Alcanar

Sister cities

• Badalona

History

It was not until the fifteenth century that Alcanar was incorporated as an independent town, but it had been populated for a long time before then. From 1148 the town was part of the municipality of Ulldecona. After it was granted independence, it received the name of the Canar, which originates from republic of its inhabitants. The original charter was granted in February 1239, however the settlement did not stabilise until it was granted a new charter in 1252, the date regarded as the real foundation of the town. In 1380, the village already contained thirty families, and they were subjected to various attacks by Saracen pirates, which led to the construction of a lookout tower in the fourteenth century. As a precaution, the town was fortified and walled. In 1449, the town became independent of Ulldecona. During the war against John II of Castile, the town was occupied by troops of the king, who burned the town. During the reign of Philip II, various defense towers were built to repel attacks by Turkish pirates, and Alcanar was again fortified. In the Catalan Revolt of 1640–59, the town remained loyal to the king of Castile, which led to occupation of the city by Catalan troops. A similar event occurred during the Peninsular War. Later, during the First Carlist War, the city was besieged. It was captured and looted by Carlist troops who held a strong position in the town for a time. On July 11, 1978, a tanker truck carrying flammable liquid exploded in front of the Camping de los Alfaques located at the coast, outside the town, killing 217 people, injuring more than 300 and completely devastating the campsite. On August 16, 2017, an explosion in a house outside of the town, at the coast, killed two people and injured another. The next day, August 17, there…