Pego is a small town of roughly 11,000 people that is to the north west of Denia. It is one of the most northern towns of the Costa Blanca and the town itself has a long history. Set in a valley between a string of mountains, the town has had its fair share of occupants over time. The valley was first home to Palaeolithic inhabitants, indeed there have been architectural finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Age period also. Another period that is in evidence is the Roman occupation. But the people who played the largest part in the growth of the area in the early history of Pego were the Muslims who invaded in the eighth century.
The Muslims not only brought with them a great knowledge of agriculture and how to look after the land, they also brought with them real engineering skills that helped to build a system of irrigation that would change the land forever. It is generally accepted that the Moors were here for almost 5 centuries until the Christians reconquered the land. Muslims at that time were allowed to stay if they changed their religion to Christianity. Most of the Muslims had been living here for generations and so they had no intentions of leaving. Some of the Muslims changed their religion to Christianity but still practiced Islam, these were known as Moriscos. The Moriscos were finally expelled and took with them all their precious knowledge of the land.
There are plenty of sites that you should visit if you are coming to the town. The architectural sites fall into two different categories, the religious and the military. On the military side is the 13th century Castillo de Ambra which was mostly destroyed during the war of succession with Spain and France who were fighting most of the rest of Europe over issues to do with the balance of power.
Today, the town still relies a lot on agriculture for its survival. The natural Park of the Peg-Oliva marshes is a big producer of rice even to this day. One of the typical dishes of the area is rice that is served with turnips and beans; another one is paella which is served with duck and eel.
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