Unique Benassal: A Heritage of Purity and Health

The settlement of the territory is ancient. We find sites ranging from the Paleolithic to the Islamic period, as evidenced by the cave paintings of Rincón del Nando, the Iberian remains of Castillo de Corbó, smelting furnaces at Masía de Forés, Islamic farmsteads, etc. In fact, the intensity of Islamization has led to the survival of a large number of place names. The very name of Benassal (etymologically meaning “son of Alano,” although other interpretations claim it means “the son of the honey maker”) demonstrates this.

With the conquest by James I, Benassal was ceded to Blasc de Alagó, who on January 3, 1239, granted a town charter in favor of the knight of Aitona, Berenguer de Carratalà. The new Christian municipality, created around the Church and the castle of La Mola, expanded after the brief period of the Templars (1303–1319). Subsequently, in 1320, it was fortified under the rule of the Order of Montesa, remaining so until 1560, when the town was incorporated into the Royal Crown. The Tenencia de Culla, of which Benassal was a part, was organized as an independent and autonomous commandery. At the beginning of the 16th century, Benassal received the title of walled town and was organized as a separate commandery from Culla. During this century, Benassal recovered from the population decline of the 14th and 15th centuries, and livestock farming, agriculture, and wool manufacturing flourished.

In the 18th century, the War of the Spanish Succession left significant consequences for both the Valencian Country and Benassal. The support given to the Bourbons in Benassal brought nothing but looting and disappointment. Nevertheless, throughout the 18th century, demographic growth and economic prosperity continued at their previous pace. This growth in Benassal (two thousand inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century) was not halted by the looting of French troops in 1811 during the Peninsular War, nor by the Carlist Wars. Growth was based primarily on agriculture, livestock, textile manufacturing, trade, and an incipient tourism industry. The number of farmhouses reached 150 by 1877, and by the end of the 19th century, Benassal approached 3,000 inhabitants, its highest population ever. Furthermore, the Segures Spring became a benchmark and a very important tourist hub. During the 20th century, the Civil War and emigration were two significant events. The latter, through a constant trickle of departures, reduced the population of Benassal by half. However, the consolidation of the Segures Spring as a benchmark for tourism and health ensured significant tourist activity within the municipality’s economy.