HISTORY

The Moors and Christians Festivities of Dénia have held the title of "Fiesta of Regional Tourist Interest" since 2022. This celebration has ancient origins, tracing back to the frequent attacks by Berber, Turkish, and Algerian corsairs that plagued our coasts during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Dénia, a small Mediterranean city distant from major centers of power, has played a prominent role in the History due to its strategic location and sheltered harbor. For decades now, Dénia proudly celebrates its Moors and Christians Festivities, which commemorate the intense clash between Islam and Christianity in the medieval and early modern eras. The city directly witnessed this religious and cultural confrontation, first as a Taifa in the 11th century and later as a Christian stronghold from the 13th century onward. Historical documents mention events like the surprise attack it endured in 1556, an event that, while repelled, shocked the city and gave rise to the "De cuant los Moros vingueren al saldar" (When the Moors came to El Saladar) thanksgiving procession. Over time, this religious commemoration evolved into a festivity that recalled the persistent attacks by Muslim corsairs that frightened the entire Mediterranean coast until the late 17th century.

An antecedent to the festival that unfolded in the port and city of Dénia, setting the tone for the festivity's structure, occurred between February 11th and 16th, 1599, when King Philip III visited Dénia on one of his three visits to the city. During his stay, his confidant, Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma and Marquis of Dénia, with the collaboration of the entire population, arranged a series of festive activities for the entertainment of the king and his court. One of the acts was a battle of Moors and Christians in the port, orchestrated by the Council (City Hall) of Alicante, with a brigantine and four frigates crewed by men dressed in "Turkish and Moorish style." The event continued on land with the capture of the castle and concluded with its subsequent reconquest by Christian troops. The renowned poet Lope de Vega chronicled these festivities in a poem titled "Fiestas de Dénia al rey Catholico Felipo III," narrating the conquest of the castle by both Moors and Christians.

In the 18th century, we find the earliest written references that directly mention the Moors and Christians Festivities. During this time, the festivities were linked to events honoring the Santísima Sangre (Holy Blood). In this celebration, the sailors from Dénia's Marina neighborhood (now known as Baix la Mar) took on the roles of Moors and Christians, representing each phase of this historic conflict. The events included processions, naval battles, parliaments, the castle's capture, and a grand final battle. These events incorporated gunpowder, religious ceremonies, music, and theatrical performances in the Square (now the Constitution Square), coinciding with the centenary of the San Teodoro festivity. In that era, such elaborate celebrations could only take place on important occasions and not periodically.

Consequently, the Moors and Christians Festivities are an age-old celebration and a valuable historical legacy that has maintained its essence over the centuries. They proudly remember their ancestors' bravery and struggle against corsair attacks, paying homage to regional traditions. While they have evolved over the years, changing the celebration date or the patron saint, they have undeniably preserved the core of the festival, with naval battles, castle captures, fireworks, music, processions, and much more.

Towards the late 19th and 20th centuries, these Moors and Christians celebrations, along with their related events, gradually faded away without clear reasons until their revival in 1980. Possible factors include demographic changes, cultural shifts, or, in the 20th century, the expansion of "fallas" celebrations.

It was only in 1980 that the modern Moors and Christians festivities were preserved and celebrated in their current form. To provide context, it's worth mentioning that since the 18th century, Sant Roc, the patron saint of Dénia, had been nearly forgotten. In fact, starting from the 19th century, epidemics no longer had the impact they once did, and celebrations in his honor coincided with the busiest period of agricultural work. A group of "majorales" (festival organizers) connected to the Falla Centro, in collaboration with Dénia residents with roots in Alcoy, decided that the patron saint should not be forgotten. They saw an opportunity to revive an old celebration, that of the Moors and Christians. The celebration would take place over 4 days in August, from the 13th to the 16th, directly linked to the Sant Roc festivity. This mutually beneficial partnership has endured uninterrupted to this day and enjoys undeniable popularity, both among the local population (with a consistent increase in participating "filaes" during the festivities) and visitors who come to our city.