Peñíscola

Peñíscola (Castilian name , Valencian Peníscola in ) is a common to the north of the Valencian community in Spain. It belongs to the Province of Castellón and more precisely to the district of Vinaroz, in the Comarque of the Baix Maestrat (Valencian name, Bajo Maeztrazgo in Castilian). The official dominant language is the Valencian Catalan/.

At the end of the Great Schism of Occident, the antipape Benoit XIII (Pedro de Luna, known as the cardinal of Aragon ) excluded from Avignon from where it reigned on part of the Christendom and which was tolerated more only by the Aragon installed there and died there after 19 years of resistance to Rome.

Geography

The city is on a rock Péninsule, at the origin linked with the ground only by a Isthme of Sable, which made easy its defense. Another interest of this site lies in the presence of fresh water source S spouting out of this rock surrounded by the sea. On the rock pinion draw up its old Fortification S, which dominates the Château of the Pape Luna. The commune has vast Plage S as well in north as in the south of the peninsula, belonging to the Costa del Azahar. Close to the Tower of Badum, emerge from the sea-bed of many sources of fresh water. The city became a site very required by the Touriste S.

Common neighbors

Peñíscola is close to the communes of Benicarló, Vinaroz, Cálig, Cervera del Maestre, Santa Magdalena de Pulpis and Alcalà de Xivert, all in the Province of Castellón.

Demography

Administration

History

. One finds abundant vestiges archaeological in the surroundings of the peninsula, the sites of Poaig and Els Barrancs , which confirms the presence in this zone of an Iberian population , as well as the contacts between those and walking them Phéniciens which came by the sea to (VIIe front century J. - C. - VIe front century J. - C.). Probably in Peñíscola the phenicians settled coming from Tyr and few times after the Greek. Later Peñíscola saw arriving the Roman Carthaginian, , the Byzantine and the Arab .

The testimonys written oldest on Peñíscola can be found at Hécatée de Milet (VIe front century J. - C.), Strabon (Ier front century J. - C.) and Rufus Festus Avienus (IVe century) which in their descriptions of the coast, mention the city of Chersonesos , name that the Greeks gave to the city and whose direction means peninsula .

Peñíscola, colony Greek then Roman, was an important port by which the manufactured goods forwarded (Céramique, fabric S, Arme S, etc) that the colonizers exchanged against Vin and Olive oil with Ibères which populated the mountains of the coast.

They are the Romans, who translated into Latin the Greek name of the city (according to the philologists, pene+iscola, “quasi island”), which is at the origin of the current toponym of Peñíscola.

Since the year 718 date completion of the conquest by Tariq ibn Ziyad until in 1233, the city of Peñíscola lived under the Moslem domination. Only some rare details of this time are known. The Arab geographers refer to Peñíscola (that they called Banáskula or Baniskula by adaptation of the toponym to their language); they speak about an impregnable castle close to the sea; this very populated castle, had farms, cultures, much of water and important saltworks. Starting from the fortress, which was used as border with Christendom, the Arab S practiced the Piraterie on all the littoral and carried out incursions into the Royaume of Aragon.

Peñíscola saw being born from the famous characters as the King Loup “Mohamed ibn abd Allab ibn Sad ibn Mardanis” (1124 - 1172) which succeeds in maintaining a kingdom Arab in Spanish south-east vis-a-vis the African invaders, like Ali Albata (1198 - 1222) man of field crop, which intervened in the negotiations with the king Jacques Ier d' Aragon.

For a first two months unfruitful seat in 1225, it was necessary to await the year 1233 so that Jacques I {{er}} the Conqueror can take possession of the town of Peñíscola, finding at the same time the control on the sea. It was a peaceful conquest. After the fall of Burriana in 1233 which left isolated the Arab lords of the manor from north, the city of Peñíscola went without fight and under condition of treaties which respect the laws and habits sarrasines. To thank the bishop for Tortosa for his assistance in the Reconquest, the king extended the territory of this évêché. Thus today Peñíscola, with some other villages, depends on one évêché whose seat is located in Catalogne.

The February 22nd 1251, Jacques Ier granted to the city a " charter of repeuplement" ( carta-puebla or carta of población ), which removed with the Moslems all their goods and properties that it transferred to the new Christian occupants . This measurement will support the demographic and economic rise of the city, inaugurating one era of prosperity.

In 1294, brother Berenger de Cardona, who was the Master of the Ordre of the Temple in Aragon and in Catalogne with Jacques II of Aragon the exchange of the town of Tortosa against the castles of Peñíscola is appropriate, Ares, Coves and other places. It is thus between the years 1294 and 1307 that the current castle Templier on the remainders of the Arab alcazar was built. The promoters were the brother Bérenger de Cardona, and the brother Arnauld de Banyuls, who was the Commander of Peñíscola. Their two ecu S are found carved on a plank with the top of the main door of the castle as to the top of the door of the Basilique. After the dissolution about the Temple, was created in Spain in 1317 the Ordre of Montesa to protect the Christian grounds. The castle of Peñíscola (as all the other possessions of the Temple in the area of Raising) were entrusted to this new order. With horse over the 14th century and 15th century, the Great Schism of Occident marked the history of the Église with the simultaneous presence of two Pape S. One of them was the Aragonese Pedro Martínez de Luna, more known under the name of Pape Luna. It succeeded Clément VII like Pape of Avignon under the name of Benoît XIII, whereas the other Pope Boniface IX settled with Rome profiting from the obedience of the English, of the German and the Italy NS. Benoit XIII placed the castle of Peñíscola under the jurisdiction of the Holy See, by withdrawing it with the Order of Montesa. Relieved, the Pape Luna took refuge in Peñíscola where it entered the July 21st 1411. It installed the pontifical see there and it converts its castle into pontifical palates and library as well for him as for its successor, Clément VIII, Aragonese Gil Sánchez Muñoz, second Pope of Peñíscola. After the death of Benoit XIII the May 23rd 1423, Clément VIII was elected in Peñíscola by the partisans of the Luna Pope, and controlled between 1424 and 1429. Its fast abdication put an end to the Great Schism of Occident.

In 1520, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza named transfer-king de Valence by Charles 1 {{er}} to contain the rising of the Germanías, feeling in danger with Valence, took refuge initially with Gandie, where it was beaten by the agermanados, then with Denia from where it embarca for Peñíscola, then defended by a small number of people. The agermanados having failed in their attempt to take Benicarló, were presented in front of Peñíscola. Besieged were joined by a group of 12 men bringing by the sea, vivres and ammunition. The discouraged agermanados gave up their seat. With the viceroy, one found the duke Juan de Borja and his sons, the count de Albaida, the Master of Montesa and other lords. In 1524 were judged 11 inhabitants of Peñíscola who had taken the party of the agermanados. In April 1525, Gemaine de Foix then vice-reine of Valence granted her forgiveness to the agermanados of Peñíscola.

It is under the reign of Philippe II that the fortifications were built which protect the city. These walls rest on the other former ones, while including some of them. It are the work of the Italian architect Juan Bautista Antonelli, under the direction of Vespasiano de Gonzaga general captain of the Royaume of Valence. The Portal Fosch (Fosch Gate) is gone back to 1578; it is allotted to Juan de Herrera architect of the Escorial.

During the War of succession of Spain after the death of Charles II (1700), the place took the party of Philippe V and resisted heroically a two year old seat between 1705 and 1707 carried out by the English troops which fought for Charles of Austria. In thanks, Philippe V allotted to the city the title " Very noble and honest, very faithful city of Peñíscola".

The French troops of Napoleon I {{er}} ordered by the marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet, seized Peñíscola; after 7 days of bombardment, the governor gave the place to the French general Severoli the February 4th 1812. The betrayed population feeling, prepared a conspiracy which was discovered. By order of the French general, order accompanied by a threat of capital punishment, the inhabitants had to give up the city and settled in the gardens or at the city close to Benicarló. The French seizure lasted until 1814. For this period, the religious offices took place with the hermitage of Sant Antoni. The Spanish troops ordered by the Elío general bombarded the city intensely, causing damage with the fortifications and the castle after the explosion of an explosives magazine. The old houses of style Gothic, close to the castle and which had sheltered the pontifical court, were puffed up by this explosion. The Napoleonean troops evacuated the castle the May 25th 1814, yielding their place to the troops of the Elío general. The Spanish playwright Leandro Fernández de Moratín, admiror of French, had come to take refuge in Peñiscola believing itself in the shelter and lived the seat, of which it left us an account.

After the return of Ferdinand VII in Spain, the opponents were imprisoned; on this occasion, the castle of Peñíscola was used like prison for some of them. With died of Ferdinand VII, Peñíscola had only little to suffer from the wars carlists. Ramón Will pull up main Benicarló, sent a letter to Juan Vivas, governor of Peñíscola, to try to buy it against 10000 duros and to make it rock on its side. Juan Vivas answered him that “it could not live in the infamy”. During the second war carlist, Peñíscola had to undergo some shootings of the soldiers carlists.

During the 19th century, one used the castle as barracks. In 1929, the castle was declared historic building. By the decree of October 26th 1972, it is all the city of Peñíscola which was classified conjunto histórico-artístico .

The fishing port was built in 1925. Before the construction of the pier, at the time of the large storms, the city could be crossed ground by the waves.

Places and monuments

the castle templier.
the Fortifications that Philippe II made build by the Italian military architect Giovanni Battista Antonelli. They were built between 1576 and 1578.
the " Portal Fosc" (Fosc Door), thus baptized by Philippe II, is one of the three entries of Peñíscola; it was built in 1578 and one attribute his design with the architect Juan de Herrera.
the Door of the Holy Father or the Pope the Moon (Portal de Sant Father O LED Luna Dad), watch in his center the stone blazon of Pedro de Luna. It gave access to the fortress since the sea, when water of the Mediterranean arrived at the foot of the walls and that the boats came to run aground on the slope the foot even of this door. It was built on the order of the Luna Pope in 1414.

Other places to see:

the Parish church of the Virgin of the Help , with traces of Gothic of the XVe century in one of its parts and the architectural elements (carved consoles) and gate of Romance influence.
the Hermitage of the Mother of God ( Ermitorio of Veined of Dios de Ermitana ), beside the castle, in which the statue of the owner of the city is preserved.
the Park of Artillery, zone of casemates and explosives magazines, surrounded by gardens.
the Bufador , which is a large breach in the rocks, by where the sea “breathes”, the days of storm.
the Natural park of the Sierra of Irta , concerning fauna and flora.
the Tower of Badum (or Abadum .
the Hermitage of Sant-Antoni ( Saint-Anthony ) (16th century).

Gastronomy

The gastronomy of Peñíscola rests on the ancestral maritime tradition of the locality and the richness of the fishing length of its coasts.

Let us detach the " AlPebre" (garlic and pepper) of angler or " Polpet" (octopuses), the " suquet of peix" or " remescló" , aini that seafood, dates of sea, " caragols punxents" , moulds, " caixetes" , cicadas, etc various rices associated with the seafood, omnipresent Paella and the " Fideuá" , are also a fundamental part of the kitchen of these grounds.

Local festivals

San Antonio Abad . On January 17th is celebrated.
Carnavales . Celebrates itself during three days at the end of February.
San Isidro . The festival is celebrated in May.
San Pedro . The festival is celebrated at the end of June.
Fiestas Employers' . Celebrate themselves as from the night of September 7th, in the honor of the owner of the city, the Virgen of Ermitana . During these festivals, are held the festivals of the Moros there Cristianos .
Romería with the ermita of San Antonio . The pilgrimage is carried out Sunday following Easter.

Culture

With the beginning of the year is decreed the Price of the News “Ciudad de Peñíscola”, of which the jury is composed members of the Real Academia Española. Works presented result of more than 20 countries.
At the beginning of the summer, is held in Peñíscola the International festival of the Cinema of Comedy .
In August takes place the International festival of Old Music and Baroque.
In September, the Cycle in Concerts of Classical music is given in the Salón Gótico Castle.

Cinema

Outsides of the film Cid of Anthony Mann were turned in 1960 with Peñíscola whose fortifications represented the walls of Valence. The film Calabuch of Luis García Berlanga was also made in 1956 in Peñíscola.

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