Guadalajara

1.Historical Data

Historical Data

Guadalajara’s origin dates from Iberian times. It was called Arriaca by the Romans and Wâd-al-haîara (stone river) by the Muslims.

Historical Data

It was conquered by Álvar Fañez in 1085.

Alvar Fáñez de Minaya Alvar Fáñez’s tower

Historical Data

Privileges were given to the city by Alfonso VII in 1133; and later, they were increased by Fernando III (1219), Alfonso X and Alfonso XI (1331).

A constituent assembly was celebrated in Guadalajara, and later it became one of the seventeen cities to which the Catholics kings gave the rights to speak and vote.

Historical Data

The Mendoza family was handed over the command of Guadalajara by Juan II in 1441. This family, who was granted the ducal title of the Infantado, chose Guadalajara as the capital of their lordships.

Palacio del Infantado (nowadays and in the old days)

Historical Data Guadalajara reached its golden age in the seventeenth century, when the

population rose to 9500 inhabitants. In the XVII its decadence started. The first labour strike known in Spain took place in Guadalajara’s Royal Cloth Factory in 1730. This factory wasn’t successful and it was closed in 1808. In the nineteenth century, Guadalajara wasn't affected by the industrialization process and continued in its economic stagnation.

Guadalajara’s Royal Cloth Factory

Historical Data

After the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), which caused a great damage to the city, Guadalajara was included in the development plans in 1959. This fact specially strengthened the industry that was brought from the decongestion of Madrid's industrial states.

Historical Data Since then, Guadalajara has been one of the Spanish cities with a

greatest relative growth. Furthermore, new quarters have been opened, such as Aguas Vivas in the north of the city.

Guadalajara’s sports centre in Aguas Vivas

Guadalajara

2. Geographic Data

Geographic Data The province of Guadalajara is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, within the autonomous community of

Castilla - La Mancha.

Guadalajara’s air view

Geographic Data

The most important geographical features of Guadalajara’s surrounding areas are:

The Sistema Central, which is placed in the North-West.The Sistema Ibérico, which is located in the North-East.

Ocejón’s Mountain

Geographic DataThe Páramos Alcarreños, which are made up of continental deposits of

tabular structure, which take up a great extension of the surrounding areas of Guadalajara.

The Campiñas of the rivers Henares and Sorbe, which are situated in the South, and South – East of the province.

The campiñas

Geographic Data

The most important river that flows through the province is The River Tajo which flows through the East of Guadalajara’s province. It has its source in

the Montes Universales, in the Sierra de Albarracín and it’s the longest river of the province.

The Henares River passes through Guadalajara and it flows into the Jarama.

Geographic Data

Guadalajara (Spain) is located in the latitude and longitude of 40° 38' 0" N and 3° 10' 0" W, respectively; and its altitude is

708 metres above sea level.In Guadalajara city, there are two distinguished areas regarding

its geological traits:

The greatest part of the capital is situated above a tabular relief which forms La Alcarria. In this area, you can distinguish a structured surface across all

the East and South which is composed by conglomerate and limestone with poor and dry lands.

Between the plateau and the Henares, there can be found two areas called “El Escarpe” and “El Glacis” (both formed by sedimentary rocks), where

the centres of population are settled down.

Geographic Data

The Muela of Alarilla

Geographic Data

Black ArchitectureBlack architecture is a kind of popular architecture which uses as its

main building material, the slate. It’s a fine-grained grey, green, or bluish-purple metamorphic rock easily split into smooth, flat plates. It can be found in some places of Guadalajara, such as

The Ayllón mountain range. Slate is the structural main resource in the constructions of this

kind of architecture, useful for house roofs, cattle sheds and to store farming products in warehouses. The use of slate makes

these villages show a blackish appearance on their views.

Geographic Data

Black Architecture village

GUADALAJARA

3. Demographic Data

Demographic Data

Guadalajara, capital

Population growth statistics (1842-2010) according to the municipal census, INE.

Demographic Data

From the year 1842 to 2010 the population increases from 5,157 to 83,879 people. It is remarkable, the highest growth which took place from 1970 to 2010.

Demographic Data

Guadalajara, province

Demographic Data

From the year 1986 to 2009 the population increases from 146,311 to 246,151 people.

The population increases more from the year 2000 to 2009.

Demographic Data

The birth rate has risen from 10% to 13% since 1975-2009. The death rate decreased progressively to 9.73% from

1975 to 2009. Guadalajara's population has increased thanks to its

proximity to Spain (Madrid), where the price of houses is very expensive.

Guadalajara

4. Climate

Climate

Guadalajara´s climate is a warm Mediterraneanclimate or a Mediterranean continental climate due tothe height above sea level, with cold winters and hot

summers.

Climate

It is a dry climate , although with determinate seasons, that are rainy in spring and autumn and dry in winter and summer.

Climate

Also, we can see different rain cyclesfollowed by dry periods.

Sometimes, there are rainy springs and autumns, which cause annual floods. Also, extremely cold winters can provoke heavy snow storms, mainly in the mountains.

Climate The annual rainfall is 471,5 l/m2 ,with maximum in autumn and

minimum in summer. The sunny anticyclonic weather predominates all the year.

GUADALAJARA

5. Economic Data

One the most important factories in Guadalajara

Economic Data

Typical productsAlcarria’s honey is wide well-known in Spain, because of its quality, variety and medical properties.

Economic Data

Ferial Plaza Shopping Centre is located on the outskirts of the city. Hot new brands make it a stylish place to go for one-stop shopping.

There is also good food at great prices, a huge parking and wide range of entertainment facilities.

Economic Data

This is the high street, where banks, shops and public places are found.

Economic Data

Guadalajara

6. Cultural Data and Free Time

Cultural Data and Free Time

Palacio del Infantado: This is a wonderful Isabelline gothic building that dates from the

fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It has a peculiar decoration on its facade. Inside, we found the Lion Yard, with two galleries; the inferior is carved with faces of lions, and the superior one with mythological animals and beautiful columns. It has a garden around too.

Cultural Data and Free Time

Calle y Plaza Mayor: In the calle mayor we find big buildings, squares and churches. In the

plaza mayor we find the town hall. Up from there, we found the Jardinillo Square. Also, we find Saint Nicolas church and finally Santo Domingo Square. And in front of it, San Ginés church.

Cultural Data and Free Time

Muralla:We have only few remains of the wall, and to know more about it we could go to the Torreon del Alamín, where we find pictures and information boards. In the nineteenth century, the wall surrounded the city, but now the only gate left is in Bejanque Square.

Alcázar Real:This building is today in ruins under a restauration process. It dates back from the muslim period and, in the beginning, it was designed as a lookout tower. It was built around a garden. In the reconquer it was used for ceremonies. It was a fortress until it was totally pulled down in 1936.

Cultural Data and Free Time

Palacio de la Cotilla:

It was decorated in the XIX Century by the Marqueses of Villamejor, Ana de Torres and Ignacio de Figueroa. The Chinese Lounge is a treasure, with handpainted paper. It’s very extrange and valuable.

Cultural Data and Free Time

Panteón de la Condesa de la Vega del Pozo: At the end of the nineteenth century, the Condesa de la Vega del Pozo

ordered Ricardo Velazquez Bosco the construction of a few buildings for charities and as a family vault.

It is one of the most amazing places in the city.

Cultural Data and Free Time Easter Holidays are characterised by the processions and their Castillian

sobriety, their religiosity and the beauty and quality of their statues. Corpus Christi procession, which has been celebrated since the fifteenth century, has an enormous tradition. During the parade, the streets are decorated with altars and mosaics with flowers, the children who have just taken the first communion.

Cultural Data and Free Time

Nuestra Señora de la Antigua

The patron saint’s day is celebrated on the 8th of September. It is more than a religious ceremony. There are lots of cultural and leisure activities, including sports and bullfighting. Tenorio Mendocino The first weekend in November, different scenes of the play Don Juan Tenorio are performed in scenarios related to the Mendozas: the palace of Don Antonio de Mendoza, the Convent of La Piedad or the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios.

Cultural Data and Free Time

Finally, the Carnival is also a Provincial Tourist Festival, but we cannot forget the Marathon of Stories, which is a great event for children and adults. Professional and amateur narrators tell their stories as part of a non-stop marathon from Friday to Sunday. This event takes place in the Palacio del Infantado, the theaters and streets of Guadalajara.

Guadalajara

7. Our High School

Our High School

Brianda de Mendoza High School was established by Royal Decree on

September 27th,1837. It is one of the oldest High Schools in Spain.

Brianda de Mendoza High School

Our High School

Its first location was the old Convent of San Juan de Dios, which was founded by Mrs. Brianda de Mendoza and Luna in the seventeenth century.

Mrs Brianda de Mendoza

Our High School

In the early twentieth century, Guadalajara’s Provincial library and the Normal School, which shared part of the building with the High School, were put in different places of the city.

Guadalajara’s Provincial library.

Our High School

Shortly after the civil war, the high school was named Brianda de Mendoza, in order to pay homage to the founder of the convent.

Convent of La Piedad

Our High School

In 1972, after suffering certain difficulties, the school moved to a new building located in the suburbs of the city, close to the industrial park El Balconcillo.

Our High School

Throughout its history, Brianda de Mendoza high school has accumulated a significant cultural and artistic heritage.

Our High School

However, a lot of objects have been lost or damaged due to the different circumstances experienced by the school.

Improvement and restoration meassures have been taken in order to maintain the heritage of the school, including records, books, paintings, prints and furniture.

Our High School

IES Brianda de Mendoza includes among its facilities the following:• Computer rooms.• Laboratories of physics and chemistry.• Laboratories of biology and geology.• Museum and natural science classroom.• Radio Arrebato, our radio station .

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