History

The origin of the festival of Moors and Christians of Cocentaina was in the first-half of the 18th century, when the soldiers, that still were present in the villa after the War of Succession, began to participate in a parade every 13 August, when Cocentaina celebrates the festivity of the saint patron, Saint Hipólito, chosen on May 7Th 1600 as protector in front of the plague and honoured with shoots of firearms from this year.

Already in 1750 it is documented in the municipal archive the presence of the Christian and Turkish armies, with second lieutenant and captain for each side.

In 1853 Cocentaina applies a new regulation for the Festival creatingthe Festival trilogy, feature that has been keptuntil today with some modifications.