Meco | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Meco Location in Spain | |
| Coordinates:40°33′14″N3°19′34″W / 40.55389°N 3.32611°W /40.55389; -3.32611 | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous community |  Madrid |
| Province | Madrid |
| Comarca | Comarca de Alcalá |
| Government | |
| • Alcalde | Pedro Luis Sanz Carlavilla (PP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 35.07 km2 (13.54 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 673 m (2,208 ft) |
| Population (2018)[1] | |
• Total | 13,959 |
| • Density | 400/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Mequero |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 28880 |
| Website | Official website |
Meco (Spanish:[ˈmeko]ⓘ) is a municipality in the eastern part of theAutonomous Community of Madrid, (Spain). In 2006, Meco had a population of 11,094 (Spanish National Statistics Institute).
The town is located to the north of the River Henares, in thecomarca of La Campiña del Henares, and also in one of the two natural sub-comarcas that make up theComarca de Alcalá, La Campiña del Henares, characterized by vast grain fields and gentle hills. It is 8 km to the north of the metropolitan area ofAlcalá de Henares and 4 km from theUniversity of Alcalá. It provides residences for the university and also is part of the Henares Industrial Corridor.
On the east, Meco borders the municipalities ofAzuqueca de Henares andVillanueva de la Torre, ofGuadalajara, and also theautonomous community ofCastile-La Mancha. It can be reached by the Royal Cattle Track of Galiana or Riojana, and by the last section of the Henares Canal.
Located at the edge of one of the terraces of the River Henares, 35 km from the capital, Madrid. The rivers Las Monjas, Villanueva, and its tributary, Valdegatos.
Meco also has the distinction of being Spain's most distant populated area from the sea.
A town with a dry-soil agricultural tradition, Meco has long been an exporter of wheat, flour and bread toAlcalá,Guadalajara, and Madrid. Also, its economy is based on salt mining.
There are archaeological remains from the Iron Age, as well as a Romannecropolis. The municipality may have originated as a Roman agricultural estate, and may have been a wheat staple in Muslim times. After there-conquest of the Media Marca (Middle March) byAlfonso VI, it came to form part of the Commune of Villa and Land of Guadalajara. In the 15th century, KingJuan II gave it to the Marquis of Santillana, Iñigo López de Mendoza, who passed it ti his second son, Iñigo López de Mendoza, Count of Tendilla. The son of Iñigo López de Mendoza, also of the same name, added the title of Marquis of Móndejar by buying this villa from theCatholic Monarchs. In 1801,Alcalá de Henares was separated from the administration ofToledo and became capital of the administrative region. It also separated from Guadalajara, coming to form part of the region ofAlcalá de Henares.
Among the buildings of the town, a magnificent parishChurch of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Meco) stands out. It is dedicated to Our Lady of theAssumption, and is located on Plaza de la Constitución. Construction started in the middle of the 16th century in theGothic Transitional style, and was completed in the 17th inBaroque style. The presbytery was therefore built of limestone masonry, while the sacristy and tower were brick.
Ahall church with columns, its design has been attributed toRodrigo Gil de Hontañón by some historians. It has three naves, the middle one withbarrel vaults flattened at the top, and the lateral ones with pointedarches. Its Baroquedome is constructed onpendentives. It is surrounded by anatrium.
It was listed as anArtistic Historical Monument in 1982, and has been part of theCultural Heritage of the Community of Madrid since 1992.
The town's main street also has fine examples of spacious historic houses.
There are two hermitages: that of Christ of Succour (Christo del Socorro, late 16th century?) and that of the Virgin (Virgen de la Cabeza, 17th century).
| demographic variation of the municipality between 1991 and 2005 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2009 | 2005 | 2004 | 2001 | 1996 | 1991 | 1980 |
| 12,554 | 12,419 | 10,774 | 9,986 | 8,267 | 4,142 | 2,928 | 1,117 |
Meco has a train station which connects the village withGuadalajara,Alcalá de Henares andMadrid, along with many other cities and villages. It is connected withA-2 highway.It also has two line buses, which are the following:
Municipalities of theMadrid Metropolitan Area | ||
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| 25,000+ | ||
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