| Simat de la Valldigna | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Pushpin Map: | Spain Province of Valencia#Spain Valencia#Spain |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Simat de la Valldigna in the Province of Valencia##Location of Simat de la Valldigna in the Valencian Community##Location of Simat de la Valldigna in Spain |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Autonomous community |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Valencia |
| Subdivision Type3: | Comarca |
| Subdivision Name3: | La Safor |
| Subdivision Type4: | Judicial district |
| Subdivision Name4: | Sueca |
| Coordinates: | 39.0444°N -0.3128°W |
| Elevation M: | 45 |
| Area Total Km2: | 38.5 |
| Population Demonym: | Simater, simatera |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Official language(s) |
| Blank Info Sec1: | Valencian |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 46750 |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Victor Mansanet (2015) |
| Leader Party: | EUPV |
Simat de la Valldigna (pronounced as /siˈmad de la ˌvaʎˈdiŋna/) is a municipality in the comarca of Safor in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is 50 km from Valencia, and 20 km from Cullera and Gandia. It is also near Xàtiva and Alzira.
It is one of the four villages which are a part of La Valldigna. It is a natural area, which is surrounded by the mountains of the Serra de Corbera, in the north, by the Montdúver in the south, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east.
Coming from Valencia the V-31 must be taken, and afterwards the CV-42 and the CV-50. The final access is through the CV-600.
There are two hamlets in the municipality of Simat de la Valldigna: Pla de Corrals and Les Foies.[1] [2]
The municipality of Simat de la Valldigna is bordered by the municipalities of Benifairó de la Valldigna, Xeresa, Barx, Quatretonda, Barxeta, Carcaixent and Pinet, which are in the province of Valencia.
Simat de la Valldigna has a privileged climate. Since it is placed in the middle of a valley and it is surrounded and protected by the mountains, the weather is mild, with hot summers and warm winters. Together with the areas of la Safor and part of the Marina Alta, Simat has one of the highest rain indices of the Valencian Country.
The land around Simat de la Valldigna has been inhabited since the beginning of history, as the coves de Bolomor in Tavernes de la Valldigna, and Medalletes and Parpalló in Barx show. Nonetheless, the first concrete historical references appear during the Muslim period. The Christian conquest of the 13th century began a new period in this village history. James I conquered these lands, but his grandson James II gave them to the Cistercian order. When James II came back from an expedition against the kingdoms of Murcia and Almeria at the end of the 13th century, they came through the vall d'Alfàndec (ancient name of the Valldigna valley). Then the king was impressed by the valley's beauty, and he exclaimed (speaking to the Cistercian Santes Creus monastery abbot): Vall digna per a un monestir de la vostra religió! (A suitable valley for a monastery of your order). The Santes Creus abbot replied: Vall digna! (Suitable valley).[3] On 15 March 1297 James II of Aragon donated the vall d'Alfàndec (Alfàndec valley) to the Cistercian order in order to found a monastery devoted to the Virgin Mary. Since this moment, the Alfàndec valley will change its name and it will be called Valldigna.
Initially Christians and Muslims lived together in the Valldigna area. They worked in the lands that the monastery abbot lent them in usufruct, even though the conditions were harder for the Muslims. Nonetheless, they were allowed to remain as Muslims. The Valldigna Moorish people gathered around the la Xara mosque in order to pray. In this place they received teaching as well, contracts were made, and the Muslims judges made trials. This convivence ended in 1609, with the expulsion from Spain of all Moorish people. Life in the Valldigna valley went on, according to the evolution of the feudal society, under the rule of the monastery and its abbot. It lasted until 1835, when all monasteries in Spain were seized by the State (in what was called the desamortización de Mendizábal). Then the rule of the monastery and its abbot over the valley and its people ended, and a time of neglect, ruins and destruction of the monastery began. It was a private property until 1991, when the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian regional government) bought it.
The most important monument of the village is the Monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna. It was founded in 1297 by James II of Aragon. Since the beginning, it was one of the most important monasteries of the Cistercian order. It was founded by the monks of Santes Creus in the Tarragona province. The whole Valldigna valley belonged to the monks, according to a royal order. The monastery was inhabited by monks until 1835, when a revolt in the Valldigna valley took place after the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal. After that, the monks were forced to abandon the monastery. Most of its goods and works of art were sold, plundered or destroyed. After decades of abandonment, many restorations projects are envisaged, and nowadays the monastery of Santa Maria de Valldigna is, according to the 57th article of the Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community, "the spiritual, historical and cultural temple of the ancient Kingdom of Valencia. It is as well a symbol of the grandeur of the Valencian people". The same article states that "the Generalitat Valenciana will recover, restore and preserve the monastery (...) a law from the Valencian Parliament will determine the destiny and usage of the monastery as a meeting point of all Valencians, and as a research center for the recovery of the Valencian Community history".
Simat de la Valldigna was the first village from the Valencian Country that requested a .cat domain for the town hall website.[4]
Agriculture is the main economic activity, specially what concerns oranges and citrus in general. In order to market the oranges, there are two cooperatives, where a lot of people from the village work.
Simat economy has the following features: Little supply and demand of specialized workers, poor enterprise mentality and geographical isolation, which makes that Simat enterprises are not very competitive.
Simat has used immigrants (most of all from Eastern Europe) to collect oranges, since the younger people work mainly outside the village.
During the last years, different government administrations had tried to foster the monastery of Santa Maria de Valldigna as a tourist attraction, but the visitors are rather scarce yet.
Simat economy depends on citrus intensively, and this product has lower prices every year.
The four main political parties are the following: Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (2 town councilors), People's Party (6 town councilors), Valencian Nationalist Bloc (BNV) (1 town councilors), Arc Iris, which is linked with United Left (EUPV) (1 town councilor) and Republican Left of the Valencian Country (ERPV) (1 town councilor).
Agustina Brines Sirerol (BNV) succeeded Eladi Mainar (PSOE) as mayor, after the vote of no confidence against Mayor Sebastià Mahiques (PP), that took place on 4 August 2008. It was made by PSOE, BNV and ERPV. EUPV-ARC IRIS abstained. The mayor is Sebastià Mahiques (PP).
Simat de la Valldigna has many festivities and is famous for that.