Valdemoro | |
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 Coat of arms | |
  Valdemoro Location in Spain Show map of Community of Madrid Valdemoro Valdemoro (Spain) Show map of Spain | |
| Coordinates:40°11′27″N3°40′27″W / 40.19083°N 3.67417°W /40.19083; -3.67417 | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous community |  Community of Madrid |
| Province | Madrid |
| Comarca | La Sagra |
| Judicial district | Valdemoro |
| Founded | See text |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sergio Parra (2019) |
| Area | |
• Total | 64.2 km2 (24.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 615 m (2,018 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 712 m (2,336 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 560 m (1,840 ft) |
| Population (2018)[1] | |
• Total | 74,745 |
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Valdemoreños |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 28340–28343 |
| Dialing code | 91 |
| Official language(s) | Spanish |
| Website | Official website |
Valdemoro is a municipal district, located in the Southern zone of theautonomous community of Madrid, Spain. Located 27 kilometers from thecapital, Valdemoro is officially part of thecomarca ofLa Sagra, though it is generally also included in theMadrid metropolitan area.
The municipality has experienced strong population growth in the past fifteen years, eventually reaching 74,745 inhabitants (INE 2018).[2] Valdemoro's proximity to the capital has favored the demographic and economic development of the area. Due to the recent population boom, Valdemoro has had to construct new transportation, educational, sanitation, health, and entertainment facilities.
The municipality's recent history is closely linked to that of theGuardia Civil. Valdemoro is home to the Colegio de Guardias Jóvenes Duque de Ahumada, an academy open only to children and orphans of existing guardsmen.
Valdemoro is a located on thedrainage basin of theTagus River on the Southern slopes of theSistema Central mountain range. The population of Valdemoro is concentrated in the western parts of the municipal district, "along the road that connects Madrid toAranjuez".[3]
The region is mostly flat, except in the area of the Espartinas hills in the South and the El Espartal farmland in the East.
The highest point of elevation in the municipal district is the Cerro de la Mira ("Hill of La Mira") at 712 meters. The lowest point of elevation is the La Cañada stream at 543 meters. The average altitude of Valdemoro is 615 meters above sea level. The ground slopes in an Easterly direction, averaging a 3% incline.
The La Cañada stream originates in the municipal district, and then feeds into theJarama River. The Jarama runs parallel to Valdemoro and never enters its limits.
A part of the Continental Mediterranean climate, Valdemoro's temperatures average between 13 °C and 17 °C annually. Though winters are relatively gentle, the sky remains overcast and the ground frozen from November to April. Summers are hot and dry, averaging 26 °C in July.
All precipitation originates over the Atlantic and is heavily influenced by the mountain chains that border theMeseta Central and theanticyclones of theAzores. Rainfall is scarce, making Valdemoro one of the driest regions on thepeninsula.
Valdemoro does not possess overly abundant populations of flora or fauna, though 794 hectares of the municipal district are part of theParque Regional del Sureste.
Valdemoro is one of the few locations in Europe where the Russian silverberryElaeagnus angustifolia occurs naturally.
Recent urban growth has significantly diminished the land available for natural forest growth. The area is also home to 3 species of amphibians, 7 species of reptiles, and 127 varieties of birds (67 species with stable, reproducing populations). Of these species, 21 are hibernating species and 27 are nomadic.
The city of Valdemoro borders the following municipal districts: to the North,Pinto andSan Martín de la Vega; to the East,Ciempozuelos; to the South,Seseña andEsquivias; to the West,Torrejón de Velasco.
Valdemoro has 12 neighborhoods: Río Nilo, Brezo, Campo Olivar, El Caracol, El Restón I, El Restón II, La Estación, La Villa, Las Vírgenes, Viva Verde, Las Comunidades, and UDE Norte-Oeste.
According to legend, the indigenous inhabitants' resistance to theMoorish invaders inspired the sayingEn balde, Moro, te cansas ("You tire yourself in vain, Moor"). This saying evolved to become the name of the area—Valdemoro. Taking into consideration the short amount of time it took for the Moors to completely conquer theIberian Peninsula, it seems more likely that the name comes fromValle de Moro ("Valley of the Moor(s)"), a name the area received after theReconquista.
Copper Age artefacts found in the area includearrowheads,knives,stone chips, and sheets offlint andquartzite. During theBronze Age, certain strategically located areas were populated in a number of temporary settlements. The earliest indications of a continuous human presence in the area known as Valdemoro dates back to theIron Age on the farmlands of El Espartal in the Eastern parts of the municipal district
Without a doubt, the most important archeological discovery in the area is the so-called "Ciempozuelo type" ofBell Beaker. Discovered in the extreme southeast of Valdemoro, close to the city ofCiempozuelos (its namesake), these vases, which date back to c. 1900 BCE, are made of gray or black clay and are decorated with geometric motifs. The remains ofRoman villa from theLate Roman period, which operated continuously until theVisigoth invasion, can also be seen in the area.[4]
The farmlands of El Espartal have been declaredBien de Interés Cultural ("Area of cultural heritage/interest") as an Archeological Zone.
The discovery of ruins of ancient methods of water transportation confirms Valdemoro's origins as an ancientMoorish settlement. The area was populated before the Moors' arrival, and this indigenous Gothic ( Goths are not natives to Iberia) population resisted the invasion fiercely.
After theReconquista, the bishops ofSegovia andPalencia argued about who would control the settlement at Valdemoro. The settlement was eventually annexed into the Segovian communice[check spelling] in 1190 after the intervention of KingAlfonso VIII and the mediation ofPope Clement III. Valdemoro soon became one of the most important municipalities in theSistema Central mountain range, more so thanChinchón,Bayona,Villaconejos,Valdelaguna,Seseña,San Martín de la Vega andCiempozuelos.[5]
In the middle of the 14th century,AdelantadoHernán Pérez de Portocarrero ofCastile assimilated Valdemoro into his other holdings. By the end of that century, Valdemoro was assimilated into the ecclesiastical dominion of theArchbishop ofToledo. Soon after, KingHenry III of Castile awarded Valdemoro the privileges of the designation ofVilla, which facilitate the area's social and economic development.
In 1577, KingPhilip II became so infuriated with the Archbishop of Toledo that he declared Valdemororealengo (under the direct control of the King). Soon after,Melchor de Herrera, theMarquess of Auñón, assumed control of Valdemoro. During this time, the Convento del Carmen religious community is founded. In 1602, de Herrera's heirs sold the village toFrancisco Goméz de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma andfavourite of KingPhilip III. Under the Duke's rule, the area undergoes significant social development, including the foundation of the Feria Barroca. In 1605, the Fuente de la Villa ("Village Fountain"), one of the area's most emblematic monuments, is built. In 1616, theConvento de Santa Clara is inaugurated. The most important works of art in the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción are created during the second half of the 17th century.
Due to the efforts ofhidalgoJosé Aguado Correa during the 18th century, Valdemoro emerged from a period of deterioration and poverty. The arrival of theHouse of Bourbon to Spain brought a wave of industrial revolution, giving Aguado Correa the opportunity to establish a textile factory in Valdemoro. By the end of the 18th century,Pedro López de Lerena, a Minister in the Courts of KingsCharles III andCharles IV, founded a number of public schools in 1792, and funded the redecoration the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción by artists such asFrancisco de Goya,Francisco Bayeu, andRamón Bayeu. López de Lerena also attempts to revitalize Aguado Correa's factory, but fails, as the population retains itsMedieval mindset.
Though the area's economy remained primarily agricultural during the 19th century, thegypsum mining industry began to slowly develop. During this time, Valdemoran wines gained some fame throughoutLa Sagra. These timid attempts at industrialization were interrupted by thePeninsular War. TheFrench army's occupation of Valdemoro resulted in a significant loss of life, art, and contemporary documentation.
In 1822, during the reign of KingFerdinand VII, Valdemoro was officially declared to be a part of theprovince of Madrid. In 1851, the ferry line connecting Madrid toAranjuez is rerouted to stop in Valdemoro. Soon after, in 1855, the Colegio de Guardias Jóvenes "Duque de Ahumada" is constructed on the foundations of the old textile factory. The Colegio remained at this location until it was moved out of the municipality in 1972. The grounds now make up the Parque Duque de Ahumada.[5]
Valdemoro saw a significant loss of life and artistic heritage during the 20th century and especially during theSpanish Civil War. Economic stability wasn't re-established until well into the 1950s.[5]
The restoration of the democracy in 1975 heralded a new era for the district, ushering in widespread urban and industrial growth. The construction of new industrial parks and new neighborhoods (El Restón, UDE Oeste-Norte, Las Comunidades) facilitated Valdemoro's transition from rural municipality tocommuter town. This growth continues today, and the population is expected to continue to increase.
The current mayor of Valdemoro is José Carlos Boza Lechuga of thePartido Popular (PP), who was elected in 2011. In the2011 regional elections, the PP received 45.16% of the vote and 14 town councillors. Other parties in the area include theSpanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), who received 18.3% of the vote and 5 councillors; theUnited Left (IU), with 10.31% and 3 councillors; and, with 1 councillor each, theUnion, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) with 6.09%, the local Partido Independiente Vecinos de Valdemoro (PIVV), with 5.46% and the local Proyecto Transparencia Utilidad y Distribución (TUD) with 5.45%.[6]
The earliest demographic information available for Valdemoro dates back to 1530, when the official population is recorded to be 2,216 inhabitants. Population remained relatively stable for the next few centuries, oscillating between 2,000 and 4,000 inhabitants depending on living conditions at the time.[7]
In the 1970s, Valdemoro's population began to grow rapidly due to the district's budding industrial sector and its proximity to Madrid. The most notable population increase has occurred since the start of the 21st century: in 2001, the population of Valdemoro was 30,986 inhabitants; by 2007, the population had grown to 53,188. According to these statistics, the relative population growth during the 21st century has been 9%,[8] one of the highest rates in the entire Comunidad de Madrid. Between 2006 and 2007, Valdemoro was one of the top five municipal districts with the largest absolute population growth in all of Spain. The only districts with higher growth rates werePalma de Mallorca,Rivas-Vaciamadrid,Murcia andZaragoza.
In 2006, the population was divided into 24,351 men and 24,166 women. 20.51% of the population was younger than 15 years old. 6.4% of the population was older than 65, a percentage that was significantly smaller than the 14.45% average of the rest of the Comunidad de Madrid. The birth rate was 18.95% and the death rate was 3.63%.
Foreign immigration has increased significantly in recent years, going from 20.61 people per 1000 inhabitants in 1998 to 110.87 people per 1000 inhabitants in 2006. These immigrants are primarily from Latin America and non-EU Europe.[9]
Valdemoro is the 17th-most populous city in theComunidad de Madrid and the 131st-most populous city in Spain.
Up through the 1960s, Valdemoro's economy was primarily agricultural. The territory was divided into 19 agricultural districts: Tenerías, Horcavieja, Espinillo, Cerro del Boticario, Alvarado, Valle de las Monjas, Valle del Infierno, Cuevecillas, Cabeza del Gato, Valdajos, Pocillos, Marguilla, Santiago, Tranzones, Valdereja, Cárcava, Portillo, Mira and Arboledas. Its industry was limited almost exclusively to gypsum quarries which were in the process of going bankrupt due to lack of modernization. Of these, the most important quarry was known asLa Integridad.
Valdemoro experienced a wave of industrialization during the 1980s, which resulted in a subsequent rapid increase in population. By 2002, the distribution of industry was as follows:[10]
Due to its arid climate, Valdemoro's main crop iscereals, and the main livestock is poultry. Much like the rest of the developed areas of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, this sector is rapidly diminishing in both importance and size.
Due to its proximity to Madrid, Valdemoro's industrial sector is considered fundamentally important. Large national and international companies have located their logistical headquarters in the area, including the wholesalerEl Corte Inglés, the automotive supplierLear, the German window & façade manufacturerSchüco, and the oil companyTotal S.A.
The service industry, which includes the commercial sector, is the most developed industry in the area. On average, 14.7% of the population works in these fields. The two commercial centers of Valdemoro are the Calle Estrella de Elola in the historical district, and the Centro Comercial El Restón, located in one of the new residential neighborhoods that are currently under construction. There has been speculation in recent years thatEl Corte Inglés and/orCarrefour are planning to construct a new mall in the municipal district, though this has not been confirmed at present.
NationalAutovías
TollAutopistas
First-level Autonomous Roads
Second-level Autonomous Roads
Third-level Autonomous Roads
Valdemoro has a train station, with service along theCercanías Madrid C-3 Line. (Atocha–Aranjuez)There has been some discussion of the creation of a second station in the western zone, but so far no official project has been created. In the lastPlan General de Urbanismo ("General Plan of Urbanization"), several tracts of land have been reserved for the creation of a newrailway line and station. In June 2006, with the start of the urban expansion project of El Espartal, the government announced that the C-3 Line would make a new stop between the stations of Valdemoro andCiempozuelos. In addition, plans exist for a high speed train, part of theAlta Velocidad Española Madrid-Levate line, to run through the southern parts of Valdemoro.[11]
Urban Lines | Intercity Lines |
Valdemoro has the second-most bus routes in the Community of Madrid, with 7 lines and 572 routes. OnlyAlcalá de Henares has more daily service.[12]
The government has been studying the viability of alight rail system for the past few years.[13] The proposed line would connect Valdemoro'sCercanías station with the El Restón and UDE Norte-Oeste neighborhoods and the Hospital. The project is part of thePlan de Ampliación de la Red deMetro de Madrid 2007–2011 ("Plan to Expand the Network of the Madrid Metro"). The project was licensed to MINTRA on 9 July 2007.
The Hospital Infanta Elena opened 24 November 2007, providing services to Valdemoro,San Martín de la Vega,Ciempozuelos andTitulcia. It has 100 beds, 8 operating rooms, and 2 maternity rooms, in addition to urgent care facilities.[14]
Valdemoro also has two other health centers operated by the Consejería de Sanidad de laComunidad de Madrid:[15]
The main cultural center in Valdemoro is theCentro Cultural Juan Prado. The Centro includes a hall of expositions, a library, theTeatro Municipal Juan Prado, and the offices of the Department of Culture, Tourism, and Cultural Heritage. More cultural activities are available at theCentro Lúdico ("Recreational Center") of the El Restón neighborhood.
In addition to the library of the Centro Cultural, Valdemoro has two libraries in the Viva Verde and El Restón neighborhoods, in addition to the newBiblioteca Central built in 2007.[16]
Valdemoro is home to 4 hotels and 6 hostels, with a combined total of 546 rooms. The district's proximity to theParque Warner Madrid and to the capital are key factors to the development of the local hotel economy.
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