Atzeneta d'Albaida

Data

Altitude (m): 400

Population: 1153

Surface (km²): 6

Postal Code: 46869

Demonym: atzenetí, atzenetina

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ATZENETA D'ALBAIDA - A museum to the open sky

Attached to the Ombria of the Sierra del Benicadell, Atzeneta d'Albaida owes its name to the Berber tribe of the zenatas, Az- * Zanata. Known among the towns of the region as 'El Mirador del Valle' to Atzeneta two landscape elements of great beauty and uniqueness came together: the calcareous mountain range and the town itself with its people. Atzeneta d'Albaida stands out for its craftsmanship of esparto, its festival of Sant Antoni and the heritage that water has brought. These are only three reasons why you must visit Atzeneta, if you have not already done so.

HISTORY

Although in the municipal term have been found deposits of the Bronze Age, Iberian and Roman ,the origin of the present nucleus of population is a farmhouse of Arab origin documented in the Llibre of the Repartiment of Valencia where it appears : “Azenet” Berber word that corresponds with the name of a tribe of the Cabilia area, in Algeria known as “Zenete”“Passwordja”. Being the first time it appears, is to suppose that this was his name in the last times of the Almohad domain. It would depend together with other farmhouses on the zone of the upper channel of the river Albaida of the “hisn”district of Albaida ,that at that time was located in what today is known, as Castillo Viejo de Albaida at the gates of the port that leads to the area of Alcoy instead of the present urban center of Albaida which is a Christian foundation. It was conquered by the troops of Jaime I as the rest of the zone, for surrendering the “alcaid”, in exchange for maintaining the rents of some Arab mills that still are conserved, located in the Acequia of the Port between Adzaneta and the Old Castle of Albaida as it appears in the Llibre del Repartiment. These lands passed to the property of Jaume of Milan, first count of Albaida, in 1477. From then it belonged to the marquisate of Albaida, as it was denominated from 1604, until in 1787 when, was declared independent barony. Between 1707 and 1787 depended on the Corregidor of Játiva. During 1812 and 1813 was the most advanced point to which the French troops arrived in the direction towards Alicante. For this reason the French maintained an important military detachment to control the zone of the Port of Albaida and its mountains where guerrillas acted. In April of 1812 they fought in combat against armed civilians of the neighborhoods causing the imperial troops, near 150 dead to the attacking guerrillas. This confrontation is known the “Battle of the Raboser” by the name of the zone in the term of Belgida where the guerrillas retreated and where they were defeated by the French. One of the Christian festive bands of the Moors and Christians Festivities of Adzaneta, commemorates the battle being known as Rabosers in remembrance of that fact. The centenary of this battle has been commemorated with various acts.