Visit Bocairent and its historic quarter in the company of a local

Visit Bocairent and its historic quarter in the company of a local

We feel very lucky to live here. This small village in the Valencian Community is a wonderful place full of history, where the natural beauty of the surroundings goes hand in hand with the cobblestoned streets and the ancient houses of the historic quarter. That’s why, if you fancy going for a walk and want to really enjoy this place (which is actually only possible in the company of a local inhabitant), then come and join me and I’ll show you what Bocairent and its medieval quarter have to offer.

Let’s go!

OF COURSE, AS WITH ANY ROUTE, WE’RE GOING TO START BY TAKING A SHORT
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

The medieval quarter in Bocairent was founded in the ninth century during the Muslim period, and was known back then as “Bucairen”. It became an important trading centre thanks to its strategic location at the heart of the Sierra Mariola. Following the Christian conquest of the area in the thirteenth century, Bocairent’s medieval quarter began to grow and evolve, adopting the architecture and the customs of the Christians. In 1975 the historic quarter was declared a special site of national historical and artistic value.

PLACES TO VISIT IN BOCAIRENT

Now that you have a general idea of the cultural influence that shaped this neighbourhood, we can start our tour by visiting the most important sites.

Medieval quarter and San Vicente Square

San Vicente Square or “the Prison Square” (because it was here that the local jail was once located), is in the centre of Bocairent’s medieval quarter. Surrounded by beautiful medieval houses and historic buildings, it is the perfect place to take a pause, relax and enjoy the atmosphere of this place. This lovely labyrinth of Arabic style streets offers the ideal setting to get lost amongst its little squares, stairways, fountains and plant pots. If you roam around at your leisure, you will eventually stumble upon all the other attractive spots, like the “Portuguese Tower”, and the neighbourhood’s three chapels: Saint John, Our Lady of the Forsaken, and Our Lady of August.

The Parish Church “Our Lady of the Assumption”

In the upper part of the historic quarter lies the church of “Our Lady of the Assumption”, also known as the “cathedral of the Sierra Mariola”. The church was erected on top of the remains of the Arabic castle, and possesses a magnificent Baroque façade. It is one of Bocairent’s most emblematic buildings.

The construction of the church, which was completed in 1516, suffered damage in the wake of the Montesa earthquake in 1748 which caused the top of the belltower to collapse. In 1766, almost two decades later, the church was rebuilt.

The fountains in the medieval quarter of Bocairent

Instead of following a precise route, all you have to do is wander around the old town in order to find the iconic fonts and fountains that have been supplying the old town with its water since the 18 th century. Whilst the main use of the fonts was for drinking, the excess water was also used for the dying mills as well as the terraced vegetable gardens and orchards down below next to the Clariano River.

The majority of the fountains have a stone engraving indicating the year of their construction along with an inscription signalling their original name.

The Moorish Caves

Although there are certain physical requirements (as specified in the town’s official tourist website) that make this historical tour particularly demanding, it is well worth the effort. Even today, after all the research that has been carried out into these man-made caves excavated out of the rockface during the Arabic Andalusian period, it is still unclear precisely what their original purpose was. Nevertheless, it is thought that this monument, which lies only 300 metres from the town itself, was used as a safe storage site to keep grain and other agricultural products. In order to find out more about this and other cave sites in the area, you should visit the “Colomer Caves”. This cave houses an interpretation and information centre that provides detailed explanations about the fascinating man-made excavations found around the headwaters of the Clariano River.

For more information, visit Bocairent’s official tourist web site:

The ice caves

Today we have it easy. We open the fridge and inside find that our food is kept fresh and cool, and we can even put a few ice cubes into our favourite drinks if we choose to do so. But back in the old days, between the seventeenth and the nineteenth centuries, the Valencian sierras provided the ideal conditions for the creation and commerce of ice.

In these ice caves during the winter months the workers would collect the snow and pack it inside these impressive man-made constructions. Later on, the ice would be transported to local towns where it was sold and employed for a variety of different usages, notably therapeutic and culinary.

These ancestral professions have long since disappeared, but you can still visit the ice caves where the snow was stored (and maybe in the process recall how lucky we are these days).

More information can be found here:

The magic route around Bocairent’s medieval quarter

If you just want to have a quick look around Bocairent, “the magic route” is probably the best way to see the highlights of this charming town.

Starting out from the Town Hall Square, you will pass the large old houses before you reach the “Moorish Caves” viewpoint. From here, continue on down to the “Colomer Caves” and the old bridge “behind the town”. This medieval bridge offers spectacular views of Bocairent’s historic quarter, and is without doubt one of the main vantage points from where most photographs of the old town are taken. Before crossing the bridge, take the narrow sign-posted path that will lead you to below the “hanging houses” occupying the perimeter of the historic quarter, and which hang over one of the ravines that surrounds the village.

You will notice on the route the many terraced vegetable gardens and orchards that were excavated out of the rock in medieval times.

The Bullring

Another of the many surprises in this town is the bullring, which maintains the local tradition of excavating buildings out of the rock by hand. In fact, most of the bullring was created using this extremely laborious technique. It was constructed in the nineteenth century and has a capacity to hold almost four thousand people. In reality, it was originally created to alleviate the suffering caused by a period of extended unemployment during one of the periodic crises in the textile industry. You can consult opening times and buy tickets online via the town’s official website:

The Cave Monastery

The Cave Monastery in Bocairent comprises a collection of caves carved out the rock which were used from 1556 by cloistered nuns for a period of 20 years. Afterwards, a second convent was built on top. You will definitely marvel at the beautifully crafted stone work in the chapel, which measures 48 m 2 and has been entirely chiselled out of the rock, including the meticulously hand carved mouldings around the cornices of the ceiling. Leading off from the chapel are a series of rooms that finish up in a chamber containing a large conical extractor chimney with an exterior opening at the top. The entire rock monastery complex has been perfectly preserved.

BOCAIRENT AND ITS MEDIEVAL QUARTER, A PLACE TO ROAM WITHOUT ITINERARIES

Apart from all the places we suggest you visit in Bocairent and its medieval quarter (described by National Geographic as one of the most attractive villages in the Valencian region, and the sixth in Spain), our most sincere recommendation is that you freely roam around its charming cobblestoned streets and historic buildings without following any specific itinerary. By wandering around at your leisure, the experience of discovering the many hidden surprises in this delightful medieval village will be even more pleasurable.

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