Logbook · 4 places

What to see and do in Zorita del Maestrazgo

What to see and do in Zorita del Maestrazgo (Els Ports, Castellón): 4 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

How far each place is from the centre of Zorita del Maestrazgo

Shrine of la Balma 2.7 km

Towns near Zorita del Maestrazgo

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What to see in Aguaviva 11 km · 4 places
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Spain › Valencian Community › Castellón › Els Ports › Zorita del Maestrazgo

What to see and do in Zorita del Maestrazgo

Zorita del Maestrazgo
Village
Zorita del Maestrazgo, Sorita in Valencian, is a municipality in the Castellón comarca of Els Ports, in mountainous terrain near the border with Teruel, with 118 inhabitants, far from the 1,270 it had in 1910. It was a hamlet of the general territory of Morella, granted for settlement in the 13th century, and in the 14th century passed to the lordship of the Fernández de Heredia family; on 20 December 1367 Juan Fernández de Heredia sold the lordship to the jurats of Morella for 14,511 sueldos, a dependency that was maintained afterwards. Until 1916 it was simply called Zorita. Its economy is based on livestock farming, with farms of chickens, pigs, sheep and goats. It preserves the sanctuary-cave of the Virgin of la Balma, in worship since the 14th century, and the church of the Assumption.
Shrine of la Balma
Monument
The sanctuary of the Virgin of la Balma is located 3 km from the town centre of Zorita del Maestrazgo (Sorita in Valencian), beside the river Bergantes, carved into a balma or rock shelter. It is a religious building in Renaissance style built between the 16th and 18th centuries on a hermitage documented since 1380, then dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint Blaise, which around 1437 came to be dedicated to the Virgin. The most important work was carried out between 1666 and 1670, with the enlargement of the nave, the bell tower and the doorway. It was an important centre of pilgrimage for people from Castellón and Teruel, including women who came from Aragon seeking to be cured of supposed demonic possession. It has been declared a historic-artistic monument since 1979.
The sale of Zorita to the jurats of Morella
Historical milestone
Juan Fernández de Heredia sold in 1367 the seigneury of Zorita to the jurats of Morella for 14,511 sueldos; from then on the place was integrated into the Morella territory and lost its status as an independent seigneury.
The Carnival meatballs
Food and drink
Large meatballs of minced meat, bread and spices that are cooked in the pot and shared at Carnival; together with the torrà of meats and sausages over embers, they mark the village's gastronomic calendar.