Alcoy
| SANTA MARIA CHURCH | |
| Address: Verge Maria, 32 |
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t was built in the 18th century, but some alterations were carried out in the 19th and the 20th centuries. Front of the Valencian baroque period. From the old San Agustin Convent only the cloister still survives, but now turned into the main square. Next to it, we find the current Town Hall, built in the 19th century, inside which we could admire an interesting pictorial exhibition by local artists. |
| SAN JORGE CHURCH | |
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Address: Santo Tomás |
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“… And there they tried to vote him as Patron Saint, deciding to build him a church in the same place where he had appeared and celebrate his Holiday on the same date, April 23 rd, every year…” “Celebre Centuria”. Vicente Carbonell , 1668. The town of Alcoy identifies with San Jorge as a result of the events which took place on April 3 rd 1276, when the Capadocian martyr interceded for the people from Alcoy in the battle this town fought against the Arab leader Al-Azraq. The worship of this Saint starts precisely on this date, origin of the Moors and Christians Festivals. The exact date of the first church dedicated to the Patron Saint cannot be established, but there are documents that bear witness that it existed in 1317. In the course of the centuries, it has undergone alterations and changes but its location has been always the same, the place it is nowadays, called Portal de San Marcos . Between 1901 and 1904, the express San Jorge Vicariate is created and held by Leonardo Pérez Ferrándiz. In this period, the temple was in danger of collapsing and the possibility of demolishing it completely and building a new one is considered. On June 20 th 1913, the Valencia Archbishop authorizes its demolition and appoints a commission for the new construction made up of important men of art and culture, as Fernando Cabrera Cantó, at that time the Artistic Adviser of the San Jordi Association and the architects Timoteo Briet Montagut and Vicente Pascual Pastor. In 1921, the new church is blessed once the painter Fernando Cabrera Canto had finished the canvas that is placed against the wall of the presbytery.
THE BUILDING
The Romanesque-style main façade located at the Santo Tomas Street is flanked by two towered elements on both sides and symbolically represents the Celestial Jerusalem Door. The central section of the façade divides into two horizontal parts. The lower part consists in an entrance with a kind of baldachin protruding from the wall and the second part consists in three large windows combined with some little columns. These windows have decorated glasses. The first large window is a semicircular arch that reproduces the San Jorge equestrian figure. On both sides, there are two semicircular windows reproducing the “Senyera” and the Alcoy shield. The other two windows forming the five openings of the main façade reproduce, the left one, a ciborium with some wooden sticks referring to the “Jesuset del Miracle” (the Miracle Little Jesus) and the right one makes a symbolic reference to the Saint, the cross, the sword and the palm of the martyrdom. In the side façade located at the San Blas Street , the decorated glasses on the first floor stand out. They reproduce the shield of the Sant Jordi Association and the figure of Mossen Torregrosa (a priest who encouraged people from Alcoy to fight against the Arab leader), sketches by Rafael Guarinos, and the plaque remembering the location of the old Portal de San Marcos, place where according to tradition people from Alcoy saw San Jorge on April 23 rd 1276, a saint who helped them to achieve the victory against Al-Azraq. THE TEMPLE (inside)
Its plan and the interior of the building are reminiscent of the Byzantine style, so its style is neo-Byzantine. The main entrance is used as an entrance hall and consists in a rectangular narthex leading to the square main floor, where we find an engraved Greek cross finishing in three apses. There are attached columns used for decoration and to support the dome. The choir houses a very special organ that was built by Gabriel Blancafort. It was inaugurated on April 23 rd 1984 to commemorate the first Centenary of the Alcoy Music Festival. On the left, we find the image of the Virgin with the Baby Jesus and on the right, a decorated glass with the picture of San Jorge de Donatello, a sketch by Rigoberto Soler Pérez. The dome is supported by squinches with geometric motifs. It is preceded by a tambour with eight large windows covered with decorated glasses representing the saints related with Alcoy: la Inmaculada Concepción (the Immaculate Conception), San Jorge Infante (Infant San Jorge), San Mauro, San Roque, San Miguel, Niño Jesús del Milagro (Miracle Baby Jesus), Virgen de los Lirios (Virgin of the Lilies) and San Gregorio de Ostia. In the middle of the temple and on both sides, there are two semicircular glasses decorated in the Byzantine style with friezes, which represent the shields of Alcoy and Aragon , designed by the architect from Alcoy Roque Monllor Boronat. In its centre the four Evangelists are represented and in the middle of them, Jesus blessing (Pantocrator), paintings by Fernando Cabrera Gisbert. On the left side, the equestrian stature of San Jorge is placed. It is a polychrome group of statues of more than 100 kilograms , work by the Valencian sculptor Enrique Galarza, made in 1940. On the corner, it is the reliquary, in a neo-gothic style. It is a real jewel that keeps the relic of San Jorge inside, two phalanxes of his finger. The central apse is the most important part of the church and really stands out. Three steps, which symbolize the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, separate them from the faithful. At the foot, we find the tomb of the penitent from Piedmont Casimiro Barello Morello, who died in Alcoy in 1884. Opposite, the sensational canvas that represents the battle that people from Alcoy held in 1276, as the brilliant painter Fernando Cabrera Cantó interpreted it. In front of it, and in the centre, we find two angels made out of plaster work by the sculptor from Alcoy Lorenzo Ridaura, since the angels made of marble were destroyed in 1936. These angels hold up the base where the statue of San Jorge Infante (Infant San Jorge), a polychrome statue of the Valencian School known by people from Alcoy as “El Xicotet”, was erected. The main apse is completed by an arch with symbols that refer to the Moors and Christians Festivals that this city celebrates every April 22 nd, 23 rd and 24 th. The right corner consists in a door to gain access to the vestry, over which a small decorated glass remembering us the nobility of Mossén Torregrossa, sketch by the artist from Alcoy Rafael Guarinos, is placed. The third apse is a door with access to the San Blas Street . It is only used to get the equestrian statue of San Jorge in and out every April 23 rd in the General Procession that the town of Alcoy makes to honour its Patron Saint San Jorge. |
| CASALS DE SANTO JORDI | |
Address: Sant
Miquel, 62
Timetable: from Tuesday to Friday, from 11 to 13 h and 17.30 to 19.30 h. Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays from 10.30 to 14.00 h. |
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Right in the urban centre, the San Miguel Street shows a beautiful and stately building known as “Casa Meritas”. The origins of the construction of this building date back to the end of the 17 th century, but the Jorda family, whose coat of arms is placed on the entrance lintel, was the family that gave it its present structure and splendour.
It is located in a stately house (18 th century) where the San Jorge Association has its headquarters from the year 1961. The building has been considerably renovated (1993), mainly the top floor, where a complete collection of the different aspects of the Moors and Christians Festival of Alcoy is shown, including sections of music library, art gallery (iconography of San Jorge), festival clothes, posters, library, etc.
The “Museo de la Festa” ( Festival Museum ) is a real sanctuary where the material and sentimental heritage of the Moors and Christians Festival of Alcoy is kept and shown. A careful contemplation of this exhibition allows us to know the different aspects and elements taking part in this festival, divided into the following galleries and departments:
GALLERY I: It fulfils its function of introductory element. It is used to exhibit a selection of paints and drawings showing different aspects of the Festival. A showcase shows an example of the designs of the Festival posts (Captain and Ensign, of both troops, and Sant Jordiet). Another showcase allows to us contemplate the twenty-eight designs or costumes of the “Filaes” or groups participating in the Festival, which small mannequins wear, duly referenced with labels pointing out the name and foundation year of each group.
The iconography of Sant Jordi, in honour of which the Festival is celebrated, plays an important role in this gallery. Other showcases show collections of instruments used as weapons, old programmes and magazines, medals and stamps regarding the Festival and San Jorge, as well as a harquebus and a blunderbuss as those used in the “Alardo” or battle. Likewise, this gallery exhibits the documents of the awarding of the San Jorge Marquess pontifical title to Miguel Payá Pérez, recently donated by his grandson Miguel Payá Catalá.
GALLERY II: It is used only for the clothes of the main character in this Festival: the “Sant Jordiet”. In two showcases, the development of the designs for this character during the last seventy years is exhibited. One of the walls of the Gallery has eight paintings and a ceramic earthenware, work by artists from Alcoy , which show the current tendencies and the view that our contemporary artists have as regards the figure of San Jorge. Right in the urban centre, the street called Sant Miquel in days gone by shows a beautiful and stately building known as “Casa Meritas”. The origins of the construction of this building date back to the end of the 17 th century, but the Jorda family, whose coat of arms is placed on the entrance lintel, was the family that gave it its present structure and splendour.
The building, headquarters of the Sant Jordi Association, was purchased in 1954 and after a restoration carried out by the architect Roque Monllor, it was publicly inaugurated in April 1961 and called Casal de Sant Jordi. The building matches the traditional model for the Alcoy nobility houses, with the use of masonry squared in national limestone and wrought iron balconies in its façade; in the spacious entrance we find the stairs, with a baroque banister carved in wood with animal and heraldic motifs, which lead to the top lounges. These lounges still have the original layout and a decorative paving of glazed ceramic tiles in the Valencian-style of the 18 th century. A marble plaque, located in the stairs that lead to the Museum, remembers the visit of Their Majesties the King Juan Carlos I and the Queen Sofia, in December 1976.
Together with the characteristic services of the entity, such as the Secretary’s Office, the Boardroom, the Clothing Store, the house of the caretaker, etc..., the Casal de Sant Jordi houses the Festival Museum, which along with the rest of the rooms, was extended in 1976 when the adjoining house was purchased on the occasion of the VII centenary celebrations of San Jorge as the Patron Saint in Alcoy.
The Festival Museum is nowadays located on the second floor of the Casal Sant Jordi, since the building works for restoration and adaptation carried out between 1992 and 1993 were finished. It has a built surface of 700 m 2 and a useful surface of 540 m 2. This new period of the Festival Museum was blessed and inaugurated on April 27 th 1993 , being the Casal Sant Jordi again a place that all the visitors should visit to know this cultural offer of Alcoy .
It is located in a restored big house of the 18 th century. The San Jorge Association, an organization responsible for everything related with the Festival, has its headquarters here. Here a complete collection of items related with the Festival is shown, as for example photos, posters, pictures, icons, books and a wide collection of festival costumes collected for almost 100 years, since there are even costumes of the beginning of the 20 th century. |
| A CITY OF BRIDGES | |
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We start with the first bridge called the Cristina Bridge (1838). The last bridge built in Alcoy , the Fernando Reig Bridge , can also be seen (1987). The Cristina Bridge allows us to cross over the Barxell or Riquer River , on the banks of which centenarian industries still hold their lofty chimneys. On the other side of the Cristina Bridge , we find the Cervantes Avenue , an area dedicated by the city of Alcoy to the famous writer since 1905. The route continues with the Alzamora Street, which finishes right in the entrance of the second bridge, called the San Roque Bridge (1862), the right side of which is flanked by a building that belonged to Hidroelectrica Española (the Spanish Hydroelectric Company, 1910), with a modernist influence and masonry. The San Roque Bridge also corresponds to the 19 th century, a period in which the local industry and economy in Alcoy were flourishing considerably, and as the rest of the constructions from this period, it was built with stone extracted from the local quarries. From the San Roque Bridge, we can see at the bottom the El Barranquet de Soler stream that, towards the centre of the city, swells the flow of the Barxell River . According to the plan of Eduardo Miera, it has three semicircular arches, of eight metres, and its maximum height reaches 20.5 metres .
We leave this second bridge, go past the San Roque and San Sebastian Church and turn into La Alameda Avenue , nowadays the liveliest and busiest business area of the city. This road has two small palaces, the Vicens or La Perla Palace (1923), in a Renaissance style and located at number 4 of this Avenue, right opposite the San Roque School, and the Carlos Perez Palace , in the intersection of La Alameda and the San Jorge Bridge Avenue .
Northwards (towards Valencia ), we reach La Pechina Bridge (1863), over the Benisaidó River . It has five semicircular arches and its maximum height is 28.6 metres. On the other side, it is the old Local Slaughterhouse (1911), reminiscent of the modernist aesthetic canons. On the other hand, if we head towards the centre of the city, we will go past the Hotel Reconquista, the façade of which is protected by a huge metallic mural, a work by the sculptor Jose Gonzalvo. Then, the San Jorge Bridge , which is probably the bridge that identifies the city to a greater extent, stretches out. It was inaugurated in 1931 and rises over the Riquer River that, with the Molinar River , forms the Serpis River that flows into the sea in Gandia. The San Jorge Bridge was a real urban revolution for Alcoy , since it meant the development of the Urban Expansion Area (we have just gone past), a new urban area that allowed the city to extend beyond the traditional limits in the first third of the 20 th century. The San Jorge Bridge is the hugest bridge of those forming the urban landscape of Alcoy and reaches a maximum height of 42 metres . On both sides of the bridge, we can still see the oldest Alcoy , particularly on the left side, where the medieval Torre Na Valora is located in the boundary of the valley slope, strong point of the walls surrounding the city in the 13 th century.
Once we have gone over the San Jorge Bridge , we arrive to the Santo Tomas Street , where we find the San Jorge Church, a temple dedicated to the Patron Saint of Alcoy that is worth a visit since it is the spiritual epicentre of the famous Moors and Christians Festival.
There are only a few metres to arrive to the starting point, the Plaza de España. From there, we should visit the last urban bridge: the Canalejas Viaduct. It was inaugurated in 1907 and receives this name in honour of the member of Parliament for the town of Alcoy , Jose Canalejas Mendez. It is 200 metres long and 325 tons of steel were used, which rest on three columns and two supports that raise the whole up to a maximum height of 54 metres over the Molinar River .
Alcoy is known as the city of the bridges. The particular relief grooved with gullies, which conditioned its urban development and the consecutive urban expansion areas, make it necessary to build these bridges.
Apart from the small bridges forming the old network of roads (Pont de Penaguila, Pont de Cocentaina and the old Pont de Sant Roc), which date back to the 17 th and 18 th centuries, there are other minor bridges that were erected to allow the access to the industries located on the banks of the Riquer River.
But it was from the first third of the 19 th century when the first public works allowing the development of Alcoy were carried out, thanks to the construction of the Cristina Bridge (1828-1838). Some years later, and due to the new route of the Alicante-Valencia road, the San Roque Bridge (1862) and La Petxina Bridge (1863) were built.
Another emblematic construction of the city is the Canalejas Viaduct (1901-1907), which connects the historical centre of the city with the El Tossal neighbourhood. Its metallic structure meant a technical innovation.
The need to connect the centre with the urban expansion area made it advisable to design and built the Sant Jordi Bridge (1925-1928), which was inaugurated on March 16 th 1931 . The Ponton del Terrer dates from the same period and as the previous one, it is made of reinforced concrete.
The last public work, carried out owing to the conversion of the N-340 road into a dual carriageway as it passes through Alcoy , is the Fernando Reig Bridge , inaugurated on April 17 th 1987 .
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| MUSEO ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM | |
Placeta del Carbó, no number
Timetable: from Monday to Friday, from 9 to 14h. Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays from 10.30 to 13.30 h. (Except in the months from July to September) |
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It is located in the Casa de la Villa old building, of a Renaissance style (16 th century), which has been declared as a Monument of National Artistic Interest . In the year 1945, this Municipal Museum was inaugurated thanks to the collections contributed by Camilo Visedo Molto. It has recently undergone a complete renovation of the interior and shows an exhibition classified by cultural environments, covering from the Palaeolithic to the Medieval Period, among which we can find a set of ceramics from the Neolithic, a collection of lead plaques with Iberian writing and the votive terra-cottas of La Serreta.
One of the most best-known buildings in the historical centre of Alcoy is, without any doubt, the old Casa de la Villa, located at the Placeta del Carbo.
This building consists in two wings that show important differences, although they look uniform. On the left wing, possibly prior to the installation of the Consell (Regional Parliament), we find an arched door and a façade with masonries over which there are two windows. The right wing, built in the year 1572, has on the ground floor a “loggia”, as a public space, consisting in five classicist arches supported by sturdy Tuscan columns, as well as another arch opened on the side that gives onto the Virgen Maria Street; on the noble floor, there are three balconies, the shield of the town (with the mutilated crown) and an hourglass.
This building has had different local uses since the year 1835, when it stopped being the seat for the Town Council.
Located in the building of the old Town Hall, of a Renaissance style (16 th century), which has been recently renovated, it shows an exhibition covering from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period. A set of ceramics of the Neolithic, the famous collection of lead plaques from La Serreta, which represents one of the biggest fragments that we know of Iberian writing, and the ex-votos found in La Serreta are particularly interesting. |
| SAN MAURO AND SAN FRANCISCO PARISH MUSEUM | |
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Address: Plaza de Ramón y Cajal,
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Located in the rooms annexed to the church, it guards a singular collection of religious art, among which we find a department of devotional painting, liturgical vestments, images and objects related to the worship. In the temple, paintings by Francisco Laporta are kept.
Main works in the collection of religious art here located are:
Ceramic altarpiece and pieces (17 th and 18 th centuries). Lignum Crucis (15 th century). Altarpiece by Pardines (16 th century). Embroideries (from 16 th to 19 th centuries). Paintings by Francisco Ribalta (18 th century). Painting by Segrelles. Religious gold and silver works (15 th - 16 th - 18 th centuries and modern). Collection of Reliquaries. Sculptures and anonymous paintings (15 th – 17 th centuries). Canvas, Valencian Baroque school (18 th century).
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| NATURAL SPOTS | |
Alcoy and its surroundings offer many possibilities for the practice of mountain activities and sports, such as hiking, climbing, potholing, etc. owing to the proximity of mountains (Mariola, El Carrascal, La Serreta) and the existence of deep gullies (Barranc del Cint, Els Canalons, …)
Among the most attractive spots we can visit in the Sierra de Mariola, the town of Agres ( 20 kilometres away from Alcoy) undoubtedly offers places with great possibilities and suggestive excursions (snow “cavas” or old fridges, the La Mare de Deu del Castell Sanctuary, fountains, etc…) and also has the required infrastructures and a great tradition in inland tourism.
Eleven kilometres westwards of the city, we find the spot of La Font Roja , in the Monte del Carrascal, which nowadays is a natural reserve where there are some autochthonous vegetation species as kermes oaks, ash trees, yew trees, maples and Valencian oaks or “gal.lers”. The incentive of the cold waters from its fountain, the recreational areas (“paelleros”), the excursions to the Cima del Menejador ( 1,352 metres high), the “cavas” or old wells that were used to store snow, etc., as well as the view over La Hoya of Alcoy, make it advisable to visit this spot where we will also find the sanctuary dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, to the Virgin de Los Lirios (Virgin of the Lilies), in remembrance of a miraculous event that took place on August 21 st 1653, when the image of the Virgin appeared printed on the bulbs of some wild lilies.
The Sant Antoni Chapel, located at one end of the natural reserve, has a recreational area.
Another ideal spot for the practice of hiking is the Barranc del Cint, which goes into the Sierra de Mariola and offers different routes to the Sant Cristòfol Chapel, El Preventori, Els Baradellos, etc. In La Font del Molinar and the gully through which its waters flow, old industrial buildings that still have the remains of waterwheels still survive.
Singularly beautiful spots still endure in the Barxell River , as Els Canalons and El Raco de Sant Bonaventura.
From the city, you can gain access by car to the Sanctuary of La Virgen de Los Lirios, located right in the natural reserve since 1987. A few metres from the Francisco Laporta Sports Centre, there is a diversion leading us to the Sant Antoni Chapel, where a leisure area has been fitted out and equipped in order to comfortably enjoy the natural environment. Pine trees and kermes oaks mix with other deciduous species and shelter many botanical species, an important sample of mammals and more than one hundred species of different birds. This road leaves the other road leading to Sant Antoni on the left and follows to the sanctuary where we find the most popular and visited leisure area.
From this point, we start going up to El Menejador, the highest top of the reserve. In the first kilometre and a half, we find El Pla de la Mina and El Pla dels Galers. The road continues up to the viewpoint, a place where we can contemplate a good part of the massif of the natural reserve and the surrounding mountains. When we have gone over about three kilometres and a half, we arrive to El Mas de Tetuan, remains of a typical construction used for the mountain agricultural and ranching exploitation. The structure and main elements still survive. One kilometre further away, we find the Cava de Coloma, a snow well that was in days gone by used to store snow and sell the ice. No more than two kilometres further away, it is El Menejador, where the forest track finishes. In its top there is a viewpoint to control the natural reserve. The faunistic jewel of the reserve, covering about 2,500 hectares , is the couple of partridge eagles that build their nests in one of the less accessible places of the spot. |
| CASA DEL PAVO | |
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Address: C/ San Nicolás nº 13-15 |
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Going up from the Plaza de España, at the San Nicolas Street, number 13 and 15, we find the so-called Casa del Pavo (the Turkey House), the façade of which stands out because of its wrought iron works in viewpoints and balconies, as well as the turkey that finishes off the lintels of its doors. |
| MONTE DE PIEDAD CAM BUILDING | |
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Address: C/ San Nicolás nº19 |
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Some metres further up, in number 19, we find the Industrial Circle, the real social club of a century ago middle class. In its interior, the Library and the large Salon Rotonda stand out.
Built at the beginning of the 20 th century, the central headquarters of the Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo are located in the place that was Monte de Piedad y Caja de Ahorros de Alcoy, the financial centre of the most flourishing economic period of the city. Its impressive entrance is one of the examples of its interesting architecture.
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| CONSERVATORY | |
| Address: C/ Joan cantó nº2 |
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The Juan Cantó Music and Dance Conservatory is another modernist example. It was in the past a house and nowadays it complies with the aforementioned cultural and teaching function. Inside, numerous details of this particular decorative style still survive. |
| ALBORS SMALL PALACE | |
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Address: PLAZA ESPAÑA, 21 |
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A few metres away, it is the Albors Small Palace , built in the last fourth of the 19 th century. |
| AITEX BAMBU BUILDING | |
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Address: Avda. País Valenciá
nº26-30 |
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Going out along the Bambu Street, we find the El Pais Valencia Avenue, where it is the Cultural Centre, the Bank of Spain in days gone by. In this avenue, in numbers 26 and 30, we find again some examples inspired by the modernist architecture.
The building was built at the beginning of the 30s. In 1934, it was the head office of Papeleras Reunidas S.A. , which even had 800 employees on the staff. Nowadays it houses the Textile Technological Institute (Instituto Tecnologico Textil, AITEX), the European Centre of Companies and Innovation (Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovacin, CEEI) and the Alcoy Art School (Escola d’Art d’Alcoi).
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| INDUSTRIAL CITY | |
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The old quarter of Alcoy is the heir to the urban development that took place during the second half of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century. Although its streets are determined by previous performances, the current appearance directly comes from the old city, pioneer of the Spanish industrial revolution. Cramped industries, working-class areas and middle-class houses coexisted among the valleys and rivers. From the San Jorge Bridge (1925-1931) or from the Canalejas Viaduct (1901-1907), we can appreciate the motley appearance of the most popular traditional neighbourhoods, along the streets of which we can walk and discover the consecutive added houses that were considered as necessary for a city in which the population grew in accordance with the industrial activity. As we hang around the streets, there are many details we can admire during the route. Streets as Santa Rita, San Mauro, San Jose , San Francisco or San Lorenzo…or the areas of San Antonio , San Blas, San Agustin, San Gregorio or Virgen de Agosto allow the visitors to discover small figures cast in the iron of the pipes in their facades. Alcoy , which had a powerful metallurgic industry, shows this particular mark in its urban landscape. We find angels and cherubs, virgins and vestal virgins, mythological and classical characters…
Likewise, there are still examples of the so-called “taulells”, polychrome ceramic sets placed on the facades of some houses to invoke the saint as which the street is known. Many of these works, very typical of the Valencian area, are nowadays in the Archaeological Museum, although some of them are still in their origin place, as the San Lorenzo Street, the San Jorge Street… As the result of the need of employing qualified labour, the industry itself created the called Industrial School, today the Superior Technical College of Alcoy, which is situated in the building of the Viaducto Avenue (1926) and the old Ferrandiz factory, which together with the Carbonell factory, was a great company of knitwear manufacture. Both factories are located in the squares with the same names.
The old workshops of Vicente Miro (1917) at the Quevedo Street and the metallurgic workshop (1908) on the corner of the Agres and the Salvador Allende Streets, as well as the old Municipal Slaughterhouse at the Juan Gil Albert Avenue , are models of the industrial architecture of the beginning of the century.
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| CARRASCAL DE LA FONT ROJA NATURE RESERVE | |
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☼ This Natural Reserve is located between the towns of Ibi and Alcoy in Alicante . The Carrascar de la Font Roja is a mountain range on which a real Mediterranean Levantine wood is situated.
☼ In the region of L’Alcoià, between the towns of Alcoy and Ibi, we find the Carrascar de la Font Roja Natural Reserve, one of the best conserved natural spaces in the Valencian territory. The Natural Reserve, with a surface of 2,450 hectares , includes the Cima del Menejador ( 1,365 metres high) which is the highest point of the reserve.
The massif mainly consists in limestone rocks from the Tertiary geological age. The stone quarries and the finest materials represent the materials from the Quaternary period. The Keuper clays are the oldest materials of the reserve and surface in the road gaining access to the Font Roja Sanctuary and the way to Tetuan.
HOW TO ARRIVE?
The Visitors’ Centre of the Reserve is located eleven kilometres away from Alcoy , in the road leading to the Font Roja Sanctuary. There are marked routes to know the human and natural environment leaving from this Centre (phone number 96 533 76 20). In the N-340 road out of Alcoy , going towards Alicante , take the CV-797 road to get into the Font Roja (the diversion is pointed out).
FAUNA
A well-conserved wood and different landscape units in the reserve, as for example the cliffs, the areas of stony ground, the pine forests and the crops, favour the presence of a rich variety of fauna.
Each environment has its own related fauna, among which we find mammals as wild boars, genets, weasels, wild cats or badgers; reptiles, and above all numerous birds (partridge eagles, golden eagles, vultures, golden owls, etc.). It is also one of the last nesting redoubts of ornithological species, as the sparrowhawk and the goshawk among others.
Among the invertebrates, the most relevant is the Euphidryas Desfontanii butterfly.
FLORA
The reserve faces east-west and so the contrast between the shady and the sunny slopes is highlighted. This makes the landscape variety richer. The different plant landscapes of the reserve are:
Woods of deciduous species: The small woods of deciduous species, formed by gall oaks, ash trees, maples, whitebeams, yew trees, etc. are situated on the darkest and most humid corners, over 1,250 metres high.
Kermes oaks in the shady side: The wood of kermes oaks, enriched by deciduous plants as ash trees or maples and gall oaks, are located between 600 and 1,250 metres high, in the fresher areas. In the understory of the wood of kermes oaks, different species grow in abundance: the ivy, the honeysuckle, the wild madder or the laurustinus.
Bushes in the sunny side: They are bushes with dispersed kermes oaks. The species commonly appearing are the following: the hedgehog broom, the salvia Mariolensis, the common gorse and the thyme. Sunny areas are associated with specimens of pine trees, junipers, black savines and kermes oaks.
Rupicolous vegetation: In the slopes, cliffs and banks that we often find in the shady side of El Menejador, there are plants adapted to grow in spite of the lack of land, as the Jasione Foliosa, the Potentilla Caulescens, etc… Their features allow them to settle in cracks where small quantities of land gather.
Vegetation in stony areas: On the slopes covered with loose stones, on the bottom of the cliffs, plants adapted to live in very unstable environments grow, as the juneberry, the ash tree, the maple and the whitebeam.
Pine forests: In the lowest points of the mountain, in areas where the bunkering and the kermes oak wood extraction has been intense, kermes oaks have suffered a great degradation. The current pine forests are reafforestations carried out on the kermes oak areas.
Crops: There are not very important due to the geographical and weather conditions. They are dry crops (cereals, fruit trees and olive trees).
HISTORY
Cultivated lands are exploited in the farms scattered throughout the reserve. The “masos” are the old constructions linked to this exploitation. Likewise, other constructions with a high architectural and ethnological value stand out: they are the “cavas” or snow wells. During the 18 th century, the snow trade played an important role in the mountain regions, since it favoured the appearance of the ice-cream industry in Jijona and other municipalities near this town. A proof of this trade is the presence of the six “cavas” that still survive in this natural reserve.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Font Roja Natural Reserve has a car park, with parking spaces for the disabled. The road surface is asphalted.
People with reduced mobility can easily gain access to the Sanctuary, but the access path is made of gravel. It has adapted toilets.
The recreational area is not easily accessible, since it is located in a terraced area.
The Visitors’ Centre is not easily accessible. The routes are not very suitable for people with reduced mobility.
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| SIERRA DE MARIOLA NATURE RESERVE | |
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The Sierra de Mariola is located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, between the provinces of Alicante and Valencia , and stretches over the regions of La Vall d’Albida, El Comtat and L’Alcoià. It has an almost rectangular formation with an alignment from southwest to northeast. It covers a surface of approximately 16,800 hectares .
The natural limits of the Sierra de Mariola are: in the north, La Valleta de Agres; in the south, the Polop River, which separates the Sierra de Mariola and the Sierra del Carrascar de la Font Roja ; in the east, the Serpis River; and the limit in the west is to be determined owing to the continuation of the Sierra de Mariola along the Onil and Fontanella mountains.
The most logical way to demarcate the mountain is established by the belt of roads formed by the towns surrounding Mariola, which get into the interior of the mountain. Towns as Alcoy, Cocentaina, Muro de Alcoy, Agres, Alfafara, Bocaire and Banyeres de Mariola.
Demarcating the area like this, Mariola borders on the road linking the towns of Muro de Alcoy and Agres to the north, the CV 795 road linking the towns of Alcoy and Banyeres de Mariola to the south, the national road 340 linking Alcoy and Cocentaina to the east and the CV 81 road linking the towns of Villena, Bocairente and Onteniente to the west.
The Sierra de Mariola is divided into two parts: the northeastern part (the most rugged area of the mountain) and the southwestern part (the softest and plainest area) taking as a reference and dividing line of both parts the CV 794 road that links the towns of Alcoy and Bocairent, which goes from the south to the northeast and through the mountain.
The highest points of the area are located in the northeastern side, being the most important the Cima del Montcabrer, 1,390 metres above the sea level, which is the highest top of the Sierra de Mariola and the third one of the province of Alicante , after the Cima de Aitana and the Cima de Puig Campana. The Alberri, Morro del Comptador, Alto del Cerincal, Alto de La Mola, Alto de Mariola and Alto de la Codolla, El Cavall de Bernat, El Portin and Cabeco de la Cova tops follow it, all them exceeding 1,000 metres above the sea level.
In the southwestern area, the Cima del Char or Eixar stands out. It is 1,090 metres above the sea level and represents the most important height of the area. The Alto de Sant Jaume, Capullo del Aguila and El Morro del Porc follow it, none of them reaching 1,000 metres above the sea level.
The Sierra de Mariola has been and is still important from a botanical point of view, owing to the wide variety of existing flora from the river beds to the highest points. There are more than 1,200 different species.
Naturalists and experts in plants use their Latin names, thus they avoid any mix-ups of the different species because of the use of the popular names, above all when identifying a species in different languages. The Latin name consists in two words: the first word refers to the genus and the second to the species.
In the Sierra de Mariola, we find species with the second name Mariolensis. This does not mean that the mentioned species are exclusive of the area but points out that they were gathered for a subsequent analysis in the Sierra de Mariola.
The forest formation of the area is the mixed forest of Valencian oak trees (Gal.ler) and the ash trees (freix), which you will find in reduced and fresh places, above all around the Cima del Montcabrer and the Morro del Comptador.
Together with the Valencian oak trees and the ash trees, there are other species of trees as the maples, the cluster pines and the yew trees. There is a small but interesting population of yew trees, known in the spot as La Teixera d’Agres, in the northern slope of El Morro del Comptador and very near the Montcabrer Refuge.
The human presence from time immemorial in the Sierra de Mariola is evidenced by the archaeological remains found in numerous parts of the mountain.
The oldest archaeological remains that have been found belong to the Neolithic period, as it is evidenced by the sites of the El Salt ( Alcoy ), La Sarsa Cave (Bocairent) and El Bolumini Cave (Alfafara).
Dating from the Bronze Age, we find towns such as El Alto de la Mola de Serelles or El Alto de la Mola de Agres. The Iberian culture left its traces in the area of El Alberri, Castellar and El Cabeço de la Cova de Mariola.
The Arabs colonized the mountain and changed the settlement by making best use of the agriculture and creating a network of castles and towers in order to defend the farms and towns. Castles as El Barxell, Cocentaina, Banyeres de Mariola, Vinalopo, El Covento and La Torreta d’Agres Castles bear witness of this period. Some of them are completely in ruins, but others have been restored as the Banyeres and the Cocentaina Castles . “ The high and famous Sierra de Mariola, as fertile as the most fertile spot throughout Spain, covered in groves and medicinal herbs, is very rich in waters, which trickle all over its slopes… And thus, in its shade and under its protection, some towns were settled in the past, dispersed around the slopes until the present day”. The “Guia del Forastero de Alcoy” (Alcoy Guide for Foreigners), edited in 1864, started with this paragraph the description of this famous mountain, characterized by its beautiful elevations, the purity of its fountains and the richness of its vegetation. The discovery of Mariola is magical. At every turn, in any path or track crossing it, we will discover surprising spaces: the mountains, the valleys and the gullies show different shades of green, the chapels and fountains invite to rest and the landscape becomes alive with the song of a bird, a rabbit running or the quiet flight of the partridge. The rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme and rock tea smells… and a wide variety of aromatic and medicinal plants pervade the air. Nature delights us with its most perfect work, we only have to enjoy and look after this beautiful, but at the same time fragile, ecological balance.
The mountain offers a wide range of possibilities for lovers of life in the open air. The ascent of the Montcabrer, Sant Jaume and El Portin tops, among the forests of pine trees, holm oaks and even yew trees, delight us with wonderful panoramic views. The visit to the old deposits for the storage of snow called “cavas” or the old farms show us the characteristics of the popular architecture. The route of the old railway that linked the different towns, together with the numerous roads crossing the mountain, proposes us suggesting excursions on foot, on a bike or a horse. The source of the Vinalopo and Clariano Rivers offer us places very suitable for relaxation in the middle of a luxuriant vegetation. TO KNOW THE SERRA MARIOLA The Sierra de Mariola and L’Alcoià-Comtat harmoniously combine a complex relief, peculiar weather conditions and an intelligent cultivation of land from time immemorial. As a result of this, we find a mosaic of environments and landscapes of a high ecological value. To enjoy them, we suggest you to park the car and go along the paths of the mountain on foot, on a bike or a horse. |
| FONT ROJA SANCTUARY | |
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It was on August 20 th 1653 that Mr. Benaventura Guerau and the priest Juan Pérez, together with a group of priests, climbed the Monte Carrascal, to rest some days in a hut in that rugged spot. Mr. Buenaventura went out for a walk at the break of day and saw, among some thorny thickets, that a Madonna lily stood out. He pulled it out and saw that the image of the Immaculate Conception was sculpted in its bulb. He shouted and when his mates came to his aid, they found out more lilies. They were so surprised because of this find that they thought they were hallucinating and showed the lilies to some farmworkers that were in the area. They said: “en eixa cebeta, hi ha la mare de Deu” (“the virgin is in this bulb”). The lilies were found in the place where the red fountain has its source and in the year 1662 a chapel with a hostel and a hermits’ house was built here, being the first mass celebrated on August 21 st 1663 . This chapel was closed down for danger of collapsing in the year 1742. In 1743 a devotees’ board was formed, which dealt with the construction of a new temple that was inaugurated the following year. The statue of the Virgin of the Lilies was ordered in the year 1764. It was a Blessed Virgin, with a lily at her feet, and next to it, the statue of San Felipe de Neri, to which order the man who found them belonged. This group of sculptures was destroyed during the war, and when it finished, a new one was built that is nowadays placed here. On the occasion of the third centenary of the miraculous find, the Virgin was canonically crowned by the Most Reverend Archbishop of Valencia . The current chapel of the Virgin of the Lilies, located in the middle of the Natural Reserve next to the environmental education centre, is the third one built by people from Alcoy since 1653, when the Virgin appeared in the mountain, reflected in a lily. The first stone was placed in 1886 and the chapel was inaugurated four years later. It was restored in 1995. |
| MOORS AND CHRISTIANS | |
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Between April 21 st and April 24 th, Alcoy is all decked out to celebrate the Moors and Christians Festival in honour of its Patron Saint San Jorge.
According to the chronicles, on April 23 rd 1276 the Sant Jordi miraculous aid saved the town of Alcoy from the attack of the hosts headed by Al-Azraq, the leader of the Moorish uprising. Since then, people from Alcoy celebrate different religious and popular festivities in honour of its saviour.
☼ The Moors and Christians Festival that Alcoy celebrates nowadays in honour of its Patron Saint San Jorge is the result of an evolution that, in the course of more than three centuries, bases its origin on the historical episode of the battle that people from Alcoy fought on April 23 rd 1276 against the Saracen troops commanded by the leader Al-Azraq, in which the Muslim army, according to tradition, was considerably decimated thanks to the miraculous help of the San Jorge knight.
The chronicler Carbonell offers us the first documentary reference about this Festival in his famous “Celebre Centuria”, published in 1672, on which religious and popular festivities, as those celebrated since days gone by, are described but with the appearance of societies, one of “Moors-Christians” and another of “Catholic-Christians”, which are the origin of the twenty-eight “filaes” (Moorish or Christian groups) that currently exist.
The current structure of the Festival, very similar to that of the 19 th century, is closely linked to the process of industrialization of the town and its community nature, which would have given rise to the different groups or Filaes that today add up to five thousand active members. The Festival is traditionally celebrated on April 22 nd, 23 rd, and 24 th. The first day is dedicated to the parades called the “Primera Diana” and the “Entrada de Cristianos” (the parades of the Christian troops) in the morning and the “Entrada de Moros” (parade of the Moorish troops) in the afternoon. The Patron Saint day, April 23 rd, concentrates the religious events, with the High Mass and the General and the Relic Processions. April 24 th is the day for the fight called the “Alardo”, a harquebus battle in which about five thousand kilograms of gunpowder are consumed and when the “Embajadas”, where the two armies try to obtain the enemy’s surrender (the speeches of this event are more than a century and a half old) take place. At the end of the day, the appearance of the “Sant Jordiet” takes place. A little boy, elected to play the saint, appears surrounded by colourful clouds at the top of the castle, riding a cardboard horse and throwing symbolic arrows that meant the victory of the Christians.
The Moors and Christians Festival in Alcoy was declared of “Tourist Interest” in 1965, and fifteen years later, on January 18 th 1980 , it achieved the qualification as an “International Tourist Interest Festival”, along with the “San Fermines” of Pamplona , the “Fallas” of Valencia or the Holy Week of Zamora and Sevilla.
The Moors and Christians Festival in honour of the Patron Saint of the town are traditionally held from April 21 st to April 24 th. This Festival commemorates the historical event that took place in the year 1276 when, according to tradition, the town of Alcoy was attacked by the Al-Azrac hosts. People from Alcoy were at mass at that moment and they started to pray. Then the Moorish leader was reached by an arrow and it is said that people saw a knight on the battlements of the Portal de San Marcos , right where the San Jorge Church is located nowadays. When the leader died, the Moors ran away and shouted that they had seen the “Wali”, San Jorge. These events gave rise, along the centuries, to the current Moors and Christians Festival. Festival Castle , in the 1958 snowfall.
THE “GLORIA”
There are twenty-eight “filaes” altogether, fourteen for each side. The “Gloria” is held on Easter Sunday. A member of each “fila” marches past, forming two groups, the Moorish side and the Christian side, commanded by their two respective sergeants, who are elected every four years. This event represents the “opening speech” of the festival, and starting from this night, the “entraetes” (small parades) begin, in which the “filaes” march past informally and wearing civilian clothes and create a festive atmosphere. These parades take place until April 21 st, inclusive. The following Sunday the children’s “Gloria” is celebrated: it is similar to the previous one, but children take part in it.
“Gloria”.
THE PASO DOBLE FESTIVAL. “EL DIA DELS MUSICS” (The Musicians’ Day)
April 21 st. The paso doble festival is the event dedicated to the Festival music. All the music bands participating in the festival march past and are applauded by people from Alcoy as a tribute, since the festival won’t be quite the same without them. The parade of music bands starts at 19.30 pm from the Salesianos School to the Plaza de España, where all the music bands start to play the festival anthem when the “Sant Jordiet” arrives, usually conducted by an important figure from Alcoy.
Then, the “nit de l’olla” is celebrated. In it, the festival members and musicians have the “olleta”, a typical dish from Alcoy (similar to stewed beans, but with leaf vegetables, black pudding, etc.) gathered in their respective clubs, and once the dinner finishes, the last “entraetes” take place, until the following year.
THE “DIANA”
April 22 nd. The three great days of the festival start. At 6 o’clock in the morning, the Christian flag is hoisted at the top of the castle, and after saying a Hail Mary, the most beautiful and headiest event of the festival start, the DIANA. The Plaza de España is crowded, people want to see the “arranca de la Diana” (starting of the “Diana”). First, the Christians, with the “fila” of the captain and the sergeant of the Christian troops. The sergeant tilts the lance and the parade starts. After the captain’s “fila”, the other Christian “filaes” march past according to seniority and approximately every five minutes. Around 7 o’clock, it is the second important moment, “l’arranca” of the Moorish side, as moving as the Christian parade. The fourteen “filaes” that make up the Moorish troops also march according to seniority. The event ends around ten o’clock in the morning in the Plaza de España.
“Arrancá de Diana”. Berber Captain. 1988. THE “ENTRADAS” (parades)
April 22 nd. Once the “diana” has finished, an hour later, the “entrada” (parade) of the Christian side starts. Around 10.45 am, the order: “For Alcoy and Sant Jordi, forward!” is given from the balcony and the parade of the Christians begins. It is headed by the timpani and the bugles and the Christian sergeant. Then, the Christian captain arrives with all his retinue and after him, the “fila” of the captain. Later, the rest of the “filaes” marches past. Finally, the Christian Ensign and his retinue close the parade.
Special Squad of the Ensign 200, Fila Vascos.
After the “entrada” of the Christians, and after lunch, the “entrada” of the Moors takes place, which recalls the Moorish formations of the leader Al-Azrach that besieged the town. It follows the same itinerary than the “entrada” of the Christians. The parade starts with the timpani and the bugles, and the Moorish sergeant heads the parade. After him, the Moorish captain and his court arrive, followed by his “fila” and the squad of “negres”. After the captain’s “fila”, the rest of the “filaes” marches past and the Moorish Ensign closes the parade.
Berber Captain’s Squad 1998. Berber Captain’s Court 1998.
SECOND “DIANA”
April 23 rd. With this event, the second day of the festival begins. It is a day completely dedicated to the Patron Saint, San Jorge. This event has a similar meaning to the previous day event, but children participate. It starts at 8.30 pm in the morning. The Moors march past from the end of the Pais Valenciano Avenue and the Christians from the beginning of the San Nicolas Street .
THE RELIC PROCESSION
April 23 rd. Once the second “diana” has finished, around eleven o’clock in the morning, the procession that moves the saint’s relic (consisting in two phalanges of his finger) from the San Jorge Temple to the Santa Maria Church begins in the San Jorge Church. In this procession, only the “filaes” that hold a post go with the relic, as well as the two captains and ensigns. Once the procession ends, a singed High Mass composed by the composer from Alcoy Amando Blanquer is celebrated in the Santa Maria Church . When the mass finishes, a “mascleta” (a long, intricately-arranged row of firecrackers) is lit in the Plaza de España at 13.45 pm .
THE EVENING “DIANA DEL CABALLET”
April 23 rd. This event is carried out by the two cavalry “filaes”: the Realistas and the Berbers. In the past, these “filaes” marched past with small cardboard horses, which were withdrawn so that they can participate in the “Alardo”(the battle). This event disappeared for many years, but it was recovered some years ago. It starts at 17.30 pm from the Glorieta, continues on the San Nicolas Street , and finishes in the Plaza de España.
Berber Fila. “Diana del Cavallet”, Fila Realistas. Drawings by Rafael Guarinos. GENERAL PROCESSION
April 23 rd. In the evening, the general procession takes place, in which the relic and the equestrian statue of San Jorge are returned to the temple. It starts around 19.30 pm in the Placeta del Carbo, where the old Town Hall and the archaeological museum are placed, and after going along the streets of Alcoy , it finishes in the San Jorge Church.
In this procession, all the “filaes” march past, first the twelve Moorish “filaes” and then the twelve Christian “filaes” that don’t hold a post, both according to seniority. The four “filaes” that hold the captain and the ensign posts, as well as the statue of the saint, the relic, the “Sant Jordiet” child, the San Jorge Association and the saint’s relic close the procession.
The “San Jordiet” child.
CONTRABAND
April 24th. Around 7.15 in the morning, the Contraband event takes place in the Plaza de España. It is carried out by the filaes called the Maseros and the Contrabandistas. The Andaluces or Contrabandistas represent the sellers who offer their products, but the farmworker (possible buyer) doesn’t trust them and doesn’t want to allow them to get into the city. The text is written in a humorous tone, and the Andaluces always speak Spanish and the farmworkers in Valencian, sometimes saying “espardenyaes”. It is an official event since 1971.
Fila Andaluces. Drawing by Rafael Guarinos. Fila Labradores. Drawing by Rafael Guarinos.
THE MOORISH MESSENGER AND “EMBAJADA”
April 24 th. Around 10 o’clock in the morning, the Moorish “estafeta” (handing over of a message asking for surrender) takes place. A messenger (a cavalryman) approaches the castle. It carries a letter for the captain of the castle asking for his surrender. Disdainfully, the castle lookout tears the letter into little pieces and threw them at the cavalryman, who after being affronted, rides up in search of his ambassador, at top speed and bareback. After the messenger rides away, the Moorish “embajada” (group asking for surrender) arrives and offers the town of Alcoy a peaceful surrender. This proposal is refused by the Christian ambassador and the battle starts.
Moorish Ambassador, Christian Ambassador.
The morning “ALARDO” (simulated battle)
April 24 th. After the failed “embajada”, around 11 o’clock in the morning, the Christian captain and ensign leave the castle, followed by their hosts. After the arguments, both the Christian captain and the ensign withdraw with their troops up to the Plaza de España, persecuted by the Moors. Finally, a hand-to-hand fight with swords starts and the castle is seized by the Moorish hosts and the Moorish flag is hoisted.
Alardo Ensign Vascos 2000. Skirmishes in the Plaza de España. CHRISTIAN MESSENGER AND “EMBAJADA”. THE AFTERNOON “ALARDO”
April 24th. Around 16.30 in the afternoon the Christian “estafeta” and “EMBAJADA” take place. It is similar to the morning “estafeta”, but now the Moors are the owners of the castle. This time, the Christian ambassador asks the Moors to give back the castle. This suggestion is refused and the fight starts again. The afternoon “Alardo” follows the same steps as in the morning, but now the Moors withdraw to the castle, where the hand-to-hand battle with swords starts again, and now the victors are the Christians. After the battle, and once the “Alardo” has finished, captains and ensigns go to the Santa Maria Church together with the committee of the San Jorge Association and the “San Jordiet” child to accompany the statue of “San Jordi el Xicotet” to the San Jorge Church and give thanks to the Patron Saint.
“Embajada”. Source: Nostra Festa “Estafeta”.
SAN JORGE APPEARANCE
April 24 th. Around 21.30 pm , the last official event of the festival takes place. With the Square plunged into darkness, the lights of the castle battlements are switched on and, surrounded by colourful clouds and the sound of the festival anthem, the appearance of San Jordiet on a white horse, throwing arrows, takes place.
Appearance. Source: Nostra Festa. |
| NADAL Y REIS | |
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Festival declared of National Tourist Interest Christmas in Alcoy is special thanks to the oldest Three Wise Men Cavalcade in the world. The first document evidencing the performance of the entrance of this Three Wise Men to the city dates back to 1866. The closeness of the Christmas holidays are announced in Alcoy with the staging of the Tirisiti: it is a puppet theatre in which the puppets are handled by means of rods, which are moved from the bottom of the stage. This theatre dates back to the end of the 19 th century and has requested to be declared of cultural interest.
“Les Pastoretes” are another particular characteristic of Christmas in Alcoy and also date back to the end of the 19 th century: boys and girls, dressed as shepherds, march past with a flock up to the stable in order to offer the new-born baby their presents. The event takes place on Sunday morning or in the morning of the public holiday before January 5 th. The cavalcade starts on January 4 th with an original “opening speech” known as the “Bando”. The royal ambassador reads a letter from the Three Wise Men to the whole city, in which the imminent arrival of Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar is announced. Children post their letters in big bags that donkeys carry on their backs.
Sure enough, the Three Wise Men arrive to the city. Music, bearers, peasants, soldiers from the royal guard, shepherds and of course, the Three Wise Men on their camels are already in Alcoy . They have read the letters and the “negres” run along the streets with the presents to deliver them in all the houses. The “negres” go up to the first floors with long ladders that they lean against the cornices to gain access to balconies and windows.
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| TIRISITI | |
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The “Betlem de Tirisiti” (the Tirisiti Crib) performances have been held in the city of Alcoy for more than one hundred years and are the heirs, maybe the only, to a long Mediterranean tradition of puppet theatres, in a small format and with religious and popular themes. The stories mix the birth of God, the Moors and Christians Festival, the arrival of the Three Wise Men and other scenes reflecting local traditions or peculiar facts in which typified characters or even important figures known by the public are involved. As regards the technique, we must emphasize that the puppets are assembled on vertical rods and move on the stage over some guides that are placed among the different stage elements. The handlers, from the bottom and hidden from the public’s eyes, impart the puppets the different movements and provide them an outstanding agility. This characteristic handling, which has almost disappeared in favour of other techniques, is precisely one of the factors that adds a greater interest to the crib, together with the vocalization of the characters by using a metallic reed, the significant bilingualism and the role of the narrator, who makes public participate. Finally, we must emphasize the great historical and anthropological value of the “Betlem de Tirisiti” of Alcoy . Perhaps it is, together with another small puppet spectacle in Cadiz , the most peculiar and the oldest event in this format that still endures in Spain .
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TRANSPORT |
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Dromedary excursion pack:
• An hour excursion with dromedaries (two people per dromedary) in the area around the city, where you can contemplate panoramic views of the same.
• Meal made up of: Alcoy typical “picaeta”, a main dish as for example the “bajoques farcides” (peppers stuffed with rice), black rice, baked rice or “olleta”, all them typical dishes of the city; drinks (beer, wine, soft drinks, water), desserts (crème caramel, tiramisu, or fresh fruit), coffee and infusions and “chupito” (small glass) of the typical liqueurs of the area made with the aromatic plants from the Sierra de Mariola Natural Reserve as the sage, gorse, thyme, …
• Accident insurance
• Guide service
• Modernist and medieval route around the city of Alcoy
• After-lunch break in a traditional pub with the typical liqueurs and cookies of the area.
Hot-air flights (at least 4 people). Duration: an tour.
Helicopter flights. Duration of the flight: approximately 20 minutes.
R-22 of 2 seats.
2- R-44 of 4 seats.
3- B-206/L1 of 7 seats.
“El Molinar” Archaeological Site. Industrial traces of the primitive industrialization in Alcoy . Departure from the Venta Saltera, arrival to the “Glorieta”.
Duration of the route: 2 hours. Very easy. Maximum 15 people.
“La Serreta” Archaeological Iberian Site. Iberian settlement of La Serreta, where the most important remains of the Iberian writing in the Peninsula have been found, as well as “falcatas” and a representation of Mother Goddess made of terra-cotta. Remains of the walls and the organization of the houses. Departure from the Casa Peones Camineros. Duration of the visit: 4 hours. Maximum 15 people.
“La Sarga” Archaeological Site. Levantine Cave Art. Visit to one of the most important examples of Levantine Cave Art in the Comunidad Valenciana. Medium difficulty. Departure from El Estepar. Duration: 4 hours. Maximum 15 people.
“El Puig” Archaeological Site. Remains of primitive Iberian settlements. Defensive walls and bastion. Departure from El Estepar. Duration: 3 hours. Maximum 15 people.
Horse carriage excursion around the old quarter of the city, approximately an hour. The price is per carriage and for 5 people. Maximum transport: a group of 20 people on 4 carriages.
Horse carriage excursion around the Via Verde of Alcoy (Batoi Neighbourhood, Xorro del Salt, Siete Lunas Bridge , Fco. Laporta Sports Centre). The price is per carriage and for 5 people. Maximum transport: a group of 20 people on 4 carriages.
Font Roja Natural Reserve. Duration: 1 day. Route around the Font Roja Natural Reserve, visiting the most charming spots: Pico del Menejador, route around the “cavas” (Cava de Coloma), Masia de Tetuan, Barranc del Infern.
Mariola Natural Reserve. Departure from Alcoy taking the Barranc del Cinc up to the Mariola Campsite. Climbing of the Cava de Agres, Alfafara, Pico del Montcabrer, Pico el Comtador, arrival to Agres. Return by train.
Enjoy the excursions or ride a horse at a very reasonable price.
Rental of horses 15.- euros per horse and hour.
Horse excursions 18.- Euros per horse and hour.
