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22-534: In 1950 the state owned company Empresa Nacional Siderúrgica Sociedad Anónima (ENSIDESA) was formed to increase Spain's steel production, part of the industrialisation and modernisation of Spain that led to the Spanish economic miracle of the 1960s. In 1973 the state owned company was forced to take over the Asturian steel company UNISA, which had invested heavily in a fully integrated steel works and did not have

44-442: A new breed of politician that had replaced the old Falangist guard. They abandoned a policy of autarky and implemented "development plans" which saw the liberalization of trade and the rapid growth of industry. From 1960 to 1975, Spain enjoyed the second highest growth rate in the world, behind only Japan , and grew to become the ninth largest economy in the world. The rapid economic expansion reinvigorated old industrial areas:

66-537: A plant in Avilés and Gijón , Etxebarri , Lesaka and Legasa, Sagunto and Sestao (part of Greater Bilbao). This Spanish corporation or company article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Spanish miracle The Spanish miracle ( Spanish : el milagro español ) refers to a period of exceptionally rapid development and growth across all major areas of economic activity in Spain during

88-537: A small water inlet at the site of present-day Avilés' main Park. La Villa was surrounded by strong walls , which demonstrated its strategic and commercial importance. On 15 January 1479 the Catholic Monarchs granted a free market on each Monday of the year, which still takes place. The importance of the town as a naval centre is supported by the building of ships with wood harvested from nearby forests, and with

110-674: Is a town in Asturias , Spain. Avilés is, along with Oviedo and Gijón , one of the main cities in the Principality of Asturias . The town occupies the flattest land in the municipality, partially in a land that belonged to the sea, surrounded by small promontories, all of them having an altitude of less than 140 metres. Situated in the Avilés estuary , in the Northern Central area of the Asturian coast, west of Peñas Cape ,

132-439: Is also the birthplace of Juan Carreño de Miranda , court painter to the king Charles II . The estuary, which had been closed to navigation since the early modern era, was partially drained and cleared in the 19th century. The water inlet dividing the place was covered, so that the two nuclei, Sabugo and La Villa, could be joined together. Then the city began to grow outside the medieval wall, which had been demolished in 1818. In

154-800: Is its national seaport . Avilés is mainly an industrial city. It is close to popular beaches like Salinas. It also has important churches like St. Thomas of Canterbury . Avilés has also cultural spaces such as the Palacio Valdés Theatre (in Spanish: Teatro Palacio Valdés ) or the Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre (in Spanish: Centro Cultural Internacional Oscar Niemeyer ). The existence of

176-588: Is rarely below zero or over 30 °C (86 °F). Summer highs are exceptionally low by Spanish standards due its heavy maritime features and northerly position in the country. The first mayor of Avilés, after the Spanish Transition , was Manuel Ponga Santamarta ( FSA-PSOE ) (1979–1983) (1983–1987) (1987–1988), then Santiago Jesús Rodríguez Vega ( FSA-PSOE ) (1988–1991) (1991–1995) (1999–2003) (2003–2007), Agustín Gonzalez Sánchez ( PP ) (1995–1999), Pilar Varela Díaz (FSA-PSOE) (2007–2011) (2011–2015), and

198-503: The Basque Country and Ferrol northern coast (iron and steel, shipbuilding), and in and around Barcelona (machinery, textiles, cars and petrochemicals). It also drove an enormous expansion in refining, petrochemicals, chemicals and engineering. To help achieve the rapid development, there was massive government investment through key state-owned companies like the national industrial conglomerate Instituto Nacional de Industria ,

220-532: The desarrollo was the SEAT 600 car, produced by the Spanish state company SEAT. More than 794,000 of them were made between 1957 and 1973. At the beginning of that period, it was the first car for many Spanish working-class families. However, at the end of the period, it was the second car for many more. Avil%C3%A9s Avilés ( Spanish: [aβiˈles] ; Asturian: [aβɪˈleθ] )

242-450: The 20th century, there was an enormous growth in population due to the arrival of several large factories to the town. In 1953 were started the first earthworks for the construction of the factory of ENSIDESA , a large steel mill, currently Aceralia (part of ArcelorMittal ); other companies in the area are Cristalería Española, which together with ENDASA, currently Alcoa , transformed Avilés into one of Spain's industrial centres. Nowadays,

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264-452: The Stone), El eslabón , Entre bambalines , etc. Some of the most famous are: In autumn: In winter: In spring: In summer: The area experiences an oceanic climate , warm summers with both overcast and sunny days. In winter the weather is moderate, with significant rains and wind, although sometimes the cold climate of Asturias results in snowfall at sea level. The temperature

286-560: The area was already settled in the upper palaeolithic era. The first well known document is an endowment of two churches by Asturias King Alfonso III , in 905. During the Middle Ages , it was one of the most important ports of the Biscay Bay , trading mainly with French ports, the main trade was salt. At this time, it had two nuclei: a fishermen's district, Sabugo, and the aristocratic centre, La Villa, standing each other across

308-553: The capital to fund it. In 1991 the state owned company ENSIDESA was merged with Altos Hornos de Vizcaya to form the Corporacion de la Siderurgia Integral from which the Corporación Siderúrgica Integral ( CSI ) was formed in 1994 from the more profitable parts (as part of a privatisation process). In 1997 Aceralia Corporación Siderúrgica was formed by reorganisation of CSI, the same year

330-660: The city is trying to focus on new industries, particularly cultural tourism, and recover its antique flavour. Sights include: Throughout the town there are sculptures in various styles: the set of sculptures in El Muelle park, specially the Pedro Menendez sculpture and La foca (the seal); the Ruta del acero set of sculptures along the Avilés estuary ; Avilés sculpture, and others such as Marta y María , El hombre que escucha la piedra (The Man who Listens to

352-576: The company formed a strategic alliance with the Luxembourg-based steel group Arbed . As soon as it was formed, it was also privatised. The group also acquired the Aristrain Group (steel sections), and Ucín ( rebar , wire rod), in the process becoming the largest steel company in Spain. In 2001 the company merged with two other European steel producers, ARBED and Usinor , to form Arcelor . It became part of ArcelorMittal in 2006 with

374-560: The latter part of the Francoist regime , 1959 to 1974, in which GDP averaged a 6.5 percent growth rate per year, and was itself part of a much longer period of an above average GDP growth rate from 1951 to 2007. The economic boom came to an end with the 1970s international oil and stagflation crises that disrupted the industrialised world although several scholars have argued that "liabilities accumulated during years of frenzied pursuit of economic development" were in fact to blame for

396-489: The mass market car company SEAT in Barcelona, the big steel plant of Ensidesa in Avilés and the shipbuilder Empresa Nacional Bazán . With heavy protection from foreign competition in the domestic Spanish market, those companies led the industrialisation of the country, restoring the prosperity of industrial areas like Barcelona and Bilbao and creating new industrial areas, most notably around Madrid . Although there

418-656: The participation of local sailors in the conquest of Seville by the Castilian army, which is reflected in Avilés's coat of arms . It is the birthplace of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés , a soldier in the army of Felipe II , who explored Florida in the 16th century and founded in 1565 the first successful (continuously populated) European town in what is now the United States , San Agustín (now St. Augustine, Florida). St. Augustine and Avilés are now sister cities. Avilés

440-402: The slow economic growth of the late 1970s. After a very slow recovery from the devastation of the civil war of 1936-1939, the "economic miracle" was initiated by the reforms promoted by a group of economic "technocrats" who, with the backing of Francisco Franco , put in place new policies for the economic development of Spain. The "technocrats", many of whom were members of Opus Dei , were

462-541: The town proper is documented only in the latter Early Middle Ages , although the etymology of the name "Avilés" is likely ancient. It is thought to come from a local Roman landowner – or likely a Romanized Germanic warrior who settled there from/to the Kingdom of the Suebi or Visigothic Kingdom , as much toponymy in northern Spain shares a Germanic origin – named Abilius . Archaeological excavations have shown that

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484-485: Was economic liberalisation in the period, key enterprises remained under state control. The automotive industry was one of the most powerful locomotoras ( locomotives ) of the Spanish Miracle. From 1958 to 1972, it grew at a yearly compound rate of 21.7%. In 1946, there were only 72,000 private cars in Spain, but in 1966, there were over 1 million. That growth rate had no equal in the world. The icon of

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