August 8 Historical re-enactment on the boundary between Pilar de la Horadada and San Pedro del Pinatar

The dividing line between Murcia and Alicante was established as long ago as 1304

Some readers may be unaware that the Playa del Mojón in San Pedro del Pinatar (and La Torre de la Horadada, both places lay claim to it) is so named because it is where the boundary marker stone was placed in the year 1304 to define the limits of the kingdoms of Aragón and Castilla – fortunately, the beach acquired its name due to this meaning of the work “mojón”, rather than the other, rather more informal” one!

In the early 14^th century the two kingdoms were ruled by Jaime II and Fernando IV, and the boundary between their lands was established by the “Arbitration Sentence” of Torrellas (sometimes referred to in English as the Treaty of Ágreda), a town in Zaragoza. The same dividing line is still used to today, 723 years later, to define the boundary between the Region of Murcia and the province of Alicante in the Comunidad Valenciana.

It may seem a long time ago, but that historic event is being celebrated at 20.00 on Saturday 8^th August in the public garden on Calle Ciudad de Almería, which runs right along the boundary (click for map), in a re-enactment during which 25 actors play the roles of kings, courtiers, cavalrymen and other representatives. In this way they commemorate an event which put an end to the conflicts in the old Kingdom of Murcia by establishing an agreed limit to its territory and that of its north-western neighbour.

After the re-enactment there is a parade down to the seafront and the Playa del Mojón, where a commemorative plaque is to be unveiled.