Iberians, Phoenicians, Romans and Visigoths
To understand what you see in Peñíscola, it is useful to know its history first. The sites of Poaig and Els Barrancs, inhabited by the Ilercavones between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, date from the Iberian period. The Phoenicians from Tyre (in present-day Lebanon) also settled there.
In the 4th century B.C. the Latin poet Rufo Festo Avieno in one of his texts names the city Quersonesos (Peninsula). After the Roman occupation -in which its present name arises- and the Visigothic domination, at the beginning of the 8th century the Muslims call it Banáskula. It means “impassable castle facing the sea”.
Muslim Domination
In 1124 the troublesome Ibn Mardanis, also known as King Wolf, was born there. He was king of Murcia and rival of the Almohad Empire. He came to control much of the Levant and Andalusia. When Burriana fell in 1233, Peñíscola became isolated. Thus, the king Jaume I agrees with the literary Alí Albatá the delivery in exchange for that the Muslims preserve their properties and traditions.
Nevertheless, in 1251 the same king will grant the letter of population of Valencia what meant the dispossession and departure of the Muslims. It was given to the Knights Templar. Between 1294 and 1307 they built the castle and placed the heraldic coats of arms of their leaders on the doors of the castle and the basilica.
Western Schism
When the Western Schism occurred, Pedro Martínez Luna – known as Pope Luna – settled there on 21 July 1411. He turned the place into the Pontifical See, rivaling those of Rome and Avignon, a unique landmark in the history of Peñíscola. The Pope transformed the castle into a palace and installed a library.
His successor would be the Aragonese Gil Sánchez Muñoz, known by Clemente VIII, who would govern between 1424 and 1429 and his resignation would end the Western Schism. When he died, the square became part of the Crown again.
In 1521, during the uprising of the Germanías, Peñíscola remained faithful to the king Charles I. It was rewarded with the title of “Fidelísima“. To defend it from the incursions of the corsairs, in 1578 the construction of the walls of the city would be finished by Giovanni Battista Antonelli.
Shooting of the film El Cid, directed by Anthony Mann in 1961
A loyal city
At the beginning of the War of Succession (1705) the governor of the square, Sancho de Echevarría, remained faithful to the king. That is why for two years it was besieged by the English and the Dutch. Thus, the famous Battle of the Trenches took place. King Philip V awarded Peñíscola the title of “Very Noble, Loyal and Faithful City” and ennobled all its authorities. Sancho Echevarría would build the church of the Virgen de la Ermitana, patron saint of Peñíscola.
In February 1812 the stronghold was besieged by the French from Suchet. Garcia Navarro handed it over almost without a fight. It would not be reconquered by General Elío until two years later. At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera epidemic destroyed its vines, which were replaced by carob, olive and almond trees.
During the post-war period, Peñíscola became a film set. Many filmmakers shot their films in the city. For example, Calabuch (1956) by Luis García Berlanga, or the great film El Cid (1962) by Anthony Mann.