Escalona
Escalona is a municipality located in the north of the province of Toledo, which in turn is part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2017 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 3,240 inhabitants, many of whom are settled in several housing estates outside the town itself.
Escalona | |
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Escalona del Alberche | |
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Escalona Location of Escalona within Castilla-La Mancha | |
Coordinates: 40°10′15″N 4°24′19″W | |
Country | Spain |
Autonomous community | Castilla-La Mancha |
Province | Toledo |
Comarca | Torrijos |
Judicial district | Torrijos |
Founded | Ver texto |
Government | |
• Alcalde | Álvaro Gutiérrez Prieto (2007) |
Area | |
• Total | 73 km2 (28 sq mi) |
Elevation | 550 m (1,800 ft) |
Population (2018)[1] | |
• Total | 3,199 |
• Density | 44/km2 (110/sq mi) |
Demonym | Escaloneros |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 45910 |
Dialing code | 925 |
Website | Official website |
The town lies 30 metres above the right bank of the river Alberche, in the comarca of Torrijos, which is a part of the historical region of New Castile.
History
Escalona's strategic location, on the Alberche river and between Avila and Toledo, suggests there may have been a fortress there in Roman times or during the Visigoth period. Following the conquest of Toledo (1085), by Alfonso VI of León and Castile, it was a key defensive point against raids by the Almoravides and Almohades that attacked the place in 1131, 1137 and, again, in 1196.[2]
The Mudéjar-style Castle of Escalona, built in the 15th century,[2] is the most characteristic building of the town.
Twin towns
- Villena, Spain
- Peñafiel, Spain
Notable people
- Juan Manuel (1282-1348), writer
- Esteban de Aguilar y Zúñiga, theologian
References
- Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- (in Spanish) Sureda Pons, Joan, ed. (1998). España Gótica: Castilla-La Mancha, pp. 142-5. Ediciones Encuentro. ISBN 8474905095. Google Books. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
External links
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) website
- Official website of the Diputación Provincial de Toledo