A parish priest of ordinary provision

I adore Pascual Madoz’s 1845 best seller, the Geographical-Statistical-Historical Dictionary of Spain and its Overseas Possessions.  We approach Alpatro aka Patro and armed with this knowledge we prepare to see:


situated on a small eminence within a ravine formed by two mountains; one of which rises from the N. side, and the other from the S., where it is mainly affected by E. and W. winds, and enjoys a temperate and fairly healthy climate , although at certain times non-malignant fevers and some asthmas often develop.



 It has 72 houses of medium fabric, and a parr. church. dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady, served by a parish priest of ordinary provision.



the terrain , although uneven and mountainous, is quite fertile; part of it is irrigated with the waters of the river. Gallinera , which rises in the area and over which there is no bridge because it is considered unnecessary, given the small flow of said river. The roads lead to Alcoy and the surrounding towns and are in a deplorable state, especially during times of snow and rain. Mail is received from Oliva through anyone willing to do this voluntary service, and if not, each individual must procure the following: wheat , corn, barley, oil, nuts, vegetables, vegetables, cherries, winter pears and other fruits; sheep and goat livestock are raised, with what is necessary for farming; and there is hunting of hares, rabbits and partridges.



Apparently 165 people live here today.



There are a couple of places to grab a coffee.   The Dit i Fet has 12 reviews.  It gets 4.1 stars.  Last week Migue said ‘Good attention and good food’  Gustavo was even more fulsome ‘We had a wonderful meal. The special service and the cool summer night we enjoyed were fantastic. Highly recommended.’



Fre Men was a bit star threey.  ‘The food was very good, the price was very reasonable.’  The owner replied ‘Although the premises have been significantly renovated in terms of paint and furniture, they still need an exhibition of Alpatro paintings from the 1950s and 1960s so that visitors can see the rural world of that era. We will begin doing so soon.’



So we leave and wander out and up again.










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