Local Info & Town Hall (Ayuntamiento) Vall de Alcala

Vall de Alcala


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Vall de Alcalá or in the Valencian language La Vall d'Alcalà is a valley in the Marina Alta region of Alicante. Spain.

An area of natural beauty, it contains two villages: Alcalà de la Jovada, and Beniaia.

According to the 2005 census, Alcalà and Beniaia's inhabitants add up to a total of 165. Until the 1950s the villages had well over 500 inhabitants (642 in 1910), but a steady decline started in the 1960s as families emigrated to the nearby large towns of Pego, Oliva, Gandia, Muro de l'Alcoi,  Cocentaina and Alcoi. ,

The village of Vall d'Alcalà is very famous for being the birthplace of Al-Azraq, a Moorish Commander who signed an important treaty with King Jaime I of Aragon in 1245, known as the Ai-Azraq Treaty of 1245, locally known as the 'Tractado del Pouet' because it was signed beside a small water source just outside the village.

Al-Azraq famously betrayed the treaty in 1245 and 1258 when he unsuccessfully tried to defeat Jaime I's army. The battles are still remembered today all around the region, when towns gather to watch Moros i Cristians or 'Moors and Christians' parades. The ones held in Alcoi are by far the most famous and spectacular, and is televised live on Canal 9 television as well as occasionally on state channel TVE.

Both Alcalà and Beniaia have their own Moors and Christians parades too, in August and September respectively, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Cherries, almonds and olives are the main exports from Vall d'Alcalà. Many of the cherries bought overseas in, for example, the UK, come from the valley, which has its own Denominacion de Origen, 'Muntanya d'Alacant'.

The village of Alcalà de la Jovada has three bars, a campsite, a hotel, a public swimming-pool, a sports complex, an Internet café, a cultural centre/theatre, a chemist and a picturesque church. It however does not have a general store or shop.

Further down towards the neighbouring Vall de Ebo village, there is a cave that was discovered in 1919 by a local hunter called José Vicente Mengual, known locally as El tío Rull or 'Uncle Rull'. His dog chased a rabbit down a hole and did not come back. He then sent his ferret down and that did not return either. Finally, he moved some rocks and discovered a beautiful cave full of stalactites and stalagmites. The cave, which officially bears his nickname La Cova del Rull, is open to the public, and is all year round except New Year's Day and Christmas Day.

The village of Vall de Alcalá celebrates its week-long fiesta on normally the first but sometimes the second weekend of August. Beniaia celebrates its own, smaller fiesta in September.

Town Hall (Ayuntamiento)

Plaza Obispo Vilaplana, 3  Vall de Alcala 03788

Tel: 965514300

www.lavalldalcala.es

To find VALL DE ALCALA either; enter the address where you are now in the box below or actually click on the map where you are now and then click the button 'route' which will appear below the map.

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