Peñíscola
Encyclopedia
Peníscola or Peñíscola (peˈɲiskola) is a municipality
in the province of Castellón
, Valencian Community
, Spain
. The town is located on the Costa del Azahar
, north of the Serra d'Irta
along the Mediterranean coast. It is a popular tourist destination.
of Valencia," is a fortified seaport, with a lighthouse, built on a rocky headland about 220 feet (67 m) high, and joined to the mainland by only a narrow strip of land (Peníscola is a local evolution of Latin peninsula
). Originally built between 1294 and 1307 by the Knights Templar
, in the fourteenth century it was garrisoned by the Knights of Montesa
, and in 1420 it reverted to the Crown. From 1415 it was the home of the schismatic Avignon pope
Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna)
, whose name is commemorated in the Bufador de Papa Luna, a curious cavern with a landward entrance through which the seawater escapes in clouds of spray. History has it that this is the place where Hannibal took an oath swearing to his father that he would never be a friend of Rome. He went on to war with rome through out his life, gaining many famous victories.
film El Cid
was partially filmed there. The town and castle of Peníscola played the role of Valencia
. The castle is now a popular tourist attraction and the beaches and surrounding area is a popular family holiday resort.
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the province of Castellón
Castellón (province)
Castellón or Castelló is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The western side of the province is in the mountainous...
, Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The town is located on the Costa del Azahar
Costa del Azahar
Costa del Azahar or Costa dels Tarongers is the name for the coast of the province of Castellón in Spain, from Vinaròs to Almenara.Towns on the Costa del Azahar include Peníscola, Benicàssim and Castelló de la Plana....
, north of the Serra d'Irta
Serra d'Irta
Serra d'Irta is a 18.8 km long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Pic Campanilles .-Location:...
along the Mediterranean coast. It is a popular tourist destination.
History
Peniscola, often called the "GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
of Valencia," is a fortified seaport, with a lighthouse, built on a rocky headland about 220 feet (67 m) high, and joined to the mainland by only a narrow strip of land (Peníscola is a local evolution of Latin peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
). Originally built between 1294 and 1307 by the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, in the fourteenth century it was garrisoned by the Knights of Montesa
Order of Montesa
The Order of Montesa is a Christian military order, territorially limited to the Kingdom of Aragon.-Templar background:The Templars had been received with enthusiasm in Aragon from their foundation in 1128...
, and in 1420 it reverted to the Crown. From 1415 it was the home of the schismatic Avignon pope
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna)
Antipope Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII, born Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor , known as in Spanish, was an Aragonese nobleman, who is officially considered by the Catholic Church to be an antipope....
, whose name is commemorated in the Bufador de Papa Luna, a curious cavern with a landward entrance through which the seawater escapes in clouds of spray. History has it that this is the place where Hannibal took an oath swearing to his father that he would never be a friend of Rome. He went on to war with rome through out his life, gaining many famous victories.
The castle
The castle where Benedict lived from 1417 until his death in 1423 was restored, improved and new walls were added in 1960 when Anthony Mann'sAnthony Mann
Anthony Mann was an American actor and film director, most notably of film noirs and Westerns. As a director, he often collaborated with the cinematographer John Alton and with James Stewart in his Westerns.-Biography:...
film El Cid
El Cid (film)
El Cid is a historical epic film, a romanticized story of the life of the Christian Castilian knight Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called "El Cid" who in the 11th century fought the North African Almoravides and ultimately contributed to the unification of Spain.Made by Samuel Bronston Productions in...
was partially filmed there. The town and castle of Peníscola played the role of Valencia
Valencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
. The castle is now a popular tourist attraction and the beaches and surrounding area is a popular family holiday resort.
Film festival
Peniscola hosts an annual comedy film festival that draws Spanish and foreign actors and filmmakers and features screenings in historic venues. That the festival celebrates comedy is a natural fit; the city was the backdrop for Luis Berlanga's comedic masterpiece CalabuchCalabuch
Calabuch is a 1956 comedy film directed by Luis García Berlanga.-Production background:This Spanish-Italian co-production was filmed in Peniscola, Castellón , and features an international cast led by British-American actor Edmund Gwenn in his last film role, and Italians Valentina Cortese and...
.