Restored castle to reopen
CASTLE restoration works in Planes have unearthed a 16thcentury coin which would have been a possession of the Duchy of Parma (Italy) – dating from some 300 years after the fortress was built.
The actual face value of the coin is not shown, but its value as a piece of history is described as 'priceless', according to experts working on the rebuild.
It would have served as a promissory note back in the day, they reveal, which is why no monetary sum is on it – and was 'used as if it were a cheque book', said mayor Javier Sendra.
How it ended up there has opened up a whole new chapter of future research for local historians, given that the castle was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries, eventually falling under the control of the powerful Muslim commander and leader Mohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzäil alSähuir – known as Al-Azraq – who led three major battles in the south of the Kingdom of Valencia and was finally deposed during the 'reconquest' led by King Jaime I.
The castle is expected to be fully restored and opened to the public as a tourist attraction within six months, thanks to a grant from the provincial government totalling €175,000, in addition to the €600,000 it supplied three years ago for emergency repairs after the wall was flattened in the storms.
Current work is focused on reinforcing the north tower – where the Duke of Parma's coin was found embedded into the mortar – and its surrounding areas, including the north face of the boundary wall and the main entrance.
A museum will be created inside, with artefacts and information about the 'ArabChristian culture' of the time, explained Sr Sendra, and it will form part of a wider medieval castle tourist trail through inland parts of the province.
The castle was the 'starting point' of the town of Planes de la Baronía (El Comtat de Cocentaina), with the rest of the municipality gradually forming at its feet.
Its restoration is being keenly followed by residents and leaders in other villages in the district, including Famorca, Almudaina, Benillup, Benimassot and L'Orxa, and in the neighbouring districts of L'Alcoià (Ibi and Benifallim) and the Marina Baixa (Confrides), all of whose mayors have visited the works in the last few weeks.