Logbook · 8 places

What to see and do in Beneixama

What to see and do in Beneixama (L'Alt Vinalopó, Alicante): 8 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 1 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of Beneixama

Castle of Beneixama 50 m
Church of San Juan Bautista de Beneixama 300 m

Towns near Beneixama

What to see in Camp de Mirra, el/Campo de Mirra 1.9 km · 12 places
What to see in Cañada 4.7 km · 10 places
What to see in Biar 7.4 km · 14 places
What to see in Fontanars dels Alforins 9.4 km · 3 places
What to see in Banyeres de Mariola 9.7 km · 8 places
What to see in Villena 11 km · 31 places
What to see in Onil 11 km · 11 places
What to see in Castalla 14 km · 13 places

Spain › Valencian Community › Alicante › L'Alt Vinalopó › Beneixama

What to see and do in Beneixama

Beneixama
Village
Beneixama is a municipality in the province of Alicante, in the Alto Vinalopó, with 1,696 inhabitants. It was an Islamic alquería, with a defensive tower, which after the conquest of James I was incorporated into the Crown of Aragon in 1245 and repopulated in 1248, according to the Llibre del Repartiment, by Pere Ballester and fifty Christian settlers. To the north of its territory rises the Sierra de Benejama, with the Pico de la Ascensión, 1,004 metres high; to the south there are olive groves, almond trees and vineyards down to the Vinalopó vega, with the best farmland. Beneixama was left depopulated by the Morisco expulsion of 1609 and shortly afterwards received a new settlement charter, which distributed houses, lands and water turns among Christian settlers. The Molino de Sanç, beside the Vinalopó, recalls its papermaking past.
Festivities of Beneixama
Activity
The Moors and Christians festival of Beneixama, in the comarca of L'Alt Vinalopó, is celebrated from 6 to 10 September in honour of the town's patroness, the Divina Aurora, and has its roots in a tradition going back to the 18th century. Five comparsas take part: Moors, Christians, students, farmers and pirates. Among the main events are the Entrada, the Ofrenda, the Retreta and the Embajadas, the latter valued for the literary and artistic quality of their texts, recited during the speeches between the two sides.
Mountain range of la Solana (vertiente de Beneixama)
Nature
The sierra de la Solana flanks the valley of Beneixama to the north, in L'Alt Vinalopó, with its highest peak, la Ascensió, at 1,004 m; to the south the sierra de la Fontanella closes off the valley. The river Vinalopó crosses the valley floor, on whose banks sit Beneixama, el Camp de Mirra and la Canyada.
Church of San Juan Bautista de Beneixama
Monument
The parish church of Beneixama (Alt Vinalopó, Alicante), on Charles IV Square, and the town's main religious building by size and heritage. It was built in 1841 at the initiative of Miguel Payá y Rico, a cardinal and confessor to Queen Isabella II who was born in Beneixama, to designs by the architect Salvador Escrig, with contributions of money and labour from the whole population. With a basilican plan and Neoclassical style, it has three naves — the central one wider — with side chapels, and a central dome recently restored. Beside the high altar hang two canvases depicting scenes from the life of Saint John, the work of the local painter Josep Navarro y Ferrero. Of its two towers, one houses the bells and the other the "rattle", which was sounded during Lent, when ringing the bells was forbidden.
Castle of Beneixama
Monument
A fortress rising above Beneixama, with panoramic views over the comarca of L'Alt Vinalopó.
Mill of Sanç
Monument
A former watermill in Beneixama, part of the Camino de los Molinos, which runs past the remains of the traditional paper industry along the River Vinalopó.
Olive oil of Beneixama
Curiosity
Beneixama, in the comarca of L'Alt Vinalopó, is one of the area's leading producers of olive oil; olive growing has traditionally been, together with vines and almonds, one of the pillars of its agriculture. As early as 1849, Pascual Madoz's dictionary described the municipality as a producer of oil and wine and recorded five olive mills in operation, evidence of how long-established this activity is in the town.
New settlement charter after the Morisco expulsion
Historical milestone
The place had a mainly Morisco population and was left empty by the expulsion decree of 1609. The territorial lord granted shortly afterwards a charter of new settlement, sharing out houses, lands and irrigation turns among Christian families from the neighbouring comarcas.