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Vilafranca (Villafranca del Cid) was founded in 1239 and spent centuries in lawsuits with Morella before winning independence. It is a village in Els Ports with notable Gothic and Renaissance heritage.
The town has a birth date: 7 February 1239, founded by Blasco de Alagón. On 14 May 1303 it was added to the general lands of Morella castle and in 1333 the villagers rebelled against Morella's jurors. Between 1335 and 1340 it went to law with Mosqueruela. In 1358 Peter IV authorised the walls and granted independence, which he revoked years later. On 8 February 1691 Charles II granted independence to the hamlets and made them royal towns.
The church of San Miguel is Romanesque-Gothic, from the late 13th or early 14th century; the Portal de San Roque is 14th century and the church of Santa Magdalena was built between 1567 and 1572 in Renaissance style. The medieval oven was sold off in 1860.
In 1834 Cabrera took the town by surprise. In October 1874 and on 28 June 1875 the battles of Villafranca and Pla de Mosorro were fought nearby. The bullring was built in 1933 and in 2022 the town changed comarca, from Alto Maestrazgo to Els Ports.
Text written by Zona Zero TV from public sources; early dates vary between authors. Sources: Villafranca del Cid (Hispanopedia, basado en Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). Checked on 1/11/2026.
