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Bonrepós y Mirambell
Bonrepós y Mirambell (officially and in Valencian Bonrepòs i Mirambell) is a municipality of the Valencian Community (Spain), made up of two population centres: Bonrepós and Mirambell. It belongs to the province of Valencia and it is located in the comarca of Huerta Norte. It had a census population of 3.629 inhabitants in 2017 (INE).

Physical Geography
The little surface of 1,05 km2 is located in the Huerta de Valencia. Its surface is completely flat with a slight slope that runs from northeast to southeast. It is without any distinguishable geographical feature. The Carraixet ravine serves as limit to the west and south sides of the municipality.

The climate is Mediterranean, with high temperature peaks in the summer, in conjunction with very pronounced rainfall minima and maximum rainfall in autumn and spring. Neighbouring towns

Ecology
The vegetation is conditioned by both climatic factors and intensive use of the ground made by humans, mainly for its farming. This means that this natural vegetation zone is almost of little importance and it has little influence on the scenery. The extensive humanization of the comarca results in the Huerta vegetation with species such as spreading pellitory, sow thistles, fennel, borage or wattle that just appear spontaneously on the margins of paths and ravine. Besides, in the ravine bed is usually found a specific plant grouping of oleander, sow thistles, nettle and reed.

History
Although Neolithic remains have been found in the area near the town, the first signs of steady population date back to Roman times. Quite possibly it was during this period when irrigation were constructed, so that the huerta started to be cultivated and sedentary settlers were established.

After the fall of the Roman Empire and the barbarian invasions, the population remained, but it wouldn’t be until the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula when the irrigation systems were refined and new crops were introduced, thus intensifying the settlement with farmhouses, mills, inns or towers. The origin of the current population centres of Bonrepós y Mirambell can be found in two Andalusian farmhouses, which were taken by Jaime I in 1237 during the campaign to take Valencia. He conquered them with the help of the forces of Guillem Ruiz d’Azagra, and lately he donated the Mirambell hamlet to Constantí Ros. John II, for his part, on December 6 1472, granted the town of Bonrepós to Francesc Jardí de Menaguerra, extending its jurisdiction to the town of Mirambell, which was the Moorish quarter at that time, and continued to be so until their expulsion.

In the 16th century, the Montoliu Family, from Tarragona, became the owner of the two population centres. At that time, there were barely a dozen families (about 55 people). However this number had quadrupled by the beginning of the next century. In 1574 Bonrepós was segregated from the parish of Carpesa and Mirambell and Casas de Bárcena become dependent on the newly created parish. Montoliu family reached the place's barony. Later it passed to Mirasol and Talamantes families. The expulsion of the Moorish severely affected these towns, especially Mirambell. In 1646 only 25 families resided after the explosion. During the 18th century there was an important economic boom, like in the majority of the towns of the Huerta de Valencia. Many new crops were introduced, the irrigation system was improved and the silk system flourished. The construction of the new parish church took place at that time. In the work Diccionario de Madoz (1845-1850) appears the following description of Bonrepós:

"A place with a town hall [...] located in a plain of the left bank of the Carraixet ravine [...] It has 24 houses that form the population centre, with about 20 shacks spread in the town, a prison, a school attended by 20 or 30 children [...] and a parish church (Nuestra Señora del Pilar), to which is annexed the Mirambell church, whose town also depends civilly on Bonrepós, with which it would form the municipality. The town borders on the north with Vinalesa (a quarter of a league); on the east with Foyos (3'); on the south and west with Carpesa (6 id.), with the Pedralvillo or Carraixet ravine [...] The land is all huerta, which is watered with the Moncada ditch and it is planted with leafy mulberries. The road to Barcelona passes through its surroundings, the other roads leading to the other villages of the region are also made for carriages [...] It produces wheat, millet, alfalfa, beans, potatoes and vegetables. Population, with its annexed Mirambell, is 77 neighbours, 279 souls [...]"

- Diccionario de Madoz



Of MIrambell adds that:"[...] It has 27 houses and shacks with their good water wells, 2 streets and 1 square, 1 hermitage consecrated to Saint John the Baptist in the town, annexed to the parish of Bonrepós [...]"

- Diccionario de Madoz

In the late 19th century citrus (especially orange tree) and potatoes replaced hemp and silk cultivation, which had entered into crisis. The industrial process began in the 1950s, which involved a deep change in the economic structure and a significant population increase. Since the population increase, both population centres were unified, even though Mirambell partly maintains the original look of a traditional core of the huerta, as well as certain sinuosity in its urban plan.

== Demography == After the expulsion of the Moorish (1609) the population of Bonrepós y Mirambell was made up of 25 families (about 113 inhabitants), in 1713 there were 40 already (about 180). In 1787 about 422 people lived here, which grew to 494 in 1877. At the beginning of the twentieth century Bonrepós y Mirambell had nearly 640 inhabitants, and in 1940 there were 1300 inhabitants. In 2009 it had Ia census population of 3,358 inhabitants according to the National Institute of Statistics of Spain (INE).

Politics


Jesús Raga Ros became the first tetraplegic mayor of Spain the 17th April  2010

Territorial organisation

The municipality consists of two population centres. Historically, the main one has been Bonrepós because it has the largest population. Nowadays, this one and Mirambell are linked by a street (“el carrer del Mig”) forming a single town centre that is linked at the same time with another village called Almàssera. There are also several farmhouses scattered over the huerta, but in 2009 nobody lived there because all population was concetrated in the town centre.

Economy
Agriculture, traditionally the main activity, was only the 6% of assets in 2002. 59 ha of the agricultural land of the town were cultivated, all of them irrigated lands. Among the crops, citrus (28 ha) dominated over vegetables (18 ha) or potatoes (13 ha). The secondary sector had also importance in the town —39% of the employed population— metal products, food and wood the most predominant subsectors. However, the engine of the economy is the service sector which had 54% of the employed population the same year.

Transports
Although officially any main road goes through Bonrepós y Mirambell, its border with Almàssera is a road called “Antigua carretera de Barcelona”  (N-340). It has now become an urban road that links the north with the regional road CV-300 and the south directly with Valencia trough Tavernes Blanques.

Main sight

 * Parochial church of Our Lady of the Pillar (Església parroquial de la Mare de Déu del Pilar). Its construction started in 1755, replacing an older temple from 1574, when Bonrepós y Mirambell had ceased to belong ecclesiastically to Carpesa. It is located in Mayor street (in the heart of Bonrepós). It is a single-nave building of rectangular floor pan with a bell tower. It has several paintings from the 18th century and others more modern.
 * The hermitage of San Juan de Mirambelll (Ermita de San Juan de Mirambell): It dates back to the 17th century and it is located in the last central square of Mirambell. It has a single nave and is built on top of the old mosque

Culture

 * Music Society of Bonrepós y Mirambell (Valencian: Societat Musical de Bonrepós i Mirambell):

It is formed by a private music school, recognised by the Generalitat Valenciana, and consists of a music band of 50 young musicians.


 * Rondalla la Tornada de Bonrepós y Mirambell:

This rondalla, formed  almost entirely by retired people, is a traditional music group that plays with guitars, bandurrias and lutes. They also have an instruments’ school mentioned above for those who are interested in joining the band.

Local holidays

 * Patronal feasts: they are celebrated in the honour of Saint Vincent Ferrer and Our Lady of the Pillar from 11th to 13th October.

Twinning

 * Bonrepós y Mirambell has been twinned with the municipality of Roccastrada (Tuscany, Italy) since March 2006.