Sax (, locally: . ) is a

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

in the comarca of Alt Vinalopó,

province of Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: / ) is a province located in eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is the second most populated Valencian province, containing the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Co ...

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 ...

Toponymy

The origin of the name Sax is uncertain, although it has been related to the Latin term saxum (rock), due to the pointed rocky mass on which its castle stands, and around which the town appeared. The term has also been related to the Segisa that Ptolemy located in Bastetania. It is possible that during the Roman period there was an establishment or inn in Sax next to the Via Augusta. The current pronunciation is /saks/ although traditionally it was /sax/, as confirmed by the gentilic name Sajeño.

History

There are archaeological findings in the area dating to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

, as well as an Iberian necropolis and remains of Roman villas. In the later stages of the

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

, Sax was at the focus of tensions between Castile and

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

, since

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 ...

conquered it from 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 ...

though it should have been reserved to Castile under the treaties of Tudilén and Cazorla.

Notable people

* Alberto Sols García (1917–1989), biochemist, born in Sax

Main sights

*Castle, one of three main fortress in the comarca together with those clnerthera of Villena and Biar. The base of one of the towers is perhaps Roman, while the other is of Moorish origin (10th–12th century) *Church of the Assumption (16th century) *Casa Fnek, a modern art museum located in an abandoned house

References

External links