Benisa

The town is located around 200 meters above sea level. The 4 km of coastline of the municipality is known for its coves and beaches of sand, gravel, rock with areas that are highly suited to scuba diving and sailing. Of these, the most popular beach is the Fustera, as this is the one that has the largest number of services in addition to sports and games areas for children.

Benissa has a marina Les Baset, located practically on the border with Calpe, which offers the services of bar, restaurant, sailing school and diving center.

History

Several findings suggest the development of some prehistoric activity in Benissa. The discovery of three small paintings, as well as coins, amphorae, etc. also shows the passage through these lands by the Romans.

The origin of the name is Benisa Arabic Beni Isa or "sons of Isa," a tribal name. This confirms the thesis that history indicates the existence of a major Arab population center when the hosts of Jaime I of Aragon arrived in 1248 to Benisa.

Throughout the centuries 1500 to 1600 the area suffered numerous attacks by Berber pirates. The population remained predominantly Muslim, but widely dispersed through the countryside, while the Christian population was based mainly in the urban area. The expulsion of the Moors was completed in 1609.

Benisa is a municipality of Valencia, and is located in the northeastern province of Alicante in the region of La Marina Alta. The municipality of 69.7 km ², has 4 km of coastline. It has 12,690 inhabitants (2007).

The municipality of Benissa has a very irregular and differing terrain. From the coast, formed mostly by small coves and cliffs, to the mountain, formed by the Sierras de Olta, La Solana with some peaks reaching almost 1200 meters in height .

Buildings and monuments

Located in the Plaza del Portal is the old City Hospital, erected in 1790. During long periods of time was home to the sick and needy and contagious.

Church of the Immaculate Conception from the Gothic period. Also known as the Cathedral of the Navy because of the magnitude of its dimensions was completed in 1929.

Old Church Square: There was the Church-Fortress built in the San Pedro in the 1400s It was reformed in the 1600s and that is how it remained until it was destroyed in the early 50s. It is currently a small square to be used for conducting various cultural events.

Campus of the University of Alicante: mansions and manors from the 1800s currently still standing, on the whole, a major educational center, a branch of the University of Alicante, with a wide range of training.

The Exchange is the oldest monument in the municipality dating back to 1700. Now houses exhibitions of high artistic and cultural value. It has a medieval character composed of three bodies with an arcade of three chairs dating from the sixteenth century. Formerly on the top floor was the City Council and the lower part was devoted to commercial transactions.

Riberero: The figure is a very symbolic and is benisseros peasants migrating twice a year to the waterfront for the Valencian rice planting and harvesting. Appears in a praying position because they had the habit of praying before the trip.

House of culture: Palacio de los Torres Orduna, which now houses the library, exhibition halls, lecture rooms and hall for holding events and events

Casa de Juan Vives: Tells a story that owners hosted two pilgrims who, on leaving the house and as a token of gratitude, gave the owners the miraculous image of the Immaculate Conception.

Convent of the Franciscan Fathers1645. We see in a strong defensive front. Stresses and the cloister of a church nave.

Gastronomy

The traditional Benissa missa refers to one of the gastronomic traditions of the town: cooked octopus, where meat is replaced by octopus. Benissa, like its mixed environment of sea and mountains blend with seafaring specialties typically rural, hence its extensive and varied culinary repertoire: mullador of sangatxo, mullador of Pellet, borreta frigate.

One of the culinary riches for which Benisa is known for its sausages, the best in the Marina Alta. Linked to the culture of grapes and riu-rau, in Benissa can enjoy two different types of wines, the Muscat and Mistelle.

Festivals

The main celebrations that people follow with great devotion, is the patron saint festivities in honor of the Immaculate Conception, which held the fourth Sunday of April and lasts 10 days.

Free concerts, events and bullfighting emotional rise and fall of the virgin, both before and after the procession, attended by many benisseros. Other notable festivals are the Moors and Christians, celebrated in honor of San Pedro, the weekend closest to June 29

In addition to these two festivals are also held in January and Porrata Fair in honor of San Antonio, which lasts three weekends, the last of whom also held a medieval fair. And finally, Benissa has many rural, and they and some neighborhoods of the town are small neighborhood festival, the festival of San Antonio that are the most traditional of the area, all held in the summer.