Alcala on the Henares

Alcalá on the Henares or Alcalá de Henares is a city in Spain, which has been designated as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Alcalá de Henares is also one of the first bishoprics in Spain. The Alcalá de Henares is located within the Autonomous Community of Madrid at 2000 feet above sea level, and is the second largest region after Madrid. The city is known as Alcalá but de Henares has been appended to differentiate it from other cities of the same name. The word Alcalá comes from the Moorish Arabic word for fortification. Alcalá on the Henares is the capital of Comarca Del Henares.

The boundaries of the Alcalá on the Henares were inhabited since the Calcolitic era. By the 1ts century BC, the region became the only Roman town in Madrid, following the Roman conquest. After invasion by the Visigoths, the Alcalá de Henares became a pilgrimage spot for the venerated Christian martyrs Saint Justo and Pastor. In 711 the Moors founded a location called the Al-Qalat, which translates into castle. In the era of the Crusades in 1118, Alcalá on the Henares was recaptured by the Archbishop of Toledo in the name of Castile. Henceforth, it became the residence of Kings of Castile, when they traveled south.

Alcalá on the Henares is also famous for being the site where Christopher Columbus met the Reyes Catolicos (Catholic Monarchs). It suffered heavy damage in the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939). Located beside the Alcalá on the Henares is the platersque façade of the Alcalá University. It was founded in 1977. Platersque is an ornate architectural style unique to 15th and 16th century Spain. The Alcalá University is the pride of Alcalá on the Henares. There are two campuses, on the north and the center. The curricula include science departments, humanities, the social sciences and the law school.