A scientific gem in the heart of Elche
It is Boxing Day, but not in Spain. It is St Stephen's day in Catalonia. Not in the greater Valencian community. It is not even a bridging day but I suspect the amount of work being done is not great. We are in Elche [population 242,000, 45,000 in 1940, biggest growth in 1960s]. About 17% of the populace is foreign born, Colombians, Moroccans and Romanians making up the largest groups.] The climate is hot semi-arid and, on average, it should be about 12oC at present. Elche was first colonised by the Greeks. Well, L’Alcudia was, which was 10km away. The Carthaginians and Romans also turned up, as did the Byzantines and Goths. During the Moorish period the city moved to its current location. The railway arrived in the 19th century and with it the footwear industry. Shoes became even bigger in the Great War and continued thereafter. To quote wiki extensively ‘The economy of Elche is based, in large part, on the footwear industry, with ...