It is thought El Puig has been inhabited since pre-historic times, but the first recorded record is of a Muslim fortress situated on the muntanya de la patà (mountain of the kick), named after a legend where J. El Puig was conquered by
El Cid in 1093 on the way to his conquest of
Valencia; however, it was briefly retaken by the
Muslims. El Puig became a symbolic location for Valencians when it was conquered for good by
James I of Aragon in 1237 at the
Battle of the Puig. The reason the largest hill was named muntanya de la patà (mountain of the kick), as the legend goes, that when
James I of Aragon reached the summit with his horse they saw the city of Valencia in the distance, the horse then reared up on to its two back legs with excitement and brought its two front feet down with such force that water sprang from the ground and one of its horse shoes became imbedded into the hill. A symbol of the reconquest is represented by the
Virgin of El Puig. An Marian image, which according to legend, was seen by James I, and which granted Christians the ability to defeat the Moors and retake Valencia. Thus James I proclaimed this image of the Virgin Mary as the patron of the newly conquered
Kingdom of Valencia, during this time El Puig was known as the spiritual capital of the kingdom. In 1240 the El Puig was donated to Arnau de Cardona. However, in 1340
Peter IV of Aragon gave it to Pedro de Jérica, and then in 1353 to Nicolau Janvila. Finally in 1385 the king sold El Puig to Pedro de Centelles. El Puig was separated from
La Pobla de Farnals in 1608 and the last territorial lords were the Marquess of Belgium and the Municipality of Valencia. ==Local festivals==