Simat de la Valldigna

Simat de la Valldigna () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Safor in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is 50 km from Valencia, and 20 km from Cullera and Gandia. It is also near Xàtiva and Alzira.

It is one of the four villages which are a part of ''La Valldigna''. It is a natural area, which is surrounded by the mountains of the Serra de Corbera, in the north, by the Montdúver in the south, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east.

Geography

Access

Coming from Valencia the V-31 must be taken, and afterwards the CV-42 and the CV-50. The final access is through the CV-600.

Census-designated places

There are two hamlets in the municipality of Simat de la Valldigna: Pla de Corrals and Les Foies.

Neighbouring villages

The municipality of Simat de la Valldigna is bordered by the municipalities of Benifairó de la Valldigna, Xeresa, Barx, Quatretonda, Barxeta, Carcaixent and Pinet, which are in the province of Valencia.

Climate

Simat de la Valldigna has a privileged climate. Since it is placed in the middle of a valley and it is surrounded and protected by the mountains, the weather is mild, with hot summers and warm winters. Together with the areas of la Safor and part of the Marina Alta, Simat has one of the highest rain indices of the Valencian Country.

History

The land around Simat de la Valldigna has been inhabited since the beginning of history, as the ''coves de Bolomor'' in Tavernes de la Valldigna, and ''Medalletes'' and ''Parpalló'' in Barx show. Nonetheless, the first concrete historical references appear during the Muslim period. The Christian conquest of the 13th century began a new period in this village history. James I conquered these lands, but his grandson James II gave them to the Cistercian order. When James II came back from an expedition against the kingdoms of Murcia and Almeria at the end of the 13th century, they came through the ''vall d'Alfàndec'' (ancient name of the Valldigna valley). Then the king was impressed by the valley's beauty, and he exclaimed (speaking to the Cistercian Santes Creus monastery abbot): ''Vall digna per a un monestir de la vostra religió!'' (A suitable valley for a monastery of your order). The Santes Creus abbot replied: ''Vall digna!'' (Suitable valley). On 15 March 1297 James II of Aragon donated the ''vall d'Alfàndec'' (Alfàndec valley) to the Cistercian order in order to found a monastery devoted to the Virgin Mary. Since this moment, the ''Alfàndec'' valley will change its name and it will be called ''Valldigna''.

Initially Christians and Muslims lived together in the Valldigna area. They worked in the lands that the monastery abbot lent them in usufruct, even though the conditions were harder for the Muslims. Nonetheless, they were allowed to remain as Muslims. The Valldigna Moorish people gathered around the la Xara mosque in order to pray. In this place they received teaching as well, contracts were made, and the Muslims judges made trials. This convivence ended in 1609, with the expulsion from Spain of all Moorish people. Life in the Valldigna valley went on, according to the evolution of the feudal society, under the rule of the monastery and its abbot. It lasted until 1835, when all monasteries in Spain were seized by the State (in what was called the ''desamortización de Mendizábal''). Then the rule of the monastery and its abbot over the valley and its people ended, and a time of neglect, ruins and destruction of the monastery began. It was a private property until 1991, when the ''Generalitat Valenciana'' (Valencian regional government) bought it.

Culture

The most important monument of the village is the Monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna. It was founded in 1297 by James II of Aragon. Since the beginning, it was one of the most important monasteries of the Cistercian order. It was founded by the monks of Santes Creus in the Tarragona province. The whole Valldigna valley belonged to the monks, according to a royal order. The monastery was inhabited by monks until 1835, when a revolt in the Valldigna valley took place after the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal