Tinença de Benifassà
Encyclopedia
Tinença de Benifassà is a historical comarca
of the Valencian Community
, Spain
. It is nowadays part of the Baix Maestrat
, one of the present-day Comarques of the Valencian Community, even though commercial and human relationships have been stronger with Els Ports
in the west, the Terres de l'Ebre
in the northeast and the Matarranya in the northwest in historical times.
The Tinença de Benifassà is within a mountainous area known as Muntanyes de Benifassà located in the southern region of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit
. The main villages are Castell de Cabres, la Pobla de Benifassà
, el Bellestar, el Boixar, Coratxà, Fredes and Bel. One of the main products of the area is good-quality honey
, commercialized as Mel de la Tinença de Benifassà.
between 1260 and 1262 along with Vallibona
and Rossell
.
La Tinença de Benifassà was documented as a comarca in the map Comarques naturals del Regne de València made by Emili Beüt in 1934. Most of the villages in the historical comarca have strongly lost population in recent decades owing to the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices by the local youth and the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.
The Generalitat Valenciana
administration declared the whole area of the historical comarca a Natural Park
under the name Parc Natural de la Tinença de Benifassà in May 2006.
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
of the 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...
. It is nowadays part of the Baix Maestrat
Baix Maestrat
Baix Maestrat is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain.- Municipalities :*Alcalà de Xivert*Benicarló*Càlig*Canet lo Roig*Castell de Cabres*Cervera del Maestre*Chert/Xert*La Jana*Peñíscola*La Pobla de Benifassà...
, one of the present-day Comarques of the Valencian Community, even though commercial and human relationships have been stronger with Els Ports
Ports (comarca)
Ports is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. It mostly overlaps the historical comarca known as Ports de Morella , except for the municipal areas surrounding Catí and Vilafranca that were excluded from the present-day Ports...
in the west, the Terres de l'Ebre
Terres de l'Ebre
Terres de l'Ebre is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia. It is located in the south-west of Catalonia, in the southern part of river Ebre, and will be formed by four comarques: Baix Ebre, Montsià, Terra Alta and Ribera d'Ebre.The northern coastal limit of the...
in the northeast and the Matarranya in the northwest in historical times.
The Tinença de Benifassà is within a mountainous area known as Muntanyes de Benifassà located in the southern region of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit
Ports de Tortosa-Beseit
Ports de Tortosa-Beseit , also known as Ports de Beseit, or simply as Els Ports or Lo Port by locals, is a limestone mountain massif located at the north-eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico, a complex system of mountain ranges and massifs in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Its highest point is...
. The main villages are Castell de Cabres, la Pobla de Benifassà
La Pobla de Benifassà
La Pobla de Benifassà is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Maestrat in the Valencian Community, Spain.It is located in the historical comarca of Tinença de Benifassà...
, el Bellestar, el Boixar, Coratxà, Fredes and Bel. One of the main products of the area is good-quality honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, commercialized as Mel de la Tinença de Benifassà.
History
The area was conquered to the saracens in 1230 and was administered by the Principality of CataloniaPrincipality of Catalonia
The Principality of Catalonia , is a historic territory in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula, mostly in Spain and with an adjoining portion in southern France....
between 1260 and 1262 along with Vallibona
Vallibona
Vallibona is a small town and municipality located in the Ports comarca, province of Castelló, part of the autonomous community of Valencia, Spain. According to the 2009 census, it has a total population of 90 inhabitants...
and Rossell
Rossell, Baix Maestrat
Rossell is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Maestrat in the Valencian Community, Spain.The town is located at the eastern end of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit, in the area known as Muntanyes de Benifassà. Rossell is part of the Taula del Sénia free association of municipalities.-Villages:*Bel,...
.
La Tinença de Benifassà was documented as a comarca in the map Comarques naturals del Regne de València made by Emili Beüt in 1934. Most of the villages in the historical comarca have strongly lost population in recent decades owing to the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices by the local youth and the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.
The Generalitat Valenciana
Generalitat Valenciana
The Generalitat Valenciana is the generic name covering the different self government institutions under which the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia is politically organised....
administration declared the whole area of the historical comarca a Natural Park
Natural park (Spain)
In Spain, a natural park is a natural space protected for its biology, geology, or landscape, with ecological, aesthetic, educational, or scientific value whose preservation merits preferential attention on the part of public administration. The regulation of the activities that may occur there...
under the name Parc Natural de la Tinença de Benifassà in May 2006.
See also
- Santa Maria de Benifassà
- Ports de Tortosa-BeseitPorts de Tortosa-BeseitPorts de Tortosa-Beseit , also known as Ports de Beseit, or simply as Els Ports or Lo Port by locals, is a limestone mountain massif located at the north-eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico, a complex system of mountain ranges and massifs in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Its highest point is...
- El Bobalar de Sant Jordi
- Ulldecona Reservoir