THE EARTQUAKE IN MONTESA 1748
Montesa's earthquake was a strong earthquake occurred on March the 23rd 1748 in the
Valencia region, on the Coast, and its epicenter was in the town of Montesa. An earthquake of the
same intensity was repeated a few days later, with the same epicenter, on the 2nd of April.
The 23rd of March the earthquake occurred about at 6:15 am, after heavy rains. After
the earthquake, 23 less violent swings continued until April the 2nd , when another earthquake of
equal strength to the previous almost completely destroyed what remained in the area. The
devastating effects spread over the peoples of the governorates of Xativa and Montesa, according to
historians Antonio Cavanilles, Carlos Sarthou and the columnist Teodoro Llorente, which we quote
below:
"It was dawn on March the 23rd 1748. After heavy rains, beautiful spring smiled ... The
clergy of the Sacred Convent choir had prayed the “minors hours” and some of them were
celebrating Mass. Suddenly felt the earth tremble at his feet, tottering walls and vaults collapse
with an horrible crash. It was quarter past six in the morning. The church and all the castle
buildings fell down. A prolonged thunder out of the ruins and a cloud of dust arounded them. Two
hours later, another shake completed the destruction. Repeting the noise and dust were rolling
down from mountains the stones from the walls ... "
Teodoro Llorente
THE DAMAGES AND THE ABANDONMENT OF THE CASTLE
In Montesa the earthquake almost completely destroyed the military Castle (and its
ruins are still seen today), burying in the rubble many of its inhabitants, killing 18 people, including
monks and knights.
Map of the Castle of Montesa
1. Church
2. Sacristy
3. Refectory
4. Kitchen
5. Tower
6. Tank yard
7. Tank
8. Rooms of prior and novices
9. Chapter house
10. Cloister
11. Rooms of
12. Owen
13. Bridge
Twenty monks used to live in the castle. Their lives was structured around the monastery and the
castle had typical plant of the Cistercian monasteries. Co-existed in the castle, monks dedicated to
the spiritual work of the Order and the monks engaged in military activity. The castle was described
at the time of the “Reconquista”, as one of the strongest in the Kingdom of Valencia for its solid
structure, strong towers and spacious square that stated he could accommodate more than two
thousand soldiers
The surviving brothers of the Order of Montesa, abandoned the castle and moved in July
1748 to Valencia, the Palace of the Temple Church, until King Ferdinand the 7th, Grand Master of
the Order, ordered the construction of a new convent. Since its abandonment it was used as a quarry
for construction of the village and its
architectonical elements were stolen. Their
owners did not know or did not wanted preserve
or recovery the Castle of Montesa.Today they are
hardly recognizable units and we only know them
through ancient documents.
Its ruins, abandoned to their fate by the same
order
of
Montesa,
went
to
State
after
the
confiscation
of
1835.
In
1887
Leopoldo
Peter and Nash, Marquis of Sistallo Benamejís and Knight of the Order of Montesa bought the
castle which gave it to his son, Pedro Joaquin. He sold it to Ramon
Jorge Dalmau i Falces (member of the Montesa Order) later Marquis of Olivart, until finally
Montesa City Council purchased it in 1970.
THE LAST INTERVENTIONS TO RECOVERY THE CASTLE
The remains of the Castle-Convent of the Order of Montesa was declared a National
Monument on 13th of April 1926,
Montesa
City
Council,
within the
economic possibilities of a small
town,
started in 1996 after many years of
neglect
about interventions in the castle of
Montesa
a series of small actions, intended to
prevent
total destruction of the remains of
the
Convent. Thus, he commissioned
architect
Salvador Vila Ferrer's first project.
His
pursued aim was to strengthen and to
rebuild
some architectonical elements, as well as the cleaning of the place, so it could be opened to visitors.
Fruit of effort of various agencies in the years 1997-2000 is led to complete building works
and recovered walls original access ramp to the castle. Initiated the current legislature, it
wasn’t necessary to specify that defining symbol of the town of Montesa (castle) was a priority.
Thus, following the work of recovery that began a few years ago, in October 1999
Associación Macizo of Caroig requested, through Leader II program, an economic aid to
provide to the castle electricity and water, nonexistent infrastructure at the time but needed to
perform any work in the future. The intervention will bring down costs of any building work
performed within the castle, it will facilitate the installation of any machinery which needs power,
pointing out some aspects of beauty of the monument, with the illumination of some of its parts and
the landscaping of the cloister.
In 1997, the Directorate General of the Department of Heritage, commissioned architect
Salvador Vila Ferrer a draft consolidation of those
damaged structures, but nothing has been done about it
yet.
In 2004 the council awarded the City of
Montesa a grant of 15 million ancient pesetas (90,160
euros), to start the reconstruction process of the
Chapter of Castillo, a project that has also been
commissioned to Vila Ferrer and begin running shortly.
The Castle is, without doubt, the most
important tourist attraction of Montesa, and although it is in ruins is partially restored and
strengthened and it remains one of the most impressive ruins of the Valencian Community.
Bibliography

Town hall of Montesa: María Alcaraz (Agente de desarrrollo local)

www.caroig.com

www.naturayeducacion.com

www.jdiezarnal.com/castillodemontesa.htm

“Relación estractada de los testimonios remitidos por las Justicias a los
Gobernadores de las capitales de sus partidos y de esta a su Excelencia”.
Mr.Esteban Felix Carrasco.

“Documenta nº 1. Edit: Montesa, Associació Cultural d´Amics del Castell fra
Miquel d´Arandiga i Parroquia de l´Assumpció de Montesa. Ed:1992 (facsímil
crónica del terremoto de 1748)

Documenta nº 3 Edit: Montesa, Associació Cultural d´Amics del Castell fra
Miquel d´Arandiga i Parroquia de l´Assumpció de Montesa. Ed:1996