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33-509: La Nucia is located in a fruit valley between Benidorm and Callosa d'En Sarrià, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the coast of Altea . The urban center is on a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea , 51 kilometres (32 mi) north of Alicante and 8 kilometres (5 mi) north of Benidorm. The municipality includes the following housing estates: Barranco Hondo, Coloma, Bello Horizonte, Panorama, and El Tossal. The name derives from

66-780: A flash flood . Especially in northern and western Spain ( Catalonia , Valencian Community , and other places), parades associated with Corpus Christi celebrations may feature gigantic costumed Moors and Christians, also commemorating the Reconquest. Other noteworthy Moors and Christians festivals are celebrated in the towns of Bocairent (a Medieval town, 1–5 February), Banyeres de Mariola (22-25 April), Villena with approximately 12,000 participants (most crowded festival), Almoradí (early August), Biar , Cocentaina , Crevillent , El Campello , Elche , Elda , Muro d'Alcoi , Oliva , Ontinyent (late August), Orihuela , Petrel , Sax , Novelda , Monforte del Cid , and some districts of

99-575: A Moro prince and a Christian princess and vice versa, and a conclusion which usually depicts the Muslim converting into Christianity, the Muslim dying, or the appearance of the Virgin Mary or a saint as the intervention figure of the conflict. The komedya usually begins with a loa , followed by a parada . Usually, the main part of the story begins with a Muslim embahador delivering a challenge to an equally-boastful Christian. The street drama became popular in

132-535: A parade of stars in colorful costumes: Christians wear blue costumes, while Moors wear fully ornamented red costumes. Mexico , Guatemala , Peru and Colombia also have festivals featuring Moors and Christians reenactments (the Mexican term is morisma ). A significant amount of incidental music has been composed and still is composed annually for these parades. It is known as música festera and comes from military band marches. There are currently three main genres:

165-419: A peal of bells and a cannon fire. The inhabitants of the town divide into groups, as the two sides in the conflict, and stage battles in the old town and on the beach. In addition to the battles, the festival includes parades in costumes and dress inspired by the fashions of medieval times. The Christians are on horseback and wear furs, metal helmets, armour and arquebuses . In contrast, those who become Moors for

198-654: A produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. Discussions regarding membership are also in hand with three further towns ( Agros in Cyprus , Škofja Loka in Slovenia , and Tryavna in Bulgaria ). Moros y cristianos Moros y Cristianos ( Spanish: [ˈmoɾos i kɾisˈtjanos] ) or Moros i Cristians ( Valencian: [ˈmɔɾoz i kɾistiˈans] ), literally in English Moors and Christians ,

231-555: A roast pig. The Encontes festival is a celebration of the ancient art of storytelling . It is held from 15 to 20 May. Dozens of events are organised to entertain the visitors with stories and songs. This festival is aimed at all audiences. Altea is a founding member of the Douzelage , a unique town twinning association of 24 towns across the European Union . This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as

264-489: A special festival dedicated to pork . Pork is very present in Spanish cuisine , with traditional hams, suckling pigs in celebratory meals and pig's tails or pig's trotters for stews. Nothing is wasted, every part of the animal is used. This festival takes place in mid-February, and consists of a parade through the old town at midday, after which everyone shares a hearty plate of rice, sings folk songs and dances, and finally tastes

297-611: A symbolic war between Moors and Christians to commemorate the 500 years of Muslim dominance over most of the Iberian Peninsula and its end in the 15th century in the course of the Reconquista . The festival lasts several days, and is supposed to represent the fall of the city into the hands of the Moors and its recovery. On the fourth weekend in September, Friday, the festival begins with

330-659: A view over the Mediterranean. Note that, if visiting by car, you will need to park several blocks away from the church area as the immediately surrounding area is either off limits to cars and/or the streets are so narrow and steep (or have stairs) that cars cannot pass. Altea shares a campus of the University Miguel Hernández , in which the Faculty of Fine Arts is located. The most important and well-known festival in Altea

363-522: Is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain , mainly in the southern Valencian Community . According to popular tradition the festivals commemorate the battles, combats and fights between Moors (i.e. Muslims ) and Christians during the period known as Reconquista (from the 8th century through the 15th century). There are also festivals of Moros y Cristianos in Spanish America . The festivals represent

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396-401: Is now known as the "old town" outsiders. This maze of cobbled narrow and crooked streets with glimpses of the bay is one of the better features of the town. Other sights include the church of La Mare de Déu del Consol ("Our Lady of Solace"), easily identifiable by its picturesque blue and white domes, tiled with glazed ceramics. There are numerous quaint restaurants near the church, some with

429-705: Is planted with palms. Russian elite lives in Altea Hills. The Iberian coastal settlements at the mouth of the Algar river in the wide Bay of Altea were later joined by a Greek marketplace , named Althaia . During the Moorish domination the land around Altea belonged to the Taifa of Dénia until it was recaptured by the Christians in 1244 under James I of Aragon . The town was quickly fortified, and walls were erected to enclose what

462-573: Is the Castell de l'Olla, a festival of fireworks that are launched into the sea, on the beach of l'Olla, giving rise to an impressive combination of light, gunpowder and music. In the Valencian language , this type of fireworks is called Castell (Castle). It takes place on the Saturday closest to the day of St. Lawrence , the 10th of August. The spectacle usually includes a golden-palm-tree-firework rising into

495-625: Is the common name of the street drama today. The street drama itself, however, did not draw from actual Christian-Muslim conflict in the Philippines. The main precursor of its popularity in the Philippines was the indigenous awit and corrido traditions in Philippine native cultures. When performing, the representations for the Christians are in blue, while the representations for Muslims are in red or maroon. The street drama includes pasa dobles tune marches, rigodon in battles, courtships between

528-469: Is why it survived as annual celebrations. The historical element is added by taking advantage of these festivities for the representation and exhibition of Moors and Christians comedies, normally with a moralistic or religious didactic character. It is from the beginning of the 19th century when the first texts of Las Embajadas (the Embassies) appear, which require the need for two sides facing each other for

561-519: The National Commission for Culture and the Arts , the cultural agency of the government. On July 5, 1637, Jesuit priest F. Hironimo Perez finished the first Moro y Cristianos play in the Philippines. The first drama was played in a church, and was presented to the governor-general for a victory play against Muslims in the south . Afterwards, the play became known in the common tongue as moro-moro , which

594-508: The Arabic word Naziha ("delicious"). It was given by the king James I of Aragon to Beltran de Bellpuig. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, it formed part of the barony of Benidorm and belonged to Alfonso Fajardo, Baron of Polop, of the house of Fajardo de Mendoza. La Nucia became an independent municipality in 1705, after splitting from the barony of Polop. The parish church, dedicated to La Immaculada Concepció (Immaculate Conception),

627-515: The Christians to surprise the Moors; else rallying Christian forces during the battle. The feast day of St. James is 25 July, so some of the Moors' and Christians' festivals occur at the end of July. La Vila Joiosa / Villajoyosa celebrates it in the last week of July, with a reenactment of the Berber pirate attack of 1538 ( desembarc ), according to tradition repelled when St. Martha (feast day 29 July) sent

660-585: The Christians winning a simulated battle around a castle. Due to Spanish Empire expansion, the performing art has been adapted in other places in Europe, America, and Asia, as in the Philippines since the 17th century and is a popular street play throughout the country. Unlike the Spanish version, the Philippine version is dominated by indigenous Philippine cultures which are used in language, costumes, musics, and dances of

693-511: The capture of the city by the Muslims and the subsequent Christian reconquering fight. The people who take part in the festival are usually enlisted in local associations called filaes (singular filà ) or comparsas (companies that represent the Christian or Moor legions). Each side consists of various companies that carry out activities throughout the year, organizing spectacular parades during

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726-474: The city of Alicante . Andalusia also has very interesting Moors and Christians performances, especially in the former Moorish kingdom of Granada . Performances are mostly organized in rural towns and villages, such as Válor, Granada , a small town in the Eastern Alpujarras . Spaniards took this tradition overseas. In the Philippines , fiestas often include a moro-moro play. The show begins with

759-496: The city of Alcoi, the Moors, in turn, tried to recover it. As fighting was about to resume, Saint George miraculously appeared, and the frightened Moors scattered in defeat. Other traditions ascribe a miraculous saintly appearance to Saint James ( Santiago ), the patron saint of Spain , particularly at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (in what today is the municipality of La Carolina , Province of Jaén , Andalusia ), sometimes guiding

792-424: The classic and popular pasodobles , the melodious marchas moras (Moorish in style), and the forceful marchas cristianas . In Spain a marching band or concert band plays the repertoire for these parades, in the two latter types of marches the band's music is reinforced by timpani, concert bass drums and a gong . In the Philippines , the performing art is officially called Moro y Cristianos Street Drama by

825-662: The conquest of a castle. The most well-known Moors and Christians festival are the Moors and Christians of Alcoy that takes place in Alcoi ( Valencian Community ) from 22 to 24 April, around the Feast Day of Saint George ( Valencian : Sant Jordi ; Spanish : San Jorge ), the patron saint of the Crown of Aragon ( Catalonia , Aragon and formerly also of the Valencian Community ). According to legend, after James I of Aragon reconquered

858-547: The days of the festival and spending a lot of gunpowder with firing salutes from the arquebus in dramatized battles. The festivals last for several days, and feature festive parades with bombastic costumes loosely inspired by Medieval fashion. Christians wear fur , metallic helmets, and armor , fire loud arquebuses , and ride horses . In contrast, Moors wear ancient Arab costumes, carry scimitars , and ride real camels or elephants . The festival develops among shots of gunpowder , medieval music, and fireworks , and ends with

891-445: The local militia that carried out military acts of display or exhibition of the troops if required to pay tribute to some authority. Traditionally they carried out these troop parades during the so-called "royal festivities" for the visit of the king, a royal anniversary, commemoration of a victory or birth of a prince. In certain towns, these acts of the militia were also carried out to honor the local patron figure on his holiday, which

924-465: The night sky. The event began as a tribute to local pyrotechnician Blas Aznar (locally known as tio Blai ). The fireworks display is a gesture of utmost respect to this man, a way of honouring his memory, and of giving all spectators the gift of miraculous beauty. More than 50,000 people come every year to enjoy the spectacle, some sitting on the beach, others floating in rented boats to get a better view. [1] Every year, many Spanish cities participate in

957-556: The play. The main story of the art, however, has been faithfully retained. Similar celebrations in Zacatecas , México, are called Morisma . Theatrical festivities with this setting are already documented even before the end of the Reconquista itself, in 1426 in Murcia and in 1463 in Jaén. The modern "comparsas" or companies of Moors and Christians have their origin in the old Soldadesca ,

990-481: The rural areas due to the inputting of folk traditions in the play and the need of the people for leisure, especially after a hard day at labor. Overall, the Philippine moros y cristianos may last from one to several days, depending on the Philippine-written script being used. In 2011, the performing art was cited by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as one of the intangible cultural heritage of

1023-520: The section of Mediterranean coast called the Costa Blanca . At present, the economy of Altea is based on tourism , which started to grow in the 1950s because of its good weather, beaches and the labyrinthine streets with whitewashed house-fronts that characterize the town. Altea is protected on the north by the bluffs of the Serra de Bèrnia , creating an especially mild microclimate . Its seafront esplanade

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1056-479: The weekend ride camels or elephants and wear ancient Arab costumes. In Pascua (spanish word for Easter ), the inhabitants of Altea hold solemn, somewhat macabre processions throughout the town during the Holy Week , which have a vivid dramatic flair to them. There is also a carnival beforehand, traditionally and symbolically representing the last chance to have some fun before Lent begins. During Lent , Altea has

1089-474: Was constructed in the 18th century. CF La Nucía is based at Estadi Olímpic Camilo Cano in the municipality. This article about a location in the Valencian Community, Spain, is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Altea Altea ( Valencian: [alˈtea] , Spanish: [alˈtea] ) is a city and municipality located in the Valencian Community , Spain, on

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