Misplaced Pages

#405594

21-622: Blanes ( Catalan pronunciation: [ˈblanəs] ) is a town and municipality in the comarca of Selva in Girona, Catalonia , Spain. During Roman rule it was named Blanda or Blandae. It is known as the "Gateway to the Costa Brava ". Its coast is part of the Costa Brava, which stretches from Blanes to the French border. The township is 18.29 km (7.06 sq mi). Blanes is

42-577: A consulate , has the right to vote in the local elections of the last municipality they resided in. A Spanish citizen born abroad must choose between the last municipality his or her mother or father last lived in. As of 2022, there were a total of 8,131 municipalities in Spain, including the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla . In the Principality of Asturias , municipalities are officially named concejos (councils). The average population of

63-513: A different firework company presents its work to the public who come to the beach, each spectacle lasting between 20 and 24 minutes. This is rated by the Popular Jury, designated each year, who responsible for choosing the winners. The fireworks competition nearly always runs in the last full week of July. The year 2018 marked the 48th edition of the competition. According to a local radio station, Radio Marina, nearly one million people visited

84-618: A municipality is about 5,300, but this figure masks a huge range: the most populous Spanish municipality is the city of Madrid , with a population of 3,305,408 (2022) , while several rural municipalities have fewer than ten inhabitants ( Illán de Vacas , had a population of three in 2022 ). Almost 40% of the Spanish population resides in just 62 municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. 84% (6,817) of municipalities have less than 5,000 inhabitants. Castile and León alone account for 28% of municipalities but they constitute less than 6% of

105-660: A popular tourist town, and it is known for the Concurs de Focs d'Artifici during the Santa Anna festival ; this event includes many fireworks. Other places of interest include botanical gardens , coves such as the Cala Bona , and beaches that are surrounded by mountains. The history of Blanes predates the Roman conquest. Iberian activity has been attested in the area. Romanization of Blanes and its surroundings began around

126-498: Is broadly outlined by the 1985 Local Government Act. The Statutes of Autonomy of the various autonomous communities also contain provisions and many sectorial laws from national and autonomous community government determine the functions and powers of ayuntamientos. In general, municipalities enjoy a large degree of autonomy in their local affairs: many of the functions of the comarcas and provinces are municipal powers pooled together. All citizens of Spain are required to register in

147-400: Is composed of the mayor (Spanish: alcalde ), the deputy mayors (Spanish: tenientes de alcalde ) and the deliberative assembly ( pleno ) of councillors ( concejales ). Another form of local government used in small municipalities is the concejo abierto (open council), in which the deliberative assembly is formed by all the electors in the municipality. The operation of the municipalities

168-521: Is the Marimurtra, which covers almost 15 hectares (37 acres). It includes over 4,000 different plant species and is visited by 300,000 people every year. Another garden is the Pinya de Rosa, consisting of over 7,000 different plant species. The Festa major or festival of Santa Anna and Sant Joaquim (on 26 July) is usually celebrated in the third or forth week of July, from 21 to 27 July, annually. During

189-637: The 1950s. Blanes is home to the Club de Futbol Obispado . The city has a roller hockey team, Blanes Hoquei Club , and competes in the main League OK Liga . Blanes is also home to an international roller hockey tournament, the Golden Cup . Municipalities of Spain Although provinces are groupings of municipalities , there is no implied hierarchy or primacy of one over the other. Instead

210-677: The Església Parroquial church, and the city walls. In the 17th century, during the Catalan Revolt (Guerra dels Segadors) , Blanes was practically burned to ashes. The Palau Vescomtal was completely destroyed. The War of the Spanish Succession also affected Blanes. Following this, reconstruction and the expansion of agriculture began. The population in 2017 was 38,813. One of the botanical gardens in Blanes

231-445: The country. The average land area of a Spanish municipality is about 62.23 km (24.03 sq mi), while the average population is about 5,988 people. Municipalities were first created by decree on 23 May 1812 as part of the liberal reforms associated with the new Spanish Constitution of 1812 and based on similar actions in revolutionary France. The idea was to rationalise and homogenise territorial organisation, do away with

SECTION 10

#1732780776406

252-476: The eight days, this major festival is celebrated as well as the European Concurs de Focs d'Artifici which attracts more than 500,000 visitors. This is an international competition. Over 500,000 kg (1,100,000 lb) of fireworks are detonated at each event. Most people watch the fireworks from the beach. The first documented date of a firework launch in Blanes is 1906. It was not until 1962 that

273-444: The fireworks competition during its five-day course. Before 2012, the competition ran for five consecutive days. At the height of Spain's financial crisis, it was decided to drop the event to four days to save money. In 2016 enough sponsors were found to restore the fifth day of the event. The Festa menor or the feast of the co-patrons (Sant Bonòs and Maximià), is traditionally celebrated on "la Nit de la Caminada Popular" (English:

294-410: The launch became an annual event. 1971 marks the first Fireworks Competition, taking place over three nights; this number has fluctuated over the years to as many as seven nights. Since 1958, fireworks launches have always been done from Sa Palomera, a big rock that separates the two parts of the Blanes coast and is symbolically considered the beginning of the Costa Brava. Every night of the celebration,

315-445: The municipality they live in, and after doing so, they are juridically considered "neighbors" (residents) of the municipality, a designation that grants them various rights and privileges, and which entail certain obligations as well, including the right to vote or be elected for public office in said municipality. The right to vote in municipal elections is extended to Spanish citizens living abroad. A Spaniard abroad, upon registering in

336-402: The night of the popular walk ) in mid-August and has been around for over 30 years as of 2021. This is a wholly family-oriented trek which many people walk accompanied by their children, pets, etc. It is approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) long. The reward is a memento and a slice of watermelon. On 26 December 2008 an unusually strong storm struck Blanes' beach on Boxing Day. The port of Blanes

357-424: The population of Spain. A European report said that one of the most important problems facing local governments in Spain is the very high number of little towns with a low number of inhabitants. The area of the municipal territory (Spanish: término municipal ) usually ranges 2–40 km , but some municipalities span across a much larger area, up to the 1,750.33 km of Cáceres ', the largest municipality in

378-560: The prior feudal system and provide equality before the law of all citizens. Between 1812 and 1931, the legislation regarding municipal organisation was changed more than 20 times, and there were 20 addition and unsuccessful proposals for change. Club de Futbol Obispado Club de Futbol Obispado is a football team based in Blanes , Catalonia . Founded in 2005 it plays in Segona Territorial . This article about

399-733: The third century BC. Roman remains of the Blandae site lie nearby. After Roman rule ended the area shared the fate of much of the Peninsula, being conquered successively by the Goths , the Moors , and the Christians shortly after. In the 13th century, after the Christians regained power, important architectural developments took place in Blanes. Some examples are the palace, Palau Vescomtal ,

420-463: The two entities are defined according to the authority or jurisdiction of each ( Spanish : competencias ). Some autonomous communities also group municipalities into entities known as comarcas (districts) or mancomunidades (commonwealths). The governing body in most municipalities is called ayuntamiento ( municipal council or corporation ), a term often also used to refer to the municipal headquarters (city/town hall). The ayuntamiento

441-485: Was hit hardest. The old seawall was unable to resist the storm. Many boats were damaged and/or smashed onto the beach. Before the storm, plans had been made to upgrade the harbor but repairs were delayed. The poor state of the harbor made it more vulnerable to the storm surges and resulted in the heavy loss in the Boxing Day storm. This storm has been commonly referred to by locals as the worst storm Blanes had seen since

SECTION 20

#1732780776406
#405594