The word is of Arabic origin al-qāḍī - "judge". The Alcalde is the administrative and judicial head of a town or village in Spain or in areas under Spanish control or influence. The title was applied to local government officials, whose functions varied but always included a judicial element.
Term differentiation
Types of mayors were differentiated depending on the specifics of their judicial functions. The Alcalde de Corte was a court judge with jurisdiction near the king. In New Spain (Mexico), the alcalde majors were the chief administrators of the territories of the colonial era, they assisted the royal judges (corregidores) in the cities. During colonial Peru, they were called corregimientos (corregimientos).
Alcalde de hermandad (de hermandad) was a minor municipal official with police and judicial powers. Alcaldes de crimen were regular criminal judges in the Spanish courts. From the 19th century the termhad a dual character: it designated the head of the local council (ayuntamiento) and the representative of the central government at the same time. In addition to administrative matters, his duties included judicial ones.
Alcalde ordinario was a traditional Spanish municipal magistrate who performed both judicial and administrative functions. The alcalde, in the absence of the corregidor, was the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo (municipal council) and judge of the first instance of the city. He was elected annually, without the right to re-election for two or three years, by reidors - members of the municipal council. A woman who could hold this post was called an alcaldessa.
Also, alcalde is a title given to Indian officials in Spanish missions. These performed a large number of duties for the Franciscan missionaries.
Genius drama by Pedro Calderon de la Barca
The true story, which happened in 1581, was used to create the "Alcalde of Salamey" (Spanish El Alcalde de Zalamea) by Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600-1681). The play belongs to the Golden Age of Spanish drama and was most likely written in 1636. It pays homage to the eponymous work by Lope de Vega, which, however, surpasses in popularity due to its excellent character development.
"The Alcalde of Salamey" is one of the most famous dramas of its time. It has three acts that explore the power of man against the political powers of 17th century Spanish society and the continuous strugglehonor.
The play was made into several films, including a 1920 German silent and a 1954 Spanish dubbing. The East German version of The Alcalde of Salamey was released in 1956.
Spanish singer
The surname of Tono Alcalde, a left-handed guitarist, composer and singer, comes from the word discussed in the article. He was born on 1973-30-04 in Spain (Iruna). The special sound of the music is given by the unique playing style invented by him, in which there is no need to tug the strings for the left hand. Tono Alcalde participated and performed in many festivals, among them: "Suma Flamenca de Madrid" (Madrid), Viva España 2014 (Moscow) and "No Siesta/Fiesta" (Norway). Currently working on promoting a new program.
First prize for the best musical performance without dancing with tango "Enamorao" in the 13th edition of the "Viva España" flamenco festival in Russia, organized in Moscow by the flamenco house "FlamenquerÍa". Nominated for MAKETON 2017 and 2018 by Los40 from Radio Vigo in the Music Trajectory category.
Modern usage
In modern Spanish, the term is equivalent to mayor and is used to refer to the local executive officer in municipalities throughout Spain and Latin America. The name continued to be used in the Spanish-speaking American Commonwe alth of Puerto Rico after the occupation of the island during the Spanish–American War in 1898. However, in autonomous Spanishthe cities of Ceuta and Melilla mayor-presidents have greater powers than their counterparts in the peninsula.
In Sonoma, California, the mayor is an honorary title. Associated with him is the tradition of "honorable choice" to preside over the ceremonial events of the city. However, the mayor is the official position of the city manager.
In Belize, any village community can appoint a mayor. He performs both judicial and administrative functions and receives a small stipend from the government. The Alcalde is responsible for the administration of communal land, adjudication of disputes, and determining punishment for petty crimes. This type of local government is most commonly used by Mayan communities in southern Belize.
