Town Hall

The Town Hall of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell is the main seat of the municipal administration and one of the most prominent public buildings in the town centre. Located at the end of Calle Mayor, it occupies a site closely connected to the municipality’s recent history and public life.

The present Town Hall was inaugurated on 11 March 1988, although the site had already served an important role within the community.

From municipal schools to Town Hall

Before becoming the seat of the municipal administration, the municipal schools stood on this same site.

The change of use therefore maintained its public character: a place originally dedicated to education became the main centre of local government.

This continuity makes the Town Hall more than simply an administrative building. The site forms part of the everyday memory of several generations of Benitatxell residents, first as an educational space and later as the centre of the municipality’s institutional life.

In the heart of the town

The Town Hall occupies a strategic position within the urban centre. It stands at the end of Calle Mayor, very close to the Church of Santa María Magdalena, Plaça de l’Església, the market and the tourist office.

Its location places it on one of the main routes through the historic centre, where several of Benitatxell’s most representative public spaces and buildings are concentrated.

The Town Hall also forms part of the Urban Route, a walking itinerary that introduces visitors to the heritage, architecture and some of the most significant places in the historic centre.

A building for municipal administration

The building is arranged over three floors, housing various administrative and municipal departments, technical and urban planning services, the Justice of the Peace Court and the council chamber.

As the municipality grew and the local administration took on new responsibilities and services, its need for space also increased. As a result, some municipal departments have gradually been relocated to other buildings.

Despite this decentralisation, the Town Hall remains the main institutional seat of the municipal government and one of the principal landmarks of public life in Benitatxell.

The façade and the former coat of arms

The façade combines its institutional character with materials associated with the area’s traditional architecture, most notably tosca sandstone, historically used in buildings throughout the Marina Alta.

The upper part of the building displays the former municipal coat of arms, an especially interesting detail for understanding the evolution of Benitatxell’s institutional identity.

This emblem was officially replaced in the 1990s, following heraldic studies that led to the adoption of the subsequent municipal coat of arms.

The former emblem once played a prominent role in the municipality’s visual identity and was also displayed on a large scale in Plaça de l’Església.

A place connected to public life

The Town Hall reflects an important part of the recent history of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell. Its past as an educational space, its transformation into the Town Hall and the preservation of the former coat of arms on its façade reveal different stages in the municipality’s evolution.

Beyond its architecture, its greatest significance lies in the continuity of its role as a place serving the community: first dedicated to education and, since 1988, as the seat of municipal administration and representation.