Vallibona

Vallibona (Valencian pronunciation: [ˌvaʎiˈbɔna]) is a small town and municipality located in the Ports comarca, province of Castelló, part of the autonomous community of Valencia, Spain.

It is located in the upper valley of the Cérvol River, between the Serra del Turmell and the Ports de Beseit mountain ranges, in a very lonely area, relatively far from other towns.

[2] Sant Domènec de Vallibona is a small settlement with a church founded in 1237 located 12 km to the east, close to the road leading to Rossell.

After General Franco's Plan de Estabilización in 1959 the population declined steeply as people emigrated towards the industrial areas of Barcelona and coastal Castelló Province.

Other causes of the strong emigration have been the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices by the local youth, such as sheep and goat rearing, as well as the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.

Virgin Mary on the wall of the main church honoring the traditional bonds between Vallibona and Pena-roja (Peñarroya de Tastavins) over the hills in Matarranya
Vallibona seen from the west with the Ports de Beseit in the background.