Simat
guide
The Village of Simat can be reached from Valencia on the N-332, or from inland crossing from Alzira and El Valle De Aigues Vives until reaching the Valldigna. The Valldigna was previously known as the Valle De Alfandech or Marinyen and was inhabited by the Moslems during the Middle Ages. It was conquered around 1242-43 by king Jaume I and incorporated into the states of the Crown of Aragon.
Later his grandson, Jaume II of Aragon, raided the Moorish kingdom of Murcia. When he passed by the Cistercian monastery of Santes Creus its abbot, Bernard, decided to join him as the royal chaplain. On the way back after the victorious campaign and, they passed through the valley of Alfandech or Marinyen and, surprised by its beauty, the king turned to his abbot and said: "What a worthy valley for a monas-tery of your religion!" The abbot replied: "The Vall Digna ('Worthy Valley'), sir." Since then the area/valley has been called the Valldigna.
Once back in Valencia on March 1298, Jaume II donated the whole valley to the Cistercian monastery of Santes Creus. This donation as was the feudal custom included all its farm houses, irrigation channels and inhabitants present and future without distinction. During this era under their feudal lord the abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria de la Valldigna, the two cultures (Moslem and Christian) lived side by side in the valley.
At the beginning of the I5th century the tolerance between the different cultures and religions began to dwindle, the Moslems were considered second class citizens and progressively lost their rights until in 1609 they where expelled from Spain. After as before the expulsion of the Mudejars, life in the Valldigna followed the development of a feudal society under the dominance of the lord of the monastery, and the history of Simat is closely united with the history of the monastery.
The most important monument in Simat is the Monasterio de Santa Maria de la Valldigna. The layout is the Cister type. This has two nerve centres, the church and the cloisters, around which the life of the monastery developed. The cloister is the central part that links the different rooms of the monastery (the refectory, kitchen, the capitular hall, the church, the dormitory and the wri-ting room). Outside this monument are the abbot's palace, the cellar, store and other agricultural rooms.
Another of the important monuments of Simat is the Mosque of La Xara, also known as the Santa Anna hermitage. This is a small hermitage in the middle of the countryside that, seen from the outside, could appear to be like so many of the hermitages around. But if we look closely we can see that it is a former Mosque, with a rectangular layout that on its eastern side has a door and arch. Four pillars divide the interior into three naves. To the left of the door there is a spiral staircase that was once used as a minaret. Then there is the Quibla which is the most important element as it shows the direction of Mecca, towards which the Moslems must pray.
Also in the Simat municipal district, in the Pla De Corrals, we find the hermitage of Mare de Deu dels Desamparats. The hermitage has simple baroque lines with two main pillars surrounding a bell.
Simat's economy is based on the growth of citric fruits and their processing. The main players being the two big cooperatives.
Simat has a parish village called Pla de Corrals with a population of some 100 people. In the sum-mer the population swells to over 1,000. As well as Pla de Corrals there is Les Folles in the mountains around Simat, a place where some people go to spend the summer because it enjoys a very pleasant temperature due to its 600 metres above sea level. Natural springs are in abundance most of which offer good quality mineral water, inside the town are la Font Gran y Menor in thesurrouning area you will find la Font del Cirer, les Folles, Font Tarda, Font d'Agost, Font del Ballador to name just a few.
We should also point out the importance of the town band which has a very long history, as well as the 'trinquete' court, at which the first games where played in June 1893.
WHERE IS SIMAT DE LA VALLDIGNA?
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