Parla | |||||||||
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Municipality | |||||||||
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Location of Parla within the Community of Madrid |
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Location in Spain | |||||||||
Coordinates: 40°14′14″N 3°46′27″W / 40.23722°N 3.77417°W | |||||||||
Country | Spain | ||||||||
Autonomous community | Madrid | ||||||||
Province | Madrid | ||||||||
Comarca | Madrid metropolitan area | ||||||||
Founded | around 1255 | ||||||||
Government | |||||||||
• Mayor | José María Fraile (PSOE) | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• Total | 24.43 km2 (9.43 sq mi) | ||||||||
Elevation | 648.5 m (2,127.6 ft) | ||||||||
Population (2012) | |||||||||
• Total | 164,182 | ||||||||
• Density | 6,700/km2 (17,000/sq mi) | ||||||||
Demonym(s) | Parleños | ||||||||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||||||||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||||||
Postal code | 28980–28984 | ||||||||
Official language(s) | Spanish | ||||||||
Website | Official website |
Parla (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpaɾ.la]) is a municipality of the Madrid Metropolitan Area, Spain. It is located in the southern part of the autonomous community, approximately 20 km from the capital, Madrid. As of 2013[update], it has a population of 164,182.
Earliest evidence of human occupation includes stone tools made of Paleolithic chert, of the kind utilized by Stone Age people. Starting in approximately 200 CE, nomadic people from the coast began to settle the area, bringing their knowledge of metalworking (copper), ranching, agriculture, and weaving. These early settlers lived primarily along the Humanejos stream.
During the 4th and 5th centuries, the ranks of the local populations swelled to include newly arrived Celtic tribes from central Europe. The Celts brought with them various advanced technologies that included ironworking and fired ceramics. The local population was sustained mostly by ranching and agriculture.
Independent local development was interrupted by the arrival of the Carthagineans and Romans, the latter of whom recorded the history of the pre-Roman villages of the area. Local Roman artifacts include a number of grave markers and coins.
After the Battle of Guadalete (711), which signified the beginning of the Islamic conquest of Hispania, Parla and its inhabitants were a part of the territory governed by the Umayyad Caliphate. Parla once again appeared as an independent township during the Reconquista.