Town Charter

On May 8, La Vila Joiosa dresses up to celebrate its founding as a town. In the year 1300, King Jaume II’s admiral, En Bernat d’En Sarrià, granted La Vila Joiosa its “Charter of Settlement.” Although some researchers have discovered that the actual date was March 8 (it was mistaken for May due to a manual transcription error in the text), the municipality continues to hold the recreational and festive events for this anniversary on the first weekend of May.

On Saturday afternoon, the “Associació 8 de Maig” stages a reenactment of the historic moment when Bernat d’En Sarrià granted this town charter to the residents of Vilà. This reenactment is preceded by a civic procession set in the era of the event being commemorated, featuring medieval dances and music, entertainment, and the various characters who appear in the text and who witnessed that event that defined the city’s modern era.

MEDIEVAL MARKET:

Coinciding with the reenactment of the granting of the “Carta de Poblament,” a Medieval Market is held throughout the weekend in the streets of the city’s Old Town, the best-preserved historic center in the Valencian Community and designated a Site of Cultural Interest. These unique streets, steeped in history and color, are transported back to the Middle Ages for a few days, treating visitors to entertainment, artisan products, children’s shows, and local cuisine…