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Diari Valencià

Orihuela Declares 2026 as the Year of King Teodomiro to Commemorate the Pact of Tudmir

The Orihuela City Council unanimously approves the initiative to highlight a key historical episode for the region's formation.

Generic image of an ancient parchment scroll with faded text and a wax seal, on a wooden table in a historical archive.
IA

Generic image of an ancient parchment scroll with faded text and a wax seal, on a wooden table in a historical archive.

The Orihuela City Council has unanimously approved declaring 2026 as the Year of King Teodomiro, an initiative aimed at highlighting one of the most relevant historical episodes linked to the city and the configuration of the Valencian territory.

The proposal, which coincides with the 1,313th anniversary of the Pact of Tudmir, stems from a request by the Foundation of the Valencian Community Historic-Artistic Patronage of the City of Orihuela. This foundation urged the council to promote the declaration, emphasizing the importance of this anniversary for the historical memory of the municipality.
The Pact of Tudmir, signed in April of the year 713 between the Visigothic chief Teodomiro and ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Musa, occurred in a context of profound historical transformation during the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. This unique agreement allowed the maintenance of social, economic, and religious structures in exchange for complying with the ŷizya tax, guaranteeing the population life, freedom, preservation of their property, and respect for their religion and customs.
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"An agreement that implies a voluntary capitulation, which allowed the maintenance of the social, economic, and religious structure in exchange for complying with the ŷizya tax, guaranteeing the population life, freedom, the preservation of their property, and respect for their religion and customs."

the approved proposition
This document is considered exceptional due to its content and preservation, being the only treaty of its kind preserved in Al-Andalus. Its direct link to Orihuela is notable, as the city is the only one that appears in all versions of the pact, consolidating itself as the main nucleus of the Tudmir territory and subsequently maintaining its political, cultural, and intellectual relevance.
The declaration of the Year of King Teodomiro will include an annual program of cultural, educational, and outreach activities. Initiatives will involve projects for schools, the organization of conferences, talks, and thematic exhibitions in collaboration with entities such as the Miguel Hernández University, and the promotion of tourism and cultural activities, including historical routes and signage of related sites.
Additionally, a competition will be launched for a bronze sculpture of King Teodomiro, intended for an emblematic location in the municipality. The agreement also establishes collaboration lines with cultural and institutional entities, and support for initiatives for the international recognition of the Pact of Tudmir within the UNESCO Memory of the World program. A monitoring commission, composed of council members from each municipal group, will coordinate activities throughout 2026.

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