El Ràfol d'Almúnia (; es, Ráfol de Almunia) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the ''comarca'' of

Marina Alta Marina Alta (, "Upper Marina") is a central and coastal ''comarca'' of the autonomous community of Valencia, Spain. The ''comarca'' is located in the area of Alicante and its capital and largest settlement is the city of Dénia. Marina Alta borde ...

in the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...

, Spain. It is situated in the northern part of the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

Alicante Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...

, and numbers some 635 inhabitants according to the 2007 Spanish National Census (INE).

History

El Ràfol d'Almúnia has Arab origins. It belonged to King Taifas of

Dénia Dénia ( es, Denia) is a historical coastal city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, and the capital and judicial seat of the ''comarca'' of Marina Alta. Denia's historical heritage ha ...

, but under the conquest of Jaime I, control passed to the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of B ...

and their local ruling families, first the Murs, then the Sapenas and later the Almúnia. In 1535, it was elevated to parish status with the appointment of the first parish priest D. Antonio Aringo, whose control also encompassed the sub-parishes of Benimeli, Sagra, Negrals and Zeneta. After the expulsion of the moors, El Ràfol was repopulated in 1610 by 123 inhabitants occupying 26 houses. In 1800 it had grown to 80 houses with 429 inhabitants. The parish church of ''Sant Francesc de Paula'' was served by a priest and an assistant whose ministry also took in Benimeli, Negrals, Sagra,

Sanet Sanet y Negrals is a town located in the ''comarca'' of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is the second most populated ...

and

Tormos Tormos is a municipality in the province of Alicante and autonomous community of Valencia, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ul ...

. In the 17th century, El Ràfol lay at the centre of the area now known as the Rectoria, and also at the heart of the territory ruled by the Marquess of El Ràfol d'Almúnia. In 1693, Ràfol's neighbour, Francesc Garcia, acquired fame through his oppression of feudalism in the Marina Alta.

Demographics

It has a population of 635 inhabitants.Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) 2007

References

Municipalities in the Province of Alicante Marina Alta {{Valencia-geo-stub