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  2. ↑ "El Castillo" (in Spanish). Cullera Turismo. Archived from the original on 2012-08-21. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  3. ↑ "Parish Church of Los Santos Juanes". Cullera Turismo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  4. ↑ "Marenyet Tower". Cullera Turismo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  5. ↑ "Museum". Cueva del Dragut. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
  6. ↑ "Museo Temático de la Piratería Cueva-Museo del Pirata Dragut". Cullera Turismo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
  7. ↑ "Refugio-Museo del Mercado Municipal" (in Spanish). Cullera Turismo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
  8. ↑ "Museo Temático-Museo del Arroz" (in Spanish). Cullera Turismo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  9. ↑ "'Abric Lambert' Cave Paintings". Cullera Turismo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  10. ↑ "Twin cities monument". Retrieved 2012-04-17.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Cullera". Encyclopædia Britannica. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 617.

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