Beniganim
guide
Beniganim lies in the Northeast sector of the Vall d'Albaida valley, 75 Km from Valencia and 95 Km from Alicante. It is linked to Ontinyent and Xátiva by road and rail.
The remains of ancient dwellings dating back three thousand years BC are found inside the town boundaries. These are located in an area called Penya Roja where the remains of an Iberian town of 4 BC can also be found. These remains are situated in an area of extraordinary landscape beauty that dominates the whole of the town limits.
Historians think that the origins of Beniganim as a permanent town settlement around the XII century, are related to a vizier of Xátiva called Mahomet Ben-Gània. This apparently gave the name of Beniganim to the settlement up to 1602 when it was named Royal Villa by Philip III.
The old mosque dates back to this period which later on, after the Reconquest, would be transformed into a Christian place of worship. Special mention should be made of the gothic arches, the Manises' ceramic ornaments and the paintings in the sanctuary from the Crusades that were added in the XVIII century and which depict figures from the Old and New Testament. All of this can be seen in the Illeta district of town, which still retains its old Arabic flavour in the way that its streets are laid out and which invites us to take a stroll.
The Church of the Purisima Concepcion is noted for its monumental and great artistic value. It was built in the XVIII century and later reformed in the XIX century. The Beata Agnes image is venerated there; an augustinian nun who was beatified in 1888 and is the patron saint of the town. Also worth visiting is the Franciscan convent, situated on a hill top that oversees the town and which has an outstanding cloister.
The maximum exponent of religious art in Beniganim is found in the parochial church of San Miguel Arcangel, declared a national monument since 1983. It is an impressive building dating back to the XVI-XVII centuries. Outstanding is the belfry with its octagonal base that measures 45 metres high and its magnificent façade of classic style. Of special interest in the interior of the building, is the monumental dimensions of the central nave.
All the churches in the town limits are worthy of tourist and cultural interest, as are all the civil buildings such as the Town Hall with its 1707 coat of arms.
Beniganim is a town full of tradition and fiestas (Patron saint fiestas, Moors and Christians, San Antonio etc...) which reveals a very unique identity of its own.
In the present age, industry has taken over the agricultural importance of the past. The glassworks, wood transformation industry, plastics, textiles and other commercial activities are now the economic motor that drives Beniganim into a prosperous future and where the services sector is gaining ground every day.
WHERE IS BENIGANIM ?
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