← Home9 d'Octubre: James I's entry into Valencia and its link to Dénia's history
The annual commemoration of 9 d'Octubre marks the entry of James I into the city of Valencia in 1238, an episode that maintains a direct connection with Dénia's past, according to Dénia Digital.
La Marina Times newsroom
Friday 9 October 2026, 12:55 · 2 min read
AIWritten with AI assistance from the sources cited and reviewed by our editors. How we work Origin of the commemoration
The date has its origin in the Muslim capitulation of Valencia, signed on 28 September 1238, which paved the way for James I's entry into the city days later. According to Dénia Digital, it was not until a century later, in 1338, that the day began to be commemorated regularly, on the hundredth anniversary of that conquest.
The mark on Dénia
Dénia's connection with this historical period dates back to the Islamic era, when the ancient Daniya became the capital of a taifa during the eleventh century. According to Dénia Digital, the territory passed into Christian hands in 1244, six years after James I took Valencia, as part of the monarch's expansion through Valencian lands.
In 1308, his successor, James II, founded the Vila de Dénia on the site of the ancient Islamic alcázar. Dénia Digital notes that archaeological remains found within the fortified enclosure document this foundational episode.
An anniversary with a round date
This year's 2026 commemoration coincides with another milestone: the 750th anniversary of the death of James I, which occurred in 1276, as Dénia Digital specifies. As La Marina Times previously reported, the square bearing the monarch's name in Dénia also hosts events linked to this day.
Dénia Digital also highlights that elements such as the dolçaina, the tabalet, traditional dances, band music, the Valencian language and the Senyera are part of the cultural heritage that Dénia and the rest of Marina Alta associate with these celebrations.
