Bigastro Explained

Bigastro
Settlement Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Spain Province of Alicante#Spain Valencia#Spain
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Spain
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Spain
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous community
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Alicante
Subdivision Type3:Comarca
Subdivision Name3:Vega Baja del Segura
Subdivision Type4:Judicial district
Subdivision Name4:Orihuela
Coordinates:38.0631°N -0.8956°W
Elevation M:24
Area Total Km2:4.10
Population Demonym:Bigastrense
Population Density Km2:auto
Blank Name Sec1:Official language(s)
Blank Info Sec1:Spanish
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:03380
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Leader Title:Alcalde (2015)
Leader Name:Teresa María Belmonte Sánchez
Leader Party:PP

Bigastro (pronounced as /es/; Valencian: Bigastre) is a municipality in the Valencian Community (Spain) situated in the south of the province of Alicante, in the comarca of Vega Baja del Segura. It had a population of 6,450 at the time of the 2005 census.

History

In La Loma, there is an archaeological site dating from the Bronze Age.

The city (Latin: Bigastrum) was the seat of a bishop under Byzantine rule. It was probably recovered by the Visigoths under Witteric.

The district derives its name from the Lugar Nuevo de los Canónigos, a place of residence for the canons of Orihuela cathedral, which once had power over the area. In 1701, after some lawsuits with the settlers, the church made some allowances which permitted the foundation of Bigastro, starting with three estates, in which 24 families lived.

Economy

At the time of its foundation, agriculture was concentrated around flax and hemp; in the 19th century, the fall of the textile sector sparked interest in citrus fruits and products from irrigated fields. There is also industrial activity, mainly in the form of construction and manufacturing.

Demography

In 2005, Bigastro had 6,450 residents, 11.79% of which were foreigners. The most common nationality was British (22% of all foreigners).

Monuments

The young age of the town means that some landlord's homes survive, along with some farmer's dwellings dispersed throughout the area. One unique monument that must be mentioned is the Church of the Virgin of Bethlehem, where a sculpture of Saint Joachim of Salzillo.

Gastronomy

The typical dishes in the area are stew and rabbit with rice.[1] Other important dishes in Bigastro come from the pastry shops: almojábanas, toñas, almendrados, monas and soplillos.

Twin towns

Festivals

Famous residents

author of the Spanish National Anthem.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bigastro . alicantetoday.com . 30 June 2020.