Villajoyosa (Spanish: [biʎaxoˈʝosa]), in Valencian: La Vila Joiosa ([la ˈvila dʒoˈjoza]), meaning "The Joyful Town", and officially Villajoyosa / La Vila Joiosa,[3] is a coastal town and municipality in the south of the Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the historic and administrative capital of Marina Baixa county, and is located in the province of Alicante. The town is known locally simply as La Vila.[4]
Villajoyosa
| |
|---|---|
| Villajoyosa / La Vila Joiosa (official) | |
 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: La Vila | |
 Location of La Vila Joiosa | |
  Villajoyosa  Villajoyosa  Villajoyosa | |
| Coordinates: 38°30′19″N 0°13′58″W / 38.50528°N 0.23278°W | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous community |  Valencian Community |
| Province |  Alicante / Alacant |
| Comarca | Marina Baixa |
| Judicial district | Villajoyosa / La Vila Joiosa |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marcos Enrique Zaragoza Mayor[1] (PPCV) |
| Area | |
• Total | 20.45 km2 (7.90 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 27 m (89 ft) |
| Population (2018)[2] | |
• Total | 33,969 |
| • Density | 1,700/km2 (4,300/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | viler, -a (Val.) vilero, -a (Sp.) jonense (locally, in disuse) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 03570 |
| Official language(s) | |
| Website | www.villajoyosa.com |
It is the historic and administrative capital of the comarca of Marina Baixa and is located 32 km from the city of Alicante, in the coastal area known as Costa Blanca (White Coast). It has over three kilometers of beaches, including the Platja Centre (Central Beach), close to the town centre. The river of La Vila (incorrectly also known as Amadòrio) runs through the town.
The area is famous for its chocolate industry and tourism. One of the most popular tourist attractions is its Gothic Catholic church of the Assumption, with a Baroque altar piece. Another popular destination, the Royal Palm Casino (formerly Casino Costa Blanca), is now closed. The town's festival of Moros i Cristians,[5] celebrated at the end of July, was declared an International Tourist Interest Festival. Currently, this festivity commemorates a boat landing from the Berber pirates that was repelled by the population of the town.[6]
Notable people
edit- Marta Baldó, rhythmic gymnast and Olympic Champion (1996, Atlanta)
- José Catalá, footballer
- Lucía Cortez Llorca, tennis player
- Maisa Lloret, rhythmic gymnast
- Felipe Orts, road and cyclo-cross cyclist
- Maxim Kuzminov, Russian defector and helicopter pilot found dead in Villajoyosa
- Anthony Jung, footballer who was born in Villajoyosa, Spain, to a German mother and Spanish father. He emigrated at the age of three with his divorced mother to Germany.
Twin towns
editVitré, Ille-et-Vilaine, France, since 1989
Quesada, Spain, since 2006
References
edit- ^ "Equipo de Gobierno Local de Villajoyosa". villajoyosa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- ^ "Villajoyosa mantiene su topónimo en castellano al retirarse la propuesta para eliminarlo del pleno". lasprovincias.es (in Spanish). Las Provincias. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ Lonely Planet Costa Blanca Miles Roddis – 2002 – Page 216 La Vila Joiosa (Villajoyosa) postcode 03570 • pop 23,700 La Vila Joiosa ('Joyful Town') is, in fact, a fairly staid place for most of the year. Its patron saint is Saint Martha. Known to the locals simply as La Vila, it perks up in summertime, dons its glad rags and has a ...
- ^ Villajoyosa Moors and Christians Fiesta Archived 12 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, alicante-spain.info
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "CRISTIÀ - Moros & Cristianos Villajoyosa 2017". YouTube.
External links
edit Media related to La Vila Joiosa at Wikimedia Commons
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