Morella () is an ancient walled city located on a hill-top in the province of
Castellón,
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...
, Spain. The town is the capital and administrative centre of the ''
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...
'' of
Els Ports, in the historic
Maestrat
The Maestrazgo () or Maestrat () is a natural region, natural and historical region, historical mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous communitie ...
(Maestrazgo) region.
There are traces of settlement by the
Iberians
The Iberians (, from , ''Iberes'') were an ancient people settled in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, at least from the 6th century BC. They are described in Greek and Roman sources (among others, by Hecataeus of Mil ...
, succeeded by the
Greeks
Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
and
Romans,
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
and the
Moors
The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a s ...
. From the early 17th century to the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, the town was often fought over, due to its strategic situation between the
Ebro
The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...
and the coastal plain of Valencia. Morella is part of the
Taula del Sénia free association of municipalities.
Every six years the citizens celebrate the ''Sexenni'', a commemoration of the town's recovery from the plague in the seventeenth century. Tourism now plays an important part in the local economy, along with agriculture. In the 20th century the town and surrounding area became depopulated, a trend that has only been reversed in the early 21st century. The population of Morella at the start of 2019 was 2,430, having declined from a figure of 7,335 in 1900 (
INE).
One of the typical gastronomic products of Morella is sweets known as
flaons. Local bakeries are also renowned for a number of other traditional pastries and sweets, like
mantecadas, prepared in the ancient way.
History
Prehistoric remains in the area include
cave paintings
In archaeology, cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin. These paintings were often created by ''Hom ...
in , in Morella la Vella, famous for the oldest known depiction of
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...
combat
Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...
. These paintings date from 7,200 to 7,400 years ago.
The ancient Greeks established a treasury at Morella, but then the area became the scene of conflict between the
Carthaginians
The Punic people, usually known as the Carthaginians (and sometimes as Western Phoenicians), were a Semitic people, Semitic people who Phoenician settlement of North Africa, migrated from Phoenicia to the Western Mediterranean during the Iron ...
and the Roman Empire during the
Punic Wars
The Punic Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Ancient Carthage, Carthaginian Empire during the period 264 to 146BC. Three such wars took place, involving a total of forty-three years of warfare on both land and ...
. Eventually the town was Romanized and became part of the province of
Tarragona
Tarragona (, ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in Catalonia (Spain). It is the capital and largest town of Tarragonès county, the Camp de Tarragona region and the province of Tarragona. Geographically, it is located on the Costa Daurada ar ...
.
[
] The Visigoths populated the city in two different epochs, there are ruins of a Visigoth village in the site of Mas Sabater-Cantera de la Parreta de Morella. There are the remains of a building from the 7th century A.D., which according to the archaeologists could have been twelve meters high and maybe it was a noble building or maybe of religious use according to Ramiro Pérez, one of the directors of the excavation.
The
Moors
The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a s ...
took the town in 714, naming it ''Maurela''.
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ( – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain. Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve i ...
is reputed to have rebuilt the castle which dominates the town and in 1084 he is supposed to have fought in the service of
Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud and defeated
Sancho Ramírez of Aragon at the
Battle of Morella. In 1117, Sancho captured Morella, but it was recaptured by the Moors and only finally subdued by Blasco de Alagon in 1232. Following Blasco's death in 1239,
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror ( Catalan/Valencian: ''Jaume I or Jaume el Conqueridor''; Aragonese: ''Chaime I'' ''o Conqueridor''; ; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1 ...
established a royal garrison in the city and awarded the inhabitants the title of "Faithful".
[
Morella sided with Philip V during the ]War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
in the early eighteenth century and became the centre of a military and political district. During the Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
, the citizens rose up against the invading forces and the town was finally captured for Spain in 1813 by Francisco Javier de Elío
Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''.
Meaning of the name Francisco
In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comm ...
. In the Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars (, ) were a series of civil wars that took place in Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought over claims to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1 ...
of the nineteenth century Morella became the headquarters of the forces of Ramon Cabrera.[
The town was captured by forces of General ]Franco
Franco may refer to:
Name
* Franco (name)
* Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975
* Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître"
* Franco of Cologne (mid to late 13th cent ...
in April 1938, towards the end of the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. Republican guerillas held out in the surrounding mountains until 1956.
In the 1960s and 70s many people left the town for work opportunities in the cities and many of the local small industries died, but a slow revitalization has taken place since the transition of Spain to democracy.
Sexenni
In the late seventeenth century, Morella was severely affected by the plague. After twenty years of suffering, the citizens brought a statue of the Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
from the Sanctuary of Vallivana
Vallivana is a small settlement belonging to Morella, Castellón, Morella, Ports (comarca).
Description
Vallivana is an almost deserted cluster of houses southeast of Morella. It is located at the eastern end of the Dena (land area), Dena de Co ...
, away, at the feet of the Serra de Vallivana
Serra de Vallivana (, ) or Muntanyes de Vallivana is an over long mountain range straddling the Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat comarcas, Valencian Community, Spain.
Geography
The highest point of the range is the 1,275 m high Muixacre, located ...
range, and processed it through the streets. It is said that the plague disappeared from the city and, to remember this, every six years the Sexenni festival takes place for nine days in late August. The virgin is carried in procession and the traditional town guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
s perform ancient dances in her honour. The festivities in 2006 were the first of the 21st century.
Municipal area
Morella's municipal area is divided into subdivisions known since ancient times as ''Dena
is a Japanese provider of mobile portal and e-commerce websites headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. It owns the Mobage cell phone platform and also operates other services, including the e-commerce website DeNA Shopping (formerly: Bidders).
H ...
''.
These are: La Vespa, Els Castellons, Dena Primera del Riu, Dena Segona del Riu, La Font d'en Torres, Herbeset, Els Llivis, Morella la Vella, El Coll i el Moll, La Pobla d'Alcolea, Dena de la Roca, Muixacre, Herbeset, Xiva de Morella, Hortells and Vallivana
Vallivana is a small settlement belonging to Morella, Castellón, Morella, Ports (comarca).
Description
Vallivana is an almost deserted cluster of houses southeast of Morella. It is located at the eastern end of the Dena (land area), Dena de Co ...
.
Geography
Morella occupies a strategic position between the plains of the river Ebro
The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...
to the north west and the coastal plains of Valencia and Castellon. Access from the north west lies through the passes of Torre Miró and Querol . The old town is completely enclosed by of ancient stone walls, pierced at seven points by gates or ''portals''. The river Bergantes skirts the southern boundaries of the town as it descends towards the Guadalope
The Guadalope (Guadalop in Catalan and Aragonese) is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro ( Ebre in Catalan).
Course
This long river rises in the Sierra de Gúdar, near Villarroya de los Pinares and Miravete de la Sierr ...
which ultimately joins the Ebro
The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...
.
Climate
Morella has an Oceanic climate (Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: Cfb) highly influenced by its altitude around and its well inland location, with warm summers and cool winters (cold for Spanish standards) with frequent frosts and snow. Temperatures as low as and heavy snowfalls can happen during harsh cold spells. The highest temperature ever recorded in Morella was on 16 August 1925, while the coldest temperature recorded was on 17 December 1933.
The average temperature in Morella during 1916-2020 has been , with an average rainfall of and 15 snowy days on average. The annual sunshine hours are around 2500−2600.
Today
Morella is now a tourist destination, with many historic buildings, hotels and restaurants. It is listed as one of th
most beautiful towns in Spain
Some of the top are the Castillo de Morella (Morella Castle), the aqueduct, Iglesia de Santa María (Saint Mary's Church), Convent de San Francesc (St. Francis’ Convent) both in Gothic style, the Temps de Dinosaures Museum (Time of Dinosaurs Museum), and th
from the 7th century (Mas Sabater-Cantera la Parreta).
Although not as important as in the past, wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
and woollen goods still plays a part in the local economy. One of its most famous products is th
Morella blanket
which has a unique design, with a range of colour combinations and horizontal stripes. Agriculture, especially poultry and pig production are important in the surrounding area with craft products and highly valued black truffles
''Tuber melanosporum'', called the black truffle, Périgord truffle or French black truffle, is a species of truffle native to Southern Europe. It is one of the most expensive edible fungi in the world. In 2013, the truffle cost between 1,000 a ...
which are traded at seasonal markets during the winter.
Notable people
* Antonio Royo Marín (1913–2005), Spanish Dominican priest and theologian
Gallery
File:Dansa dels Llauradors Sexenni Morella 2006.JPG, Dance of the ''Llauradors'', Sexenni, Morella 2006
File:Morella-Calbo.jpg, Morella in 1845
File:CalleMorella.JPG, Street in Morella
File:SantaMariaMorella.JPG, Gate of the Church Santa María la Mayor
file:MorellaSantaMariaWindow.jpg, Alabaster
Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...
windows in Santa Maria La Major church
See also
*Ports (comarca)
Ports (; ) is a ''Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca'' in the Provinces of Spain, province of Castellón (province), Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. It mostly overlaps the historical ''comarca'' known as Ports de Morella.
Mu ...
*Ports de Morella
Ports de Morella () is a historical Valencian comarca. It takes its name from the city of Morella, its capital and the only place in the region having been granted the title of 'city'.
It mostly overlaps with the present-day Ports comarca except ...
*Maestrat
The Maestrazgo () or Maestrat () is a natural region, natural and historical region, historical mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous communitie ...
*Vallivana
Vallivana is a small settlement belonging to Morella, Castellón, Morella, Ports (comarca).
Description
Vallivana is an almost deserted cluster of houses southeast of Morella. It is located at the eastern end of the Dena (land area), Dena de Co ...
References
External links
Web oficial de l'ajuntament de Morella
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20100618120114/http://www.ive.es/pegv/start.jsp Institut Valencià d'Estadística
Portal de la Direcció General d'Administració Local de la Generalitat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morella, Castellon
Municipalities in the Province of Castellón
Ports (comarca)