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Orba, historical Orba
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Built on the ground of the old mosque, slightly reformed in the middle of C.XIX, though the actual appearance owes more to the restoration and extension work carried out in 1917, and was decorated by paintings of the local painter Carlos Ruano Llopis, in pride of place and with the title Abrahams Prophecy. It was possible to save it in 1936 and is now displayed on the front of the Main Altar.
Historic Beginnings:
Its prehistoric origin was an Iberian settlement, UR-OBIA “ the place where the water flows at the bottom of the mountain”. Long time after, came another town of berber origin, of Masmuda´s tribe, from North Africa. During the islamics culture, centuries have been creating its economy, based on a meticulous agriculture, whose infrastructer is still there, and an artisan transformation of its products.
In the middle of the XIII century it was conquered by Jaime I, king of Cataluña and Aragon. But he gave it to Alonso Berenguer Mercey in 1238, for helping him in the reconquest. The arms of his lineage are in the heraldic shield of the town. After some transfers and successions, in 1476, was sold to Oliva´s Count, Francisco Gilabert de Centelles; and through the family to Gandia´s Duke, Borja´s Family, which linked with other castellanas families. In 1609, the day before of the Moorish expulsion, Orba´s valley had 70 Christian houses. They are still, completely uninhabited.
Finally, after some petitions of the Crown insisting on the necessity to repopulate, the 9th of July of 1611 it was signed the chapters of the population letter. The first repopulation was made by neighbours of Pego and Murla, the second with people of Mallorca. In the middle of the XIX century was deviated the Orba´s town from the "señorio".