Llutxent () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in the eastern part of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, in the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

, within the ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

'' of the

Vall d'Albaida Vall d'Albaida (; ) is a ''Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca'' in the Provinces of Spain, province of Valencia (province), Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Etymology The name of the ''comarca'' is derived from the Hispano-Arab ...

, 80 km south of

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

and 110 km north of

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

. As of 2016, it is inhabited by 2,402 people. The town's economy is based on

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

and the

manufacture Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...

pallet A pallet (also called a skid) is a flat transport structure, which supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, a pallet jack, a Loader (equipment), front loader, a Jack (mechanical), jacking device, or an erect cra ...

s, and a small

services sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...

. The town was first settled by

Ancient Romans The Roman people was the ethnicity and the body of Roman citizenship, Roman citizens (; ) during the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire. This concept underwent considerable changes throughout the long history of the Roman ...

. Llutxent is host to one of the most popular

Moors and Christians ''Moros y Cristianos'' () or ''Moros i Cristians'' (), literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain, mainly in the southern Valencian Community. According ...

celebrations during the end of April, attracting many people around the

to see the

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

Name

The town derives its name from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

etymon ''Luciana villa'' or ''pagu Lucianu'', meaning "Light

Villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

" or "

Pagus In ancient Rome, the Latin word (plural ) was an administrative term designating a rural subdivision of a tribal territory, which included individual farms, villages (), and strongholds () serving as refuges, as well as an early medieval geograp ...

of Light". Some other sources suggest that the town may have been named after the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

Patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

''Lucius'' with the ending ''in''. The town was also known as ''Luxen'', ''Luchent'', and ''Llutchen'' in the past. ''Llutxent'' is commonly abbreviated to ''Llutx''.

History

Roman period

The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Llutxent was by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

, in the form of

Roman Villa A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house in the territory of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, sometimes reaching extravagant proportions. Nevertheless, the term "Roman villa" generally covers buildings with the common ...

. The town's name comes from this early settlement. However, no

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

of Roman Origin have been found.

Muslim rule (711–1492)

Little is known about the Islamic Period in Llutxent. The town's area was made up of a large number of farmsteads (with names such as ''Benicia'', ''Benitxellví'', ''Xetà'', ''Rafal'', ''Osset'', ''Cometa'' which are still used to indicate the areas where those farmsteads used to be) that depended upon the Castle of Xiu.

Christian reconquest (1229–1245)

The first written references about the town are about the reconquest of the municipality's area by

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( Catalan/Valencian: ''Jaume I or Jaume el Conqueridor''; Aragonese: ''Chaime I'' ''o Conqueridor''; ; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1 ...

and the arrival of Catalan-Aragonese troops to the
beyond the Xúquer
lands. These describe the "Great Islamic revolt of 1247–1248, after which James I of Aragon in 1248, besieged and conquered the castle of the Xiu. Subsequently,

gave the town to the conquering troops and established a permanent

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

population in Llutxent, while the farms located around the town's area kept their native Islamic population. In 1276, the town is razed during Al-Azraq's revolt. Jaume I, in response to the town's razing, sent Christian troops which successfully re-conquered the town. Next year, the town's control and territory was given to the Italian noble "Joan de Proxita", who created the Barony of Llutxent.

Christian rule

Between 1348 and 1349 Llutxent was scene to various skirmishes during the War of the Union of the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...

. ''The Proxitas'', as lords of Llutxent, began the construction of the Palace Castle. In 1487, the town's lordship was handed over to the family of the ''Maçà''.

Modern history

Main sights

Castles and palaces * Castle of Xiu.

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

. Abandoned after the Expulsion of the Moriscos, the building is still an important

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern-day use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures ...

for the town and its surrounding area. In dire need of

renovation Renovation (also called remodeling) is the process of improving broken, damaged, or outdated structures. Renovations are typically done on either commercial or residential buildings. Additionally, renovation can refer to making something new, o ...

. * Castle-palace of Llutxent. Constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries by the Proxitas. The building is currently owned by the municipality. Religious buildings * Church of the Assumption, built in the 19th century on top of an old

Gothic Church Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

in ruins. The building follows the Classical Architecture Style, and it is home to important pieces of art and culture of great historic value, such as the Santa Faç icon-chest. * Monastery of the Corpus Christi (The convent), erected by the Dominicans, it was the first Valencian University (General Study in Arts and Theology). The building has undergone several renovations, modifications and extensions, with the most important one being the addition of the Corpus Christi in the 17th century, a church built in the Gothic style. A 200-year old Carob Tree can be found next to the Monastery. * Chapel of the Consolation, founded by Catalan pilgrims in 1772, the building follows the Barroque Architecture Style. A stained glass windows were added to the chapel in the 1970s by Alfred Manessier. Other sights * The Coast, Stone-paved road built in 1580 that connected Monastery of the Corpus Christi with the town's church and was used for religious pilgrimage between the two. * Farmer's park, near which various Llutxentine organizations are located.

Government, politics and corruption

Local government

Llutxent's Municipal Council ('' Ajuntament in Catalan or Ayuntamiento in Spanish''), is elected by universal suffrage according to proportional representation, in

municipal elections In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct var ...

held every 4 years, and it cannot be dissolved. Logo Ajuntament de Llutxent

The law requires the Municipal Council to meet in full session at least every three months and extraordinary sessions can be called by either the mayor or by at least 1/4 of the Council Membership. The Municipal Council does not formulate major laws, but drafts regulations related to legislation from the

Cortes Generales The (; ) are the Bicameralism, bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate of Spain, Senate (the upper house). The Congress of Deputies meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, ...

(''The Legislative Body of Spain'') or the

Generalitat Valenciana The Generalitat Valenciana is the generic name covering the different self-government institutions under which the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia is politically organized. It consists of seven institutions including the ''Corts Valen ...

(''Regional Government''). It oversees the

budget A budget is a calculation plan, usually but not always financial plan, financial, for a defined accounting period, period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including tim ...

, and it may raise

tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

es to supplement grants from the Central and the

Regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

Governments. It is made up of 11 council members, who elect the mayor of the town ('' Alcalde, in Catalan and Spanish''). If no head of the list of each party gets a

majority A majority is more than half of a total; however, the term is commonly used with other meanings, as explained in the "#Related terms, Related terms" section below. It is a subset of a Set (mathematics), set consisting of more than half of the se ...

of votes, the head of the list of the most voted party becomes mayor. The Municipal Council retains the right to a

Motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...

to remove the mayor and to install a new one. The mayor, in most instances, serves as the leader of the

party in the council. In addition to being

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the Municipal Council, directing municipal administration, heading the municipal police force, and exercising extensive powers of appointment, the mayor plays a major public relations role and enjoys a great deal of prestige. The mayor also organizes and elects the Local Government Team. The Local Government Team is usually composed of members of the Municipal Council members from the mayor's political party. The Local Government Team assists and advises the mayor. Llutxent's Local Government is currently subdivided into 4 Departments: * Mayorship, headed by the mayor. * Department of the Interior. * Department of Health. * Department of Tourism. The municipal budget for fiscal year 2018 was of €3,092,766.42 ($3,465,753.58).

Name

History

Roman period

Muslim rule (711–1492)

Christian reconquest (1229–1245)

Christian rule

Modern history

Main sights

Government, politics and corruption

Local government

Infrastructure

Main sights

See also

References