A municipality of the Marina Alta with an Arabic place name (Beni Isa), conquered by James I in 1248 and resettled after the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609; a landscape of terraces and riuraus.
moscatel raisins exported in the 19th century; riurausRiuraus and moscatel: the raisin that sailed for England
For generations Benissa lived off dry-farmed vines, planted on dry-stone terraces among almond, carob and olive trees. The moscatel grape served for both wine and raisins: scalded and spread on reed mats in the sequer, the drying yard, it was gathered under the riurau, the arched porch still seen on many farmhouses in the municipality. According to the Town Council itself, in the 19th and early 20th centuries moscatel was the economic mainstay of the town, and the raisins were shipped to England through the ports of Dénia and Xàbia, until phylloxera brought crisis. Today mistela and moscatel survive, along with small wineries such as Joan de la Casa, which works old bush vines while learning the craft of his grandfather.
Alive today: Riuraus in the municipality (Ruta dels Riuraus), production of moscatel and mistela, and the wineries Joan de la Casa and Antonio Llobell