ASSUMPTION OF MARY PARISH CHURCH
A splendid example of religious architecture, the church was built in the 17th and 19th centuries, with a Baroque bell tower completed in 1791 according to the designs of the master Jacinto Agustí and restored in 1991. It is worth climbing to contemplate its seven bells and the marvellous views of the mountains and the sea. In the same square we find the Palace of the Counts of Ripalda (from the early 18th century), just in front of the church.
The altarpiece façade was completed in 1926 in neoclassical style. The current images that adorn it are San Alfredo Abad and San Vicente Ferrer in the lateral niches and the “Relief of the Assumption” in the centre, above the lintel of the door.
Inside, there is an excellent neoclassical decoration, with fresco paintings by José Oliet and Vicente Castelló, which adorn the vaults. In addition, its baptismal font, a parish symbol due to its “sacramental font” dating from 1616, stands out. Also very important are the Valencian ceramic tiles that adorn the Chapel of the Sagrario, a work from the 18th century.
Underground cistern
In the basement of the square where the church is located (Plaza de la Asunción) there is a cistern, an underground water tank (5x8x10 m) built in the 17th century. It is currently in disuse, but there is a project to make it visitable.
Water was stored in the cistern until the dry season, usually until August, and when it became scarce, it was distributed among the population. In the past, it was also emptied every January to clean the inside of the cistern.
