Zarra, Valencia

39°5′30″N 1°4′36″W / 39.09167°N 1.07667°W / 39.09167; -1.07667Country SpainAutonomous community Valencian CommunityProvinceValenciaComarcaValle de Ayora CofrentesJudicial districtRequenaGovernment • AlcaldeRaúl Martínez Martínez (PSOE)Area • Total49.72 km² (19.20 sq mi)Elevation605 m (1,985 ft)Population • Total615 • Density12/km² (32/sq mi)DemonymZarrino/aTime zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codeOfficial language(s)SpanishWebsiteOfficial website

Zarra is a municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain,^[2] the smallest of the seven villages that make up the comarca of Valle de Cofrentes.^{[citation needed]}

Historical Interest

The name is of Iberian origin and means "the old".

The village contains a church dating back to the 18th century and a free standing clock tower built in 1880. The majority of the houses date back 400 years.

During the Moorish occupation of Spain a castle was built, but no remains exist today and the exact site is somewhat of a mystery. The village was reconquered by the Spanish in 1249 and incorporated into Valencia in 1281. Modern day Zarra dates from around 1600.

Modern Zarra

The village has a population of around 500, recent population increases being mainly due to the British influx into the village and surrounding area.

Fiestas

Zarra boasts three fiestas a year, marking the beginning of the fiestas within the valley. The first being San Anton (January), Santa Ana (July) and the main yearly "bull" fiesta (late July/August).

Local industry

The main industry for the village is agriculture, in particular the growing of cherries and olives.

References