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Andratx

Coordinates: 39°35′N 2°25′E / 39.583°N 2.417°E / 39.583; 2.417
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Andratx
Municipality
Town of Andratx
Town of Andratx
Official seal of Andratx
Seal
Andratx shown within Majorca
Andratx shown within Majorca
Sovereign state Spain
Autonomous community Balearic Islands
Province Balearic Islands
Island Majorca
ComarcaSerra de Tramuntana
Administrative HQAndratx
Government
 • TypeMunicipal corporation
 • BodyAjuntament d'Andratx
 • MayorJaume Porsell Alemany (PPC)
Area
 • Total
81.46 km2 (31.45 sq mi)
Population
 (2009)
 • Total
11,685
 • Density143.44/km2 (371.5/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (Central European Summer Time)
Websitewww.andratx.cat

Andratx (Catalan pronunciation: [ənˈdɾatʃ]) is a municipality on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, along the Mediterranean east coast of Spain. It is located on the southwest tip of the island. Puerto de Andratx located a few miles south of Andratx; is an exclusive resort popular with film stars and some of the worlds most elite. The natural harbor is one of its kind lined with up market restaurants and boutiques facing countless multi million pound villas.

History

The town of Andratx is ancient and until recently[when?] was mainly inhabited by local Majorcan people.[citation needed] The area was occupied by the Romans,[1] who called the town Andrachium, in the 2nd century BC and pottery and coins found there give evidence of this.[2] The town was built inland from the coast as a precaution against the constant threat of raids from Barbary pirates.[1] In the 16th century a system of observation towers was erected on the island as a means of protection against pirates. From 14 towers in the municipalities of Andratx and Calvià, 12 still exist. The municipality also includes the towns of Port d'Andratx, Sa Coma, S'Arracó, Sant Elm and Camp de Mar. It also includes the uninhabited islet Sa Dragonera.

The municipality has undergone a transformation since 2004,[citation needed] following the input of EU finance which has resulted in a facelift for the town and also brought in foreign investment.

Geography

Andratx municipality is located in the southwestern corner of the Sierra de Tramontana, the most significant mountains of the island of Majorca.

In the southern part are a number of valleys, which are the most densely populated areas. The northern part of the municipality is mountainous and rugged, and is virtually uninhabited. The highest point is at 927 metres.

Off the coast of the municipality is the islet of Sa Dragonera, declared a Natural Park in 1995. It can be accessed by sea from Puerto de Andratx or Sant Elm

Economy

The main activity in Andratx today is tourism. [citation needed] During the summer months there are many celebrities, such as the former model Claudia Schiffer, former Spanish Prime Ministers Felipe Gonzalez and Adolfo Suárez, film directors Guy Hamilton and Fernando Trueba and opera singer Regine Crespin, among others. Notable people who have properties in the area include TV presenters John Noakes and Selina Scott. Scott owns a £500,000 hillside farmhouse overlooking Puerto D'Andratx and denied knowing of illegal building permits saying "I have no knowledge at all that any measures can be taken to check such work".[3]

Scott´s 2009 book, a Long Walk in the High Hills, is based on her early experiences in Andratx.[citation needed]

Agriculture and fishing as a means of livelihood have declined considerably, and is mostly practiced now[when?] for private consumption and recreation purposes.[citation needed] The main crops are almonds, carob, figs and citrus fruit and grapes producing "Santa Catarina" wine.[citation needed]

Illegal building

An extensive corruption network for illegal building permits has been investigated since 2006.[4]The former mayor of the town, Eugenio Hidalgo, was sentenced for corruption charges and has been imprisoned since December 2009.[5]

Demographics

Demographic evolution
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1981 1991 2001 2005 2007
6,516 6,262 6,113 5,778 5,077 3,768 4,113 6,043 6,336 6,869 9,034 9,906 10,939

Throughout the twentieth century the population gradually declined to a low in the 1950s. Since then the population has been recovering steadily except in 1960 when the population increased by 2,000 people. In the early twenty-first century the pace of growth has accelerated again. with 2,200 new inhabitants between 2001 and 2005 and increasing urban pressure on the environment, especially in the capital-population centers Andratx and Puerto de Andratx.

Andratx is one of the municipalities of Mallorca with the highest percentage of foreign residents. According to the 2001 census about 15% of the population was foreign and among them 43% were nationals, including roughly 15% German, 15% British and 10% French.

Art

The main monuments in the municipality are Church of Santa Maria de Andrach, Iglesia de la Virgen del Carmen del Puerto de Andratx, Church of s'Arracó, the Castell de Son Mas (Now City Hall), the Andratx Castle, and the former Trappist monastery, now in ruins. The legendary Teatro Argentino, dating back to 1912, belongs to former symbols of the municipality that have disappeared.

Contemporary art is shown in the CCA Andrax Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Andratx), in Sa Coma, north of Andratx; in the Sa Taronja Cultural Association, west of Andratx; in the Liedtke Museum in the Port; and in the architectonically remarkable Studio Weil.

Notable people

  • Torre de Cala en Basset near Sant Elm
    Torre de Cala en Basset near Sant Elm
  • Cala en basset
    Cala en basset
  • Port d'Andratx
    Port d'Andratx
  • Castle of Andratx
    Castle of Andratx
  • The town centre
    The town centre

References

  1. ^ a b Tisdall, Nigel (2003). Mallorca. Thomas Cook Publisher. p. 52. ISBN 9781841573274. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "Andratx Majorca Guide". Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  3. ^ Patrick Sawer (21 February 2009). "Scott gives evidence in holiday homes affair". Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Detenidos por corrupción el alcalde de Andratx y el jefe del urbanismo balear". El Pais (in Spanish). 28 November 2006. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  5. ^ ANDREU MANRESA (29 December 2009). "El ex alcalde de Andratx y un ex director general entran en prisión". El Pais. Retrieved 1 July 2015.

39°35′N 2°25′E / 39.583°N 2.417°E / 39.583; 2.417

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