The settlement of the territory of Benassal is quite old. We find archaeological sites ranging from the Paleolithic to the Islamic periods, as evidence by the cave paintings at Rincón del Nando, the Iberian remains of the Corbó and Asens del Bovalar castles, the smelting furnaces in the Forés country house, and the Islamic farm houses (alquerías), etc. In fact, the intense nature of the Islamic conquest gave rise to a large number of different place names.

In 1234, Don Blasco de Alagón took Culla castle and all of its belongings, including Benassal. It sided with Philip V in the War of Succession, and with Don Carlos in the Carlist Wars, and its recovery following the Civil War proved to be slow and difficult.

Economy

Its growth was based chiefly on rain-fed agriculture (hazelnuts, almonds), pig farming, textile manufacturing, trade and fledgling tourism. By 1877, the country houses number 150, and by the end of the 19th century, Benassal has almost 3,000 inhabitants, its highest ever population. In addition, La Font d'En Segures fountain becomes a landmark and an important tourist attraction. Industry and services: cheesemaking, rabbit slaughterhouse, and processing of meat products.

What to see

Urban elements include La Mola ensemble, the primitive centre of the town, where we can still find a stretch of wall and an old gate with a traditional Arabic arch. La Mola leads to the old town, known as Els Carrerons, which consists of narrow streets with some of the oldest houses in the town. 

n addition, other prominent buildings include the Nevera ("ice house", i.e., a Medieval tower where snow would settle until the arrival of summer), the San Lliborio hermitage, and a number of buildings with Modernist façades, such as the La Castellana guest house, the apartments of the same name, or the Valencia pavilions.

Landscape

The terrain is complex: it has a large Cretaceous chalk platform with soft folds lined with rivers and ravines. Its climate tends toward the Mediterranean, but with lower temperatures in winter and milder weather in summer months than out on the coast.