Castellón de la Plana |
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Municipality | |||
Central parts of Castelló de la Plana.
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Location in the Valencian Community |
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Location in Spain | |||
Coordinates: 39°58′59″N 0°1′59″W / 39.98306°N 0.03306°WCoordinates: 39°58′59″N 0°1′59″W / 39.98306°N 0.03306°W | |||
Country | Spain | ||
Autonomous community | Valencian Community | ||
Province | Castellón | ||
Comarca | Plana Alta | ||
Judicial district | Castelló de la Plana | ||
Government | |||
• Alcaldesa | Amparo Marco Gual (2015) (PSPV-PSOE) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 108.78 km2 (42.00 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) | ||
Highest elevation | 609 m (1,998 ft) | ||
Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | ||
Population (2015) | |||
• Total | 171,669 | ||
• Density | 1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi) | ||
Demonym(s) | Castellonenc, Castellonenses | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Postal code | 12001-06 | ||
Dialing code | 964 | ||
Official language(s) | Valencian, Spanish | ||
Website | Official website |
Castellón de la Plana (Spanish: [kasteˈʎon de la ˈplana]), Castelló de la Plana (Valencian: [kasteˈʎo ðe la ˈplana]), or simply Castellón / Castelló, is the capital city of the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community, Spain, in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea. The mountain range known as Desert de les Palmes rises inland north of the town.
The Prime Meridian crosses Castellón de la Plana.
The first known building in the area was the Moorish castle of Fadrell, near the Alqueries de La Plana. The town proper was officially founded in 1251, after the conquest of the Moorish Kingdom of Valencia by King James I of Aragon in 1233. James granted royal permission to move the town from the mountain to the plain on September 8, 1251, and tradition claims that the move was completed by the third Sunday of Lent, 1252. During the Middle Ages, the city was protected by moats, walls and towers, and a church was built, later becoming a cathedral. In the 16th century the town was one of the last strongholds in the Revolta de les Germanies (local guilds). It also supported Archduke Charles of Austria in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14), but was later taken by the troops of Philip d'Anjou.