Morella

Morella is a town of glory, victory and history

The town is a part of the Valencian community and it belongs to the province of Castellon. Morella was located in a region Maestrazgo that no longer exists. It has about 3,000 inhabitants and it lies in the plains of the Ebro River, 1072 m above sea level. This is a historic town that suffered many misfortunes and disasters during the Moor occupation, the Spanish civil war and plague.

This is an ancient town where Romans, Arabs, Iberians and Christians once lived. The whole town was a fortress and it was surrounded by walls. Originally, the castle was built by the Spaniards during the Moor occupation. As it often was under a flood of enemies, the fortress was destroyed many times and built all over again. Present-day ruins of the fortification are from different periods of time.

Turbulent development of the town testifies about its beauty:

The first traces of life in this area date from the prehistoric era. In the surroundings, there are many cave paintings as proof. During the Punic War, this area was at the heart of the conflict between the Carthaginians and the Roman Empire. The Arabs won the town in 714 and they renamed it Maurela.

Black days of the town Morella:

The plague destroyed almost the whole population of Morella in the late 17th century. Legend says that the plague reigned for almost 20 years in Morella and then, one day, a statue of the Virgin entered the town and it destroyed the plague forever. Sexenni festival is held in the memory of that event.

It happens every 6 years and it lasts for nine days. During the festival, a statue of the Virgin is carried through the city, just as in the 17th century, while locals perform their traditional dance. Next Sexenni festival will be held in 2012.

A place to relax and have a great time:

Morella is the administrative center of Els Ports. Besides it being a tourist place, its economy consists mainly of agriculture goods, wool and woolen products.

The town is very interesting, especially because it lies on the hill. At the top of the hill, there is the Moor castle and the entire hill is surrounded by the remains of the walls. Morella is a tourist center and has many restaurants, cafes, night bars, historical monuments, museums, galleries, festivals, cultural and music events which you can enjoy.