Alaejos is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2011 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 1,467 inhabitants.

Alaejos, Spain
Flag of Alaejos, Spain
Coat of arms of Alaejos, Spain
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityCastile and León
ProvinceValladolid
MunicipalityAlaejos
Government
 • MajorCarlos Mangas Nieto
Area
 • Total102 km2 (39 sq mi)
Elevation
754 m (2,474 ft)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total1,382
 • Density14/km2 (35/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Alaejos

History

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Even though the origins of the town remain uncertain, it is known that it was part of the old province of Toro. Its name around the 12th and 13th century was Falafeios. One theory says that it might have been founded by the Castilian monarchs as a hamlet in the reconquered territories during the Reconquista.

By the mid-14th century, the village had been sold to Medina del Campo by Diego Fernández de Medina. It was a jurisdictional dominion by the Bishop of Ávila, Alfonso de Fonseca, until the 19th century.

During the 15th century, Doña Juana de Portugal (Enrique IV's wife) was imprisoned in the castle of Alaejos. In 1520, the comuneros destroyed a large part of the town. In 1595 it joined Valladolid's Bishopric, even though it kept being part of the Province of Segovia.

By year 1785, the Royal Economical Society of Charity (Real Sociedad Caritativo Económica) was founded in the town as a part of the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment, which promoted several very advanced economic, social and educational activities for the childhood and the youth of the town.

The town was declared Conjunto Histórico-Artístico (the equivalent to Heritage Preservation) in 1980.

Trivia

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Alaejos is the antipode of the capital of New Zealand, Wellington.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  2. ^ "Antipodes Map - Antipodal location for any map point". Solution Realm Software Inc. 2006. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.

41°19′N 5°13′W / 41.317°N 5.217°W / 41.317; -5.217