The town of Cullera is located on the shore of the Mediterranean and occupies a central position in the Region of Valencia. Bathed by

the waters of the Gulf of Valencia, with its vast plains of rice fields and citrus groves irrigated by the Júcar river and sheltered by the

ubiquitous mountain Raboses, Cullera offers visitors a privileged environment full of contrasts and a microclimate that ensures mild

winters and pleasant summers.

Cullera, the mythical Roman Sucro and later the Colla-Aeria (High Summit) of the Muslims, has developed today into a leisure town

with a stable population of 24,121 inhabitants, which expands significantly with the arrival of tourists during the summer.

In short, a holiday destination with wide experience at the service of tourists and which has managed to reinvent itself every day to

offer endless possibilities. Extensive award-winning beaches renowned worldwide for their quality, splendid monuments and cultural

heritage, spectacular cuisine based on rice and seafood, a wide and diverse range of accommodation and the best entertainment and

fun for all the family.

Do you need any more reasons? Discover the real Mediterranean, discover Cullera!

The history of Cullera is linked, without doubt, to its mountain the “Muntanya de les Raboses”, the

Mountain of Gold, the Magic Mountain ...

The first signs of settlement were Upper Paleolithic remains found at Cueva del Volcan del Faro. On

the opposite side is the “Abric Lambert”, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, a cave where

Neolithic populations left clear examples of their art: Schematic Art. Along with the aforementioned

shelter, the Bronze Age town of “Les Oliveretes” tells us of the first open air human settlements with a defined social organization.

Right in the centre of the old town, particularly in the Rápita neighbourhood, remains have been found ranging

from Roman Republican times to the late Roman period. A salting factory dates from this period. It is located on c/Augustine Olivert and used to part of the port infrastructure.

This finding highlights the importance that Portum Sucrone had acquired by this period of late antiquity.

It was during the period of Islamic rule that Qulayra, the name used by the Arabs, developed an urban structure at the

foot of its castle. The Arabs built the castle with its towers, walls and fortifications. They extended the town along the

southern slopes of the mountains surrounding and protected it with a wall that runs below calle del Mar. An example of this

is the Barri del Pou, which with its steep, narrow alleyways reminds us of the arrangement of Islamic medinas.

But what led to King Jaime I to conquer Hisn Qulayra was its strategic position. The control of the goods transported by the river Júcar to its mouth at Qulayra, was the deciding factor of his conquest in 1239. After the Christian conquest the Barri de la Vila was created “ex novo”. This district was expanded during the 14th and 15th centuries, as the town grew in importance, thanks in large part to its tradition of trade, agriculture and fishing.

In the 16th century, Cullera saw many violent episodes with the attacks of the dreaded Barbary pirates. Like many other coastal communities, it developed an entire military architecture based on the defence and control of the coastal strip: a chain of coastal towers was created, such as the “Marenyet”, and the Castle was fortified with bastions and ravelins and, of course, the town was walled for the protection of its people.

During the 17th and 18th centuries Cullera enjoyed a period of splendour associated, again, with its agricultural activity. This was a period in which many of the town’s landmarks were built – the Sangre and Santos Juanes churches, the Casa de la Enseñanza, the Guildhall and a large number of chapels and manors of undeniable artistic interest.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, with the expansion of rice cultivation, Cullera grew gradually with more characteristic buildings and infrastructure of great interest such as the Sanctuary of the Mare de Deu del Castell, the Iron Bridge, the Municipal Market, the Lighthouse, the Maritime University and the Casa del Pueblo and many private buildings that give a distinctive appearance to the city.

HISTORY

LA CASA DE LA ENSEÑANZA

THE WALLS

As we move into the Barrio de la Vila we find one of the first public schools in Spain: The Casa de la Enseñanza, designed in 1788 by Vicente Gascó Maso (1734-1802), director of the architecture section of the Academy of San Carlos, Valencia, with one of the walls of the building erected directly on top of the sixteenth century wall that surrounded the village.

The main facade on the calle Rio follows the neoclassical canons that Vicente Gascó himself established with his ideas within the academic framework, and which were rediscovered by the architectural ideals of the last quarter of the eighteenth century in Valencia. With a fully symmetrical order the arrangement of the openings marks the tone of the facade, since the absence of decorative elements means that the formal characteristics of doors, windows and balconies, of extreme simplicity, together with the fascias, are the elements that present a simplified neoclassical ideal, whose greatest exponent is the broad pediment which presides over the whole. The facade now on Calle San Sebastian was constructed with the same compositional criteria as the main facade, although adapted for length. These are the only erections that Vicente Gascó produced for the Casa de la Enseñanza. It should be noted that on the first

floor on both fronts, the windows were traced as rectangular shapes framed in stone, topped with a small ledge and on the bottom panel or ledge formed by a slab flanked by two small pillars (this type has now been replaced, although a similar opening has been retained).

The Casa de la Enseñanza was designed to house a school for children and rooms for their respective teachers, and on the ground floor it also had a wood store and a wheat store with an area for a poor family who served the teachers, with two bedrooms and kitchen. Access areas were in calle San Sebastian and there were separate entrances for boys and male teachers on one side, and girls and female teachers on the other, with separate stairs too. The main floor consists of a vestibule, school and rooms for the most advanced students, both boys and girls, with their own toilets and independent entrances. The second floor houses the separate accommodation for the two male and two female teachers.

The Casa can be visited by appointment.C/ del Río, 38Historical Centre

Cullera castle cannot be understood without the defensive ring of walls and towers in which it sits. The Castle consists of the fortress, the upper enclosure or “Albacar Vell” located on the esplanade where the shrine is located, and the lower enclosure or “Albacar Nou” which is situated on the southern slope of the mountain.

Both were used to shelter troops, horses, cattle and the population of Qulayra itself in times of siege.

Moreover, a group of towers linked the different

sections of walls which surrounded the Castle: The Torre de la Reina Mora or Santa Ana, the Torre Miranda, the Torre del Racó de San Antonio, the Tower Desmochada and the Tower Octagonal. Within the enclosure are the remains of the “velles revoltes” and old Islamic track that led to the Castle, now replaced by the current Camino del Calvario.

Today the walls can be visited starting from the Torre de la Reina Mora or Santa Anna, and following a trail that runs along the old walled perimeter.

In the old town, or more precisely in the plaza Patio de la Iglesia is the Santos Juanes Church.The present church dedicated to the Saints Johns was built in 1692 on the foundations or remains of an earlier church dating from between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Recent archaeological excavations have shown that the bell-tower, despite its medieval appearance, was built in the sixteenth century – the same period to which the shield of the Crown of Aragon which stands above the entrance to the tower also belongs - over a 14th century parish churchyard. In the centre of the plaza is a replica of one of the tombstones decorated with the Cross of Malta which was found in these excavations.

The church, which was the headquarters of the only parish in the town from 1248 to 1953, has a single nave and is named after the two saints,

John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, who preside over the altar. Inside, interesting features include the altarpiece and the mural painting of the Baptistery, which are works of Rafael Cardells, the rich imagery of the side chapels and, above all, the Baroque ceramic plinth in the Communion chapel, dated between 1740 and 1760 and recently restored, with an average height of 1.70 meters, an surface area of 40 square metres and about 700 pieces. A representative set of Valencian tiles that is well worth a visit.

Until 1950 this was the only parish in Cullera.

Calle Patio de la Iglesia (Can be visited by appointment with the parish).

Historical Centre

The building has a single floor, with three balconies and three identical rectangular windows that match the three lower entrances which are decorated with arches - half point on the two sides and three-centred in the middle. The whole look is vaguely reminiscent of the Italian palaces of the period - the reign of Charles III is characterized by the abundance of Italianate buildings throughout the peninsula - and, at that time, of the eighteenth century mansions in Lisbon later converted into luxury hotels. In fact, the external structure of the Heritage hotel in Lisbon, including the three-centred arch and the two side entrances, plus the three higher balconied openings, follows the same elegant pattern of lofty simplicity despite its small size.

The building, built over an existing building from 1321 in the same location, known as the Casa del

Consell or Presó de la Vila, represents a time of splendour associated with agriculture and which is highlighted in the original furnishings of the 18th century, in the ornamentation of the plenary hall and in the great altarpiece dedicated, to Saint Anne, which came from the former shrine of the same name, also called the Torre de la Reina Mora. It also contains canvasses by anonymous painters depicting Isabel II and, above all, paintings by José Mongrell, a disciple of Pinazo and Sorolla and an excellent painter of portraits and genre scenes of purely Valencia ambience.

Can be visited by appointment.

Plaza de EspañaHistorical Centre

PARISH CHURCH OF LOS SANTOS JUANES

CASA CONSISTORIAL (GUILDHALL)

THE MARKET AND THE CIVIL WAR AIR-RAID SHELTER

The municipal market, another good example of the eclectic architecture of Valencia, located very near the Santos Juanes church, in the Plaza de la Virgen, is a set of four blocks separated by a floor in the form of a Greek cross. With its two roads and interior gardens it forms a delightful and picturesque area while also being practical and useful for the purchase of basic necessities and as a resting place and cultural centre since two of the blocks are used as centres for cultural activities of various kinds. In fact, in the Auditorium hosts concerts of local symphony orchestras (Ateneo Musical and Santa Cecilia) and in the Multifunction Hall various other recreational and cultural activities take place. The market, with its gardens and its surroundings, is without any doubt, the nerve centre of Cullera.

The municipal market tradition dates back to the reign of Jaime II and more specifically the year 1320 when the king gave Cullera, a walled town in those years, the privilege, which took place on Friday of each week, of “awarding safeguard to the traders who went there, provided they were not criminals, bandits and other such people”.

The present building, in three distinct sections to cope with the slope of the land, erected between 1896 and 1900, was designed by the architect Louis Ferreres. The facades are made of facing brick and triangular pediments top the lintelled entrance to the halls. Together with the pediments side terraces with pedestals are arranged, with ledge and handrails. The four buildings have a pitched roof supported on metal blades held by cast iron columns. The grilles, also cast iron, rest on brick pillars. After the latest changes, the design maintains its large grid

structure crossed by the central walkways. Today, two of the interior squares continue their anti-septic and healthy dedication to the sale of food products: meat and fish, fruit and vegetables and, as already mentioned, the other two are for leisure and cultural purposes. The whole area has been devoted, from time immemorial, to the spiritual and emotional obsession of the people of Cullera with the Virgen del Castillo, so that not only the access road but the entire market is called Plaza de la Virgen, a reference to the popular black Madonna who is the patron saint of the town.

Moreover, under the above-mentioned royal privilege, the market and its surroundings are the site of a weekly market, which today has moved to Thursdays, which has a clear local feel. Hence the crowds of local people that tends to gather in this place every Thursday of the year.

Under the two back halls of the Market, the auditorium and multifunction hall, is the entrance to the air-raid shelter built under the market itself and consisting of two galleries. It’s actually one of four that were built during the civil war in Cullera, due to the threat of the frequent bombing suffered by the neighbouring towns. In this case, despite being unfinished and never having been used, Gallery I has been renovated to tell, graphically and also in a dignified and instructive manner, the historical context of the period of the Spanish Civil War as seen from perspective of the town. While Gallery II is used for an exhibition on the construction of the market and, more occasionally, for the installation of touring exhibitions of photography and art.

Open for visits and is part of the Cullera museum network.

Plaza la VirgenHistorical Centre

It is worth climbing up to the Castle along the Camino del Calvario, a zigzagging Via Crucis, white and bright, which starts from the oldest district of Cullera, the Barri del Pou, sit of the Qulayra of the Islamic period. The road’s construction dates from the 19th century. Also recommend is a walk along “les revoltes” with the oratorios for the fourteen

stations of the Cross, which leads to the Medieval Castle and the Sanctuary. This road is the route of the annual procession of the Descent of the Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of the Castle, which starts the Saint’s Day Festivals.

THE CAMINO DEL CALVARIO OR “REVOLTES NOVES”

The “Abric Lambert” (Lambert Shelter) owes its name to its discoverer and inhabitant of Cullera - Lambert Olivert.

It is a rock shelter with cave paintings located on the north-western slope of the Cullera mountain, a privileged place for human settlement since ancient times.

In the rock shelter a panel has been identified with several figures painted in dark red, based on cruciform and pectiniform figures and different vertical and horizontal lines, interpreted as

representations of animals and human figures, all within the so-called “Schematic Art” that chronologically developed in Valencia from the early Neolithic to the Bronze Age.

Specifically, it appears that the Lambert Abric paintings must date from between 3000-1000 bc.

Site of Cultural Interest Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

Separated from the Barri de la Vila by the gardens of the market is the Barri del Pou. Its intricate streets still retain the whitewashed houses decorated with balconies lined with flowerpots. You can breathe the peace and quiet in the steep streets and cosy little squares.

Originally, this was the site of the ancient Arab settlement of Qulayra, as is evidenced by the remains of the Islamic Wall found under calle del Mar.

On entering the Barri you will be amazed by the narrow streets and the traditional buildings adapted to the particular topography of the mountain and the various traditional Valencian tiled panels, dedicated to different patron saints, which remain intact.

These enchanting narrow streets lead us to the Torre de la Reina Mora.

Behind the Municipal Market

Cullera has many shrines dotted about the district. The area’s rich heritage is undoubtedly enhanced by the frequent presence of these small and humble buildings for popular devotion, which are distributed throughout the Cullera municipal area.

For its position and construction type we must mention the Shrine of Santa Marta. Its construction exploits the walls of a rock shelter within which is located a spring, and its roof is formed, in part, by the ceiling of the cavity itself.

With its strategic location by the sea we should also highlight the Los Navarros Chapel. The name of the chapel is due to its builder, Nazario Carriquiri,

a businessman from Navarre, as were the workers that accompanied him, posted here with the goal of building a port at this spot on the bay of Cullera. The chapel, lovingly restored, dates from the 19th century. Built with masonry plastered and whitewashed, its plan is of three tiled roofs with four pitches and has a central body higher than the sides with a high cornice decorated with corbels. The lintelled entrance door, is complemented by a semicircular-blinded niche. The building is finished off with a steeple above the eaves.

It may only be visited by appointment with the Sangre de Cristo parish.

In the el Faro district – C/. la ErmitaThe Iglesia de la Sangre de Cristo (Church of the Blood of Christ), built on a medieval chapel, dates from 1614. From 1546 there is evidence of the founding of a Brotherhood of the Blood of Christ in this chapel.

It is a building in a Latin cross plan, with central nave and side chapels between the buttresses. The interior features a barrel vault and lunettes, drum dome in the transept, which is covered with blue glazed tiles on the outside. In the late 19th century, the architect Luis Ferreres built, next to

the church, the Hospital de la Sangre, which was converted into a military hospital during the Civil War to care for the wounded who arrived from the front.

The original level of the building is below the level of the surrounding streets so access to its interior is by means of steps and a side ramp. A sturdy bell tower of blocks of stone and neoclassical portico complete a simple but dignified external structure, consistent with its interior.

Calle del Mar, narrow and secluded, echoes with the murmur of neighbourhood conversation. It means that the very configuration of homes, mostly on one level, allows ongoing personal contact between its inhabitants.

Indeed, it is in this street that we find the first point of interest: the shrine of Santa Ana – a chapel according to

the tile above the entrance -a 17th century building that once it is fully restored will be a place for exhibitions and other occasional uses. An external grille protects the building that, outwardly, is simple, of square appearance and crowned by a steeple. Its interior has a hall with diaphragm arches in late-Gothic style.

“ABRIC LAMBERT” CAVE PAINTINGS SHRINES IN CULLERA

THE BARRIO DEL POZO AND ITS UNIQUE ALLEWAYS

SANGRE DE CRISTO PARISH CHURCH

THE CAPILLA DE SANTA ANA (SAINT ANNE’S CHAPEL)

MARENYET TOWER

A watchtower built in 1577 during the reign of Philip II for control and protection of the Mediterranean coast, which was being frequently attacked by Barbary pirates. It was part of the network of watchtowers that were

built along the coast of Valencia.

Strategically located, it was built near the mouth of the river Jucar, in a marshy area, hence the name “Marenyet.” The control and coastal surveillance function was carried out by soldiers or “atalladors”

who communicated directly with the Cap del Far Tower, the Alfandech Tower and the Gola de la Albufera Tower, which have all now disappeared.It has a tapered shape, and is made of rough stone. It has a circumference of 10 meters in diameter and 15 meters high. It consists of a ground floor, two floors and a terrace with battlements. Fully restored, it has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest.

It is open for visits and is part of the Cullera museum network.

Carretera del Marenyet

TOWER OF THE REINA MORA OR SANTA ANA

A 13th century Islamic tower located on the camino del Calvario footpath which leads to the Castle, it originally served as the gateway to the second fortified enclosure, the “Albacar Nou”.

Square in plan, it consists of ground floor, upper floor and terrace. The tower originally had a similar structure to its current structure: The ground floor had no internal communication with the upper part, which had to be performed on the outside. The top floor connected with the walls through the parapet and could be accessed with a vertical ladder.

In 1631 the tower was in disuse and the Chapel of Santa Ana - also called San Rafael - was built on top of it, through a renovation process that inserted a spiral staircase and an altar, and also saw the tower plastered. In 1640 the choir and the altar were donated. In the chapel there was also the altarpiece of Santa Ana, which is kept today in the Guildhall, consisting of five canvases, author unknown.

Today in the tower there is an exhibition on the history of the tower-chapel. It is open for visits and is part of the Cullera museum network.

On the camino del Calvario

THE CULLERA LIGHTHOUSE

The Cullera lighthouse, built in the place known as Punta del Faro, is one of only two

examples left on the coast of the province of Valencia. The other is located in the town of Canet d’En Berenguer. The lighthouse is a circular building in the centre of which stands the stonework tower, of conical section

and sixteen metres high. It has three exterior

openings and its lamp was lit for the first time on August 1, 1858. Its focal plane rises 27.90 m. above the sea.The lighthouse’s current appearance is due to projects and renovations carried out since the sixties, although its appearance and structure retain the outlines of the |original design. For security reasons, it cannot be visited so we must be content to observe it from the outside.

THE CAPILLA DE SANTA ANA (SAINT ANNE’S CHAPEL)

Located in the Gothic Chapel of the Castle, the Museum houses an interesting collection of archaeological artefacts ranging from the Prehistoric Period to the Middle Ages (amphorae, coins ...). Highlights are, without doubt, the Cross of the municipal border and the Shield of the Mojón de Valldigna, which have been declared Articles of Cultural Interest. The journey through all the stages of history can be made with interactive and audio-visual media, and is suitable for those with both physical and visual disabilities.

SERVICESGuided tour services to provide better understanding of the history of Cullera Castle.

Cullera CastleTel : 96 173 26 43Fax : 96 173 07 52 guia_museu@cullera.eswww.cullera.es

Unique in the Valencia region and occupying a unique location: the old Ermita dels Sants of the Pedra, San Abdon and San Senent, the patron saints of crop protection.

This is a building which was built in the 18th century on a promontory from there is a splendid view of the immense rice fields at all stages of their cultivation and the Albufera Natural Park.The chapel was completely restored, with improvements to the accommodation of the hermitage as a museum space to present the origin and the traditional and historic process of rice cultivation, a deeply-rooted product in the land of Valencia. Old photographs, documents and an

ethnological collection of implements, tools and clothing related to the ancient customs and practices of rice cultivation transport us to another time.

SERVICESGuided visit for better understanding of the traditional cultivation of rice in its own environment.

Ctra.Nazaret-Oliva ( Ctra. del Saler )Near to the Water ParkTel : 96 173 26 43Fax : 96 173 04 52guia_museu@cullera.eswww.cullera.es

MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

MUSEUMSCullera has a rich heritage that is reflected in an outstandingly varies range of tourist and cultural facilities, which are the ideal complement to the popular sandy beaches and its wide range of recreational and sporting activities.

THEMATIC MUSEUM: RICE MUSEUM

A watchtower built in 1577 during the reign of Philip II for control and protection of the Mediterranean coast, which was being frequently attacked by Barbary pirates. The fully restored conical tower is divided into a ground floor, two floors and a terrace with battlements accessed via a narrow staircase. It has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest. Inside is a sample audiovisual exhibition on piracy off the coast of Valencia and the defence role exercised by the watchtowers.

SERVICESGuided tour to learn more about the operation of the coastal watchtowers and piracy in the 16th century.

Carretera Marenyet (Lago del Estany direction)Tel : 96 173 26 43Fax : 96 173 07 52guia_museu@cullera.eswww.cullera.es

TOWER MUSEUM: MARENYET TOWER

Access to the air-raid shelter is built below the market itself and consists of two galleries. It’s actually one of a network of shelters that were built during the Civil War in Cullera, due to the threat of the frequent bombing suffered by the neighbouring towns.

In this case, despite being unfinished and never having been used, Gallery I has been renovated to tell, graphically and also in a dignified and instructive manner, the historical context of the period of the Spanish Civil War as seen from perspective of the town. While Gallery II is used for an exhibition on the construction of the market

and, more occasionally, for the installation of touring exhibitions of photography and art.

SERVICESGuided visit to provide a better understanding of the operation of an air raid shelter in the Civil War.

Municipal Market, Plaza de la Virgen (no number)Tel : 96 173 26 43Fax :96 173 07 52guia_museu@cullera.es www.cullera.es

THEMATIC MUSEUM: PIRACY MUSEUM“CAVE-MUSEUM OF DRAGUT THE PIRATE”

According to legend, on May 25, 1550, Dragut the pirate, lieutenant to the pirate Barbarossa, launched a surprise attack on the town of Cullera, taking away a significant amount of booty and in goods and captives. The incident sent shockwaves through Cullera at the time and the town was practically deserted for decades.

This unique museum, located in the district of Faro de Cullera, in the so-called Isla de los Pensamientos, Cabo de Cullera, a place of extraordinary charm, on the cliff-edge, close to the Mediterranean Sea.

A tour of the cave-museum will awaken the curiosity of children and adults alike, who can learn about the lifestyle of the pirates in the Mediterranean in the 16th century, and observe ancient nautical instruments, artillery pieces, historical maps, clothing and coins.

Incredibly, inside the cave, you can see a scale replica of the attack ship in which Dragut reached the Cullera coast, with special lighting and sound effects that take us back to the era of the corsairs and are particularly shocking in the room devoted to Inquisition torture instruments.

The only piracy cave in Spain.

SERVICESGuided tour with audio-visual show.

Plaza Dr.Fleming (no number)THE CULLERA LIGHTHOUSETel : 96 174 67 00/ 605 99 27 12Fax : 96 172 62 77contacto@cuevadeldragut.comwww.cuevadeldragut.com

TOWER MUSEUM: TOWER OF THE REINA MORA OR SANTA ANA

A 13th century Islamic tower located on the camino del Calvario footpath which leads to the Castle, it originally served as the gateway to the second fortified enclosure, the “Albacar Nou”.

In 1631 the Chapel of Santa Ana was built on the ruins of the tower through a renovation process that included a spiral staircase and an altar. Today, after a restoration process that went back to the original structure but was respectful of its earlier uses, it hosts an exhibition with

audiovisual displays on the history of the tower and the Second Albacara of the Castle, of which it formed a part.

SERVICESGuided visit to provide a better understanding of the operation of the towers of the Albacar del Castell.

Route up to the Castle (Camino Calvario) Tel : 96 173 26 43Fax :96 173 07 52guia_museu@cullera.es www.cullera.es

TOWER MUSEUM: MARENYET TOWER MUNICIPAL MARKET SHELTER-MUSEUM

MUSEUMS