Cullera

Cullera
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms
Cullera Location in Spain
Coordinates: 39°9′50″N 0°15′6″W
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Valencian Community
Province	Valencia
Comarca	Ribera Baixa
Judicial district	Sueca
Government
• Alcalde	Ernesto Sanjuán Martínez
Area
• Total	53.8 km2 (20.8 sq mi)
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	24,821
• Density	461.4/km2 (1,194.9/sq mi)
Demonym	Cullerenc, cullerenca Cullerà, cullerana
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	46400
Official language(s)	Spanish, Valencian
Website	Official website

Torres de San Antonio Resort beach, Cullera

Cullera (Valencian pronunciation: [kuˈʎeɾa]) is a municipality in Valencia in the Valencian Community, Spain, situated in the Ribera Baixa comarca.

Geography

Cullera is situated at the mouth of the Júcar river, 40 kilometers from the capital of Valencia.

Neighborhoods and hamlets

The main neighborhoods of Cullera are:

• El Brosquil.
• Cullera-Park.
• Cap-Blanc.
• El Dosel.
• El Estany.
• El Marenyet.
• Mareny de San Lorenzo.
• Mareny Blau.

Bordering cities

Sueca, Corbera, Llaurí, Favara, and Tavernes de Valldigna all neighbor Cullera. They are all in the province of Valencia.

Topography

The mountain of Cullera, known as Munt de l'Or or Muntanya de l'Or is the last mountain in the Iberian range before the Mediterranean Sea. It has an altitude of 233 meters. The historical parts of the city are to the south, and the modern tourist district is to the east, looking to the sea.

The San Lorenzo lagoon is a small lake situated north of the mountain. It once formed part of a much bigger lake before the lands were drained for agricultural use. The lake now marks the southern limit of the Parque Natural de la Albufera.

Demographics

Demographic Change

1990	1992	1994	1996	1998	2000	2002	2004
20.927	20.336	20.663	20.595	20.397	20.663	20.622	22.544

Economy

The economy in Cullera is traditionally based in agriculture, with rice and oranges as important crops. Fishing, historically a large part of the economy, has diminished in importance due to important tourism developments, both nationally and internationally, in the region.

Historical and artistic landmarks

Santa Ana tower

Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Castle

• Castle: At the top of the mountain, dominating the city and the sea, there is a fortress built in the 13th century over the old Moorish fortress. It once was walled, although those walls no longer remain. Located there are the rest of the old towers, forming part of the old walled area on the mountain.

• Sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo: (19th century) Within the fortress, there is the sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo, whose festival is celebrated the week after Passover.

• Church of the Saint Johns: A neoclassical temple from the 17th century built over an older Gothic temple. Inside, there is a sacristía and the interior of a bell tower. The temple has recently been restored.

• Torre del marenyet: An old defensive tower built to watch the Júcar river. It was erected in the 15th century as a defense against pirates.

• Cave of Dragut: This cave depicts the invasion of the Berbers in Cullera, and it is said that the pirate Dragut was once there.

Food

The typical food of the region is the so-called Mediterranean diet, which is characterized by a rich selection of vegetables. In Cullera's orchards, there are many citrus crops (oranges, mandarins and lemons), as well as fish and seafood of the nearby ocean. Alongside the offerings of the orchards, not to mention the seafood, there are dozens of ways to prepare rice: arroz al horno, arroz a banda, etc.

See also

• Mutiny at Sucro

External links

• Instituto Valenciano de Estadística
• Castillo de Cullera
• http://www.costamediterranea.com/dondeir/valencia/cullera.html
• http://www.valencians.com/valencia/rb/cullera

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.