Simat de la Valldigna

Simat de la Valldigna
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Valencia
Province :	Valencia
Comarca :	Safor
Coordinates	39 ° 5 ′  N , 0 ° 32 ′  W Coordinates: 39 ° 5 ′  N , 0 ° 32 ′  W
Height :	51  msnm
Area :	38.5 km²
Residents :	3,329 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	86.47 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	46750
Municipality number  ( INE ):	46231
Nearest airport :	Aeropuerto de Manises (Valencia)
administration
Mayor :	Sebastián Mahiques Morant ( Partido Popular )
Website :	www.simat.cat

Simat de la Valldigna is a municipality in the Valencia region in Spain .

location

Simat de la Valldigna is located in the Comarca Safor , about 50 kilometers south of Valencia and 20 kilometers from Cullera and Gandia . It is one of the four villages of Valldigna in a natural zone surrounded by the Serra de Corbera mountains to the north and Montdúver to the south.

Weather

Since Simat de la Valldigna is in the center of a valley and surrounded by mountains, the weather is very mild. Nevertheless, Simat, along with some parts of the Safor and the Marina Alta, has the highest rainfall in the region.

history

The region around Simat de la Valldigna has been inhabited since early history. This is shown by the caves of Bolomor in Tavernes de la Valldigna , and of Medalletes and Parpalló in Barx . The place is mentioned for the first time at the time of the Moorish occupation. In the 13th century, James I recaptured Simat de la Valldigna, and his grandson James II donated the land to the Cistercian order .

At first, Christians and Muslims lived together in the Valldigna area. The Muslims were allowed to continue practicing their religion. The Muslims from Valldigna gathered in the mosque of La Xara to pray. Here the Muslim children went to school, contracts were made and trials were brought before Muslim judges. This coexistence ended in 1609 with the expulsion of the Muslims from Spain. Life in Valldigna Valley was long determined by the monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna . That ended in 1835 when all the monasteries in Spain were occupied by the state ( disamortization in Spain ). The rule of the monastery and the abbot over the valley and its people ended. The monastery became private property. It wasn't until 1991 that the regional government of the Valencia region bought it back.

Attractions

The interior of the monastery church of Santa María de la Valldigna

• Santa María de la Valldigna Monastery : The old Cistercian monastery was an abandoned ruin when it was bought by the Valencian regional government in 1991 and is still being renovated today.
• Route of the Monasteries of Valencia

• La Xara Mosque or Hermitage of Saint Anne . It is a small hermitage in the middle of the orange fields. It is the only remaining structure of the old village of La Xara , which was abandoned in 1609 after the Muslims were expelled. The building is rectangular and there is an east door with a horseshoe vault. The building is divided into three naves by four columns. The qibla is the most important element as it shows the direction of Mecca . Nowadays one can also see the mihrāb and two side doors on the wall of the qibla. There is an old ablution fountain outside the mosque.

• Church of the Archangel Michael . It is the current parish church. It was built in the baroque style. The statue of Saint Michael is particularly worth seeing.

• The Font Gran (Eng. Large Fountain) is located in the middle of the square with this name within the village. It is a spring with a large water basin. A promenade begins here every year on October 9th.

economy

The village is characterized by agriculture. Citrus fruits in particular are grown. To market the oranges there are two cooperatives in which many of the village's residents work. But many immigrants, especially from Eastern Europe, also work as orange harvesters in Simat, as many young people work outside the village.

Demographics

Demographic evolution of Simat de la Valldigna
	1990	1992	1994	1996	1998	2000	2002	2004	2005	2006	2008	2010
population	3.223	3.141	3,148	3.114	3,120	3.112	3.121	3,291	3,228	3,090	3,589	3,722

Celebrations and holidays

• January 16 - Saint Anthony . Before the day of Saint Anthony, the whole population of Simat gathers in the town hall square and a big fire is lit. A great fire is lit there. At the end there is a dance event that lasts until late at night. Mass is celebrated on Saint Anthony's Day and animals, bread and some traditional cakes are blessed and given away.
• March 15 - Valldigna day . On this day, the whole population of Valldigna celebrates the founding of the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria de Valldigna.
• July 25th and 26th - St. Jacob and St. Anna .
• 4th to 6th August - Abdon and Sennen . Feast of the cartridge Simats.
• October 9th - "National Day of the Valencian Country". A paella competition is traditionally held. In the evening there is a fair and the traditional correfoc .

See also

• Route of the Monasteries of Valencia
• Route of the Borgia

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
2. ↑ Population statistics from the Spanish National Statistics Institute
3. ↑ Spanish National Institute for Statistics ( Memento of January 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive )

Web links

Commons : Simat de Valldigna  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Website of the town hall of Simat de la Valldigna (Valencian)