Benicarló

Benicarló is a common to the north of the Valencian community in Spain. It belongs to the Province of Castellón and more precisely to the area ( Comarque ) of the Bas-Maestrazgo ( Bajo Maeztrazgo in Castilian, Baix Maestrat into Valencian).

Geography

Located on the coast of the the Mediterranean (Costa del Azahar) and surrounded by gardens ( huertas ) irrigated, Benicarló has a privileged climate specific to the littoral on which it is. In the north of the commune the mouth of Rio Seco is.

One reaches this locality since Castellón by taking N-340 or the AP-7.

Localities bordering

Benicarló is close to the localities of Vinaroz, Cálig, and Peñíscola.

History

the old origins of Benicarló (or Binicarló) are attested by the material vestiges found in the Iberian sites of Tossa and Puig of Nau; the maximum development is reached in the Life and Ve front centuries J.C. One can see their walls, or rather, their remainders, in the surroundings of Benicarló.
Blessed-Gazló Arab, hamlet depend on the castle of Peñíscola, was reconquered by the king Jacques Ier the Conqueror.
the June 14th 1236 since Saragossa, Jacques Ier grants a " charter of repeuplement" ( carta puebla ) of the place of Benicastló, to 30 " Repobladores" (“repeupleurs”) and their families.
In 1250, Jacques Ier exempts the inhabitants of Benicarló of the obligation to assemble guards in Peñíscola.
In 1294, the place passes to the capacity of the Ordre of the Temple and subsequently, in 1319, with that of the Ordre of Montesa, starting at this time a stage of economic growth and social without precedents hitherto.
In 1359 Benicarló becomes autonomous compared to Peñíscola.
In 1370 Pierre the Ceremonious concedes the right to him to embark and unload goods since its beaches without having to pay rights.
During the Germanías , the population was honest to the king and with the Order of Montesa; therefore it was besieged by the agermanados in 1521.
This control enabled him to obtain, the October 20th 1523, the title of city and other privileges on the corn importation and the behavior of an annual fair for the festival of San Bartolomé.
In 1556, it must push back the attack of the pirates Turkish.
In the middle of the XVIIe century, Benicarló, like other Valencian villages, suffers from the effects of a bubonic epidemic of Peste which involved more than 500 died.
the beginning of the next century is marked by the war of succession, during which the city went to the general Asfeld (1706).
During the War of Independence, it resisted the attacks of Suchet and took an active part in the creation of Guérilla S.
During the wars carlists, it must undergo the attacks of Ramón Cabrera.
In 1883 is created the Companyia del Port ; one undertakes in 1886 the construction of a mole of loading, the port being completed only at the beginning of the next century.

This port exports the production of wine (17 million liters in 1890).

At the beginning of the XXe century, will phylloxéra it practically destroyed all the vines of the area and will involve the disappearance of this production.
the royal decree of the king Alphonse XIII, on October 22nd 1926, concedes at the village the title of city.

Demography

The population which in 1794 was of 1.300 pesonnes, had passed to 2.182 in 1877. This rising curve will be seen fixed towards 1.900-1.930 by the crisis in agriculture, the production and the export of the wine. But starting from 1930, the population growth is stabilized.

Administration

Economy

The production of wine at the end of the XIXe century played a very important part. It was about the wine called Vino Carlón , which constituted the greatest source of richness of the city. For example, in 1890, 17 million liters was exported. The catastrophe of will phylloxéra destroyed practically all the vines of the zone, making disappear completely this culture.

Between 1931-1944 was built the current port, involving the development of the fisheries sector which, today, maintains a fleet of more than 50 boats. This fleet fished these last years, an average of 1.500 tons annual of any kind of fish, in particular of the mullets, whitings, octopuses, anglers, plates and crawfish.

In the years 1960 of the century spent, Benicarló became a place of immigration. The reasons which attract this population are: industry (inter alia that of the piece of furniture, chemical gasoline distillings and construction) and tourist rise.

Concerning agriculture, it should be noted that the territory of Benicarló has a great quantity of farms, as well in irrigated ground as not irrigated. One will note the production of famous artichoke (produced profiting from a Dénomination of Origin ), citrus fruits, tomatos and other products.

Artichoke of Benicarló

The artichoke (Cynara Scolymus) is cultivated especially in the Mediterranean regions and the zones which enjoy a soft climate. Its consumption dates of more than two thousand years. These plants were regarded already by the old ones as an appreciable food, and it was recommended especially with coriandre, wine, olive oil and garum, name of a famous fish sauce used in antiquity. It is a large thistle as the Arab root of its name " indicates it; spine of terre". This large thistle appears in the ecu of the city of Benicarló as reflection of the importance which this product in this zone had, already in antiquity.

Monuments

Vault of the Christ of the Sea . (Church of Saint Pierre). It is in the vicinity of the port; it is popularly known like the Ermitage of the Christ of the Sea ; this Christ was always the object of deep a devotion with Benicarló. The legend tells that in 1650 accosted on the beaches of Benicarló a boat from where César Cataldo unloaded carrying a statue of Christ in Cross; its arrival was described as extraordinary and the miracles which the Holy Statue spread even more.

Parish church of San Bartolomé . Dating from the XVIIIe century, with a gate baroque and an octagonal bell-tower. The large frontage baroque is out of stone and frames the gate, made up of two parts: the upper part forms a great niche with the statue of San Bartolomé surrounded by two twisted columns. The interior of the building is formed of a single nave with a transept and vaults between the buttresses; on the transept a large cupola rises. The retable of the Vierge del Remedio is a painting with the Virgin and the Child sitting on a throne, surrounded by various saints. This work of art is allotted to the artist Vicente Macip.
Convent of San Francisco . Built about 1578 apart from the walls of the city; the cloister is an austere and simple construction; the church, although transformed at the XVIIIe century, preserves the original structure of XVIe; it has a single nave, without side chapels; the frontage of style baroque, ends in a cornice drawing a broken line and a pinnacle crowning the whole.

Hermitage of San Gregorio . Is with two kilometers and half of the village. It is a hermitage of old origin; the date of its construction is unknown; the statue of San Gregorio is a polychrome wood sculpture, of rustic invoice although expressive, probably of the first third of XVIe century. The hermitage has a full gantry formed by five worked stone arcs.
Municipal Historical and Archaeological Museum , inaugurated in 1982. Y is exposed the archaeological material of the sites of the city and the Baix Maestrat, particularly that of the Iberian and pre-Iberian cultures .

Festivals

Employers' Festivals . They are celebrated in the honor of San Bartolomé on August 24th, of the Saints Senén and Abdón and of Santa Maria del Mar : second about fifteen August begin these festivals; the list of the demonstrations includes/understands popular concerts, balls, childish spectacles, toros, young cows, " correfocs" , shooting with the pigeon, giants and famous persons, toro emboulé, will habaneras, gastronomy of products of the sea, marine festival, game of bowls, battles of flowers, fireworks, etc

Fallas . San Jose, festival which celebrates on March 19th, and her Semaine Fallera , with all the implements that supposes, detonators, rockets, fireworks, " mascletades" , toros and the 11 monuments falleros which will burn the night of the Saint. Nowadays and after the Employers' Festivals, it is that which with the greattest importance.

San Antonio Abad (Holy Antoine abbot). On January 17th is celebrated, celebrates in which the bonfires in the streets multiply, where popular the " occurs; Grill " , merry meeting of neighbors around the bonfires, to roast the typical products of the ground and the sea; artichokes, " petxines ", chops, etc the evening, on the place of the church, one burns the " Dimoni ", mannequin with the image of the demon, to drive out the spirits malefic.

San Gregorio . place has on May 9th. It is the day when all the inhabitants of the city move in pilgrimage towards the Hermitage of the Saint, in an environment of healthy joy; they go behind the statue of the Saint, who in the past, released the city of his misfortunes.

San Isidro , May 15th. It is the Festival par excellence plowmen: agricultural processions, exposures, procession; this day, one forsakes the agricultural tools to benefit from spring and to celebrate the next harvest until one waits during all the remainder of the year.

Holy Week . The annual celebration of the central mystery of the Christian faith, the mystery of passion, died and resurrection of Jesus sees in Benicarló the participation of seven brotherhoods, which indicates the importance that these celebrations in the city have.

Other festivals

Festival of the Artichoke . In Benicarló, this product always held a big role in the farmers and since many years one celebrates this festival, with a series of the sociocultural demonstrations which culminate with imposing a " grill " artichokes. In the same way take place of the gastronomical days having for topic this product.

Gastronomy

Local gastronomy, one must detach initially, the dishes containing rice as the arròs has bandaged , the paella LED terreny , or the rossejat . The olla barrejada is also typical. Because of the fishing port, an essential dish of the gastronomy is the suquet of peix , as well as extraordinary crawfish of Benicarló, or very good squids, cuttlefish, octopuses, " galères" , plates, and so much of other delicious products of the sea. Also the kid with the furnace or rabbit Al " Maestrat" make the delights from the autochtones and abroad. Among the desserts, one cannot forget the pastissets cabell of àngel , or the coc ràpid , carquinyolis , rotllets of anís , hulls of Sant Antoni , specialities of the pastry making of this city. Finally, during the traditional annual festival of artichoke, are held gastronomical demonstrations during which are elaborate a multitude of dishes - since the entries to the desserts which have like basic commodity, the high-speed motorboat of the gardens of Benicarló.

Twinnings

External bonds

Official site of Benicarló
Webcam on Benicarló

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