C/ Ermita, 10 | 46167 Chulilla (Valencia) | Telephone: 96 165 70 25 | email: lacarreria@ruralrueda.com
The Village
Chulilla is placed in “La Serrania” territory, 60 kilometers away from Valencia city and 400 meters above the sea level. Its economy is based on agriculture both dry and irrigated.
At the top of the village there is an Arab castle, which crowns the sinuous Chulilla’s old village. Chulilla is a completely pedestrian town, its steeped, narrowed streets and white houses are perfectly adapted to the mountainous area where is placed. The castle has had several uses, by the time of the Spanish inquisition it became a prison. When the Carlistas wars took place, it was used as a fortification and precisely because of this use the castle was seriously damaged and all what remains now is the original fortification.
The Turia river flows pleasantly through the local territory. In its journey the rivers forms impressive canyons, beautiful natural places and amazing views.
Gastronomy
We highlight the well-known “Olla de Berzas” (vegetable stew), which is cooked with beans, potatoes, silver-beets and lightly touch of mint. The “rinran” a complementary dish of the vegetables stew is an original dish from Chulilla. The rinran is made with the prior cooked vegetable stew, to which we add garlic, codfish, boiled eggs and olive oil. This dish was especially popular in the past, and was cooked during the periods of time when eating meat was no possible (religious issue).
Another typical dish is the "Ajoarriero", a cold dish made in mortar, with potato, codfish, olive oil, eggs and garlic. Regarding the pastry making, sweets and cakes such as “congretes”, “mantecados”, almond tarts and the sweet “reguiño” are the most popular in Chulilla.
Festivals
Of its tradition we emphasize:
"La enrama": This local party takes place every first weekend of May. La enramá celebrates the spring arrival and pursues to exalt youth. The most important events are, on Saturday midday, the entry to the village of carts plenty of long branches, pulled by horses and drove by young people. In the afternoon we have “las grupas”, a horse procession in which young people and kids are dressed in traditional clothes. At night, it is time for “los mayos “ which are short ironic songs describing local events that have occurred along the year. Finally, “El pollo” on Sunday afternoon, in this act young people try to catch, by making human towers, and Iberian ham that hangs from a rope.
"Las cruces": It occurs at the beginning of September. Its particularity relies on the handmade crosses produced by the residents of every neighborhood. The most original are prized.
Santa Bárbara festival: It honors the local patroness, “Santa Barbara”. For a whole week, all kind of cultural activities take place in our village, such as concerts, popular games and religious events.
Plants
Chulilla keeps a wide range of native plants with vegetal communities typical from the Mediterranean areas such as kermes oaks, pines brush woods…Furthermore, in the riverbed and other humid areas we find several interesting species as we could mention willows, elm trees or black and white poplars.
Wildfire
As a consequence of the human pressure, the number of animals has decreased significantly, specially species such as foxes, genets and all kind of rodents. Birds are the most extended and varied group of animals currently present throughout the territory. As a curiosity, we have in Chulilla an indigenous breed of chickens called "Gallina Valenciana de Chulilla", which is the first valencian race of birds protected by the department of Rural and Marine Environment (BOE nº299 of December 14th 2007)
