Calle de Joaquín Dicenta

Joaquín Dicenta was born in Calatayud in 1862 and soon came down to the newsrooms and cafés of Madrid, where he made a name as a journalist of fiery pen and bohemian life. He was active on the Republican left, founded and edited the magazine Germinal, and knew Pablo Iglesias closely. His glory came one night in October 1895, when the Teatro de la Comedia premiered Juan José, a drama of jealousy and poverty with a bricklayer at its center. The play put a worker at the heart of the Spanish stage for the first time and struck the working-class audience so deeply that for decades it was performed every First of May. In 1909 he was elected councillor of Madrid with more votes than any other candidate in the city. He died in Alicante in 1917. The Calle de Joaquín Dicenta runs through Almenara, beside the Plaza de Joaquín Dicenta, facing the neighborhood sports center. A fictional bricklayer ended up giving his name to a street where residents now pass on their way to the pool.