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 SURROUND |
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Its origins go back to Islamic roots, and specifically to the time of Al-Azraq’s reign. It became part of the feudal estate of King Jaime I in 1245 after he reached a feudal agreement with Al-Azraq. A few years later, in 1276, it passed on to Teresa Gil de Vidaure and then to her son Jaime, Lord of Xerica, who gave it its ‘free borough’ status by royal decree two years later. It belonged to the Cocentaina linage until after the second Jaime de Xerica's marriage to Beatriz de Lauria y Lanza.
The Barony of Planes included the villages of Almudaina, Benialfaqui, Catamarruc and Margarida, From 1594 it belonged to the Dukes of Maqueda, who bestowed a royal township decree in 1611. Much later, in 1796, it was sold to the Marquis of Cruilles by the Dukes d'Arcos.
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Important people |
 
Maria Luisa Montesinos Orduña was born in Valencia in 1901. Her parents, Rafael and Maria, were natives of to Planes. She grew up in the bosom of a family of martyrs who never relinquished their faith in Jesus Christ or the Catholic Church. From her early youth she embodied the qualities and tendencies of those chosen souls who aspire to be sanctified and to contribute to the salvation and sanctification of mankind. She worked all her life for Catholic Action, holding various organizational positions within her parish. In keeping with her active personality, she was always a model of charitable sacrifice and devoted her efforts to the uneducated and needy.
On 28th January 1937, she and her family were arrested and assassinated on the Picassent road, having been censured for their Catholicism. At the end of the civil war their corpses were exhumed from the Picassent Graveyard and moved to Planes in December 1939. Her mortal remains were laid to rest in the Chapel of Most Sacred Sacrament Church of Planes on the 5th of May 1957.
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Pere Cisternes, Lord of Catamarruc, was born in Planes in 1515.He played an important part in the conquest of Chile when he travelled to South America at the age of 20, forming part of the 1540 expedition led by Pedro de Valdivia. He founded the city of La Serena. La Coruna granted him several posts in the administration of the Indies and at Corte. Today he is fondly remembered in Chile but unknown in his own country.
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D. Carlos Andrés y Morell, born in Planes in 1753. His brother was Abbot Joan Andrés He studied Philosophy and Law and was named Judge of the Mallorca Appeals Court by Carlos IV. In 1819 he was named deputy for the district of Alcoy by the Court of Cadiz and took part in the drawing up of the Constitution. He was a learned scholar who translated most of his own brother’s work and was also a member of the Royal Academy of Florence He died in Valencia on January 5th 1820 |
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EL Abad Joan Andrés y Morell, was born in Planes on 15th February 1740. He was a Jesuit priest and key figure (along with Gregori Mayans) of the Enlightenment. He was the author of “Origin, Progress and the Contemporary State of Literature” (Parma 1782-1799 which was written in Latin and published in seven volumes). His next most significant work was a collection of letters (‘Family Letters’) written to his brother Carlos, relating his three Italian journeys. He also published a defence of the Italian physicist Galileo, as well as works on coin collecting, mythology, dissertations on Spanish culture and literature, an article about a geographical map from 1455 and a strange treatise on how to teach deaf and dumb people to speak, by the peninsular Latin authors Lucano, Séneca and Marcial, and others. He wrote and published thirty two works and left nineteen unpublished. He was a Member of thirteen Academies
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D. Domingo Gadea, was born in Planes in 1766. He was a writer and priest who graduated as Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Theology after studying Philosophy and Theology, Sacred Literature and Ecclesiastical History. He was the author of various works, most of which remained unpublished, including: “The Life of V. Mosén Miguel López de Gres, longtermRótova parish priest” “ The Art of the priest or parochial principles to deter abuse and perfect your ministry” “ History of surrounding parishes, abandoned hamlets, houses and country homes, confessing souls, communion, mines, ancient buildings etc”. He died in Valencia in 1829.
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Prehistoric remains
22,000 year old Neolithic remains in the El Pardo Cave show evidence of human habitation by hunters and gatherers. The caves are closed to the public at the moment, while archeologists from the Provincial Government of Alicante carry out further investigations. In Benicapsell part of the Moorish town wall is still standing.
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