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ORIGIN OF THE VILLA AND TERMINATION OF LA FONT D'EN CARRÒS

The village of la Font d'en Carròs, previously was a farmhouse in the district of Castell de Rebollet, also called "Rebolén", "Reboulén" (Arabic) "Rebolletum" (Latin) "Repulletu" (Spanish).

In the year 713, the Arabic Abdelazis, took possession of Dénia establishing itself in the castle and town of Rebollet. In the year 1096 was conquered by Cid el Campeador and in 1102 it was recovered again by the Almoravids.

In 1239 Carroccio Da Costa, of Italian origin, defeated him in combat. In the thirteenth century, the Castillo de Rebollet housed an “alcaide” with an Islamic garrison around 1240, which controlled the extensive territory. But, the same year, Rey Jaime I el Conquistador, through Carrocio Da Costa Admiral General of the Mallorcan and Catalan Navy occupied the castle. For this victory, King Jaime I, on July 18, 1240, made a concession to Carrocio de la Señoría del Castell del Rebollet.

In medieval times, the lords of la Font d'en Carròs, were called "barones of the Rebollet". This feudal family settled the Christian settlers of Oliva and the castle and villa of the Rebollet. In addition, he combined the two Islamic terms into a single bicephalic barony. On the one hand, there was the town of Oliva, or the town of Avall (now called Oliva), and on the other the town of la Font and the town of Amunt, which included the present territories of l'Alqueria de la Comtessa, Alqueria dels Frares, Rafelcofer, l'Alcudiola, Beniflá, Potries and the present la Font d'en Carròs.

A few decades of demographic and agricultural prosperity later the Carròs, barones de Rebollet, decided to ravage the Arab farmstead, to build a walled Christian village with a church of their own which they called la Font de Potries ( 1329).

The walled and foundational core of la Font d’en Carròs (1329) comprised the current site of the church of Sant Antoní Màrtir, and the streets adjacent to the ascent of Crist de l'Empar, Delicies street, Goleta, Sant Domènec, Sant Joan, Regalessiar, Rebollet and Calvari. In addition, the land of the Rafalí and the town, it conformed about 80 houses with a total of 320 citizens.

In 1364, the sacking by the Castellanos, in addition to the invasion of the kingdom by the Castilian king, practically left the village uninhabited, reducing the number of houses within the walled core to only 17. In 1368, it was repopulated, they got the carta puebla and would be known from this date as la Font d'en Carròs, in consequence of the noble lineage that had established and redone it.

From that moment, a process of growth developed in the late fourteenth century and during the fifteenth century, which led to founding a Muslim rabal or morería separated from the city by the ravine of les Fontanelles (carrer Valéncia) being actually Plaça de Sant Antoni, Ángels and carrer Moros.

The early years of the sixteenth century were times of boom and population growth, based not only on agriculture, but also on llanera cattle raising and the production of woolen fabrics. Proliferated weavers and bataneros (trade that consists in washing fabrics in mills, soaping and press on them with wooden maces to compact them).

In 1510, la Font and the posts of Muslims totaled 306 houses, 70 of which had to correspond to la Font. During the War of Germania (1521), the Raval was looted and depopulated. The mosque of Morería de la Font (Sant Antoni square) was also burnt down.

In 1563, the Raval was once again habited by 30 families of Moorish or new Christians (Muslims forced to practice Christianity).

On December 26, 1598, the day of Sant Esteve, two very strong earthquakes toppled el Castell de Rebollet. The fortress had a medieval church dedicated to Sant Nicolau, which contained the tombs of Francesc Carròs I and Francesc Carròs II, the 12th century Romanesque carving of Mare de Déu de Rebollet, the image and altar of the Mare de Déu del Remei . Also, different and rich ornaments.

The castle and the church were completely destroyed. The residents of la Font d'en Carròs moved to the parish of the village, the Mare de Déu de Rebollet, the image of la Mare de Déu del Remei, ornaments and bells.

And here is where the fierce battle between the Duc Borja de Gandia and the men of la Font begins precisely because of the dispute over Mare de Déu de Rebollet. It was an epic and stirring episode of courts (1599-1602), where they participated from the king of Spain to the Pope of Rome, passing by the archbishop Sant Joan de Ribera, the nucleus of His Holiness and the viceroy of Valencia.

In the course of that struggle, the fonters whowanted the right and liberties, and were not allowed to be easily enslaved, earned well earned the nickname “cabuts”.

Those of la Font d'en Carròs had the Mare de Déu de Rebollet, and the Duc de Gandia, Carlos Borja, wanted to take her to Oliva in the Franciscan convent.

Finally, by force, the Duc de Gandia removed the Virgin from the town, on July 28, 1601 and moved her to Oliva.

In 1609, after the expulsion of the Moors, the old Christians occupied the 81 houses of the town, which became 160 after twenty years, distributing by the town, the Raval and other new streets: Carrer Major, la plaça del Ajuntament, Sant Jaume, Trinquet and Sant Vicent Ferrer.