A recent study, conducted in December 2023 by the media outlet Caudete Digital, revealed that 46.9% of Caudete residents would prefer to be part of the province of Alicante. This percentage slightly exceeds the 45.1% who defend the current status in Albacete, while 8% declared themselves indifferent. Although the survey was non-binding, it reflects a deep-rooted historical sentiment in the population.
Caudete, with a population of 10,500 inhabitants, is located about 20 minutes from Villena and just over 70 kilometers from Alicante. For four centuries, between the 14th and 17th centuries, the town was part of the ancient Kingdom of Valencia. Entities such as the Valencianist Cultural Association recall this past, highlighting that geographically the town belongs to Alto Vinalopó, the region of Villena.
“"Belonging to the Crown of Aragon left an important cultural, festive, and social heritage of Valencian character that undoubtedly endures today."
Among the examples of this cultural legacy are the festivity of San Vicente Ferrer and the Moors and Christians festivals. Another entity, the Friends of History Cultural Association, also emphasizes that the Valencian spark has always remained in the town. This association recalls the grievances suffered by Caudete after the War of Succession, when the town sided with the Austrians, losing its status as a royal town and being incorporated into the Castilian Villena.
Despite this historical wound, both entities point out that territorial claims are not a priority issue in current local politics. The last mayors of Caudete also confirm this perception. The current municipal leader, who took office last year, explains that the Valencian sentiment is very strong and that the proximity to Alicante is evident.
“"Undoubtedly, the feeling we have is very Valencian, and if we start the car and let it go, it goes to Alicante: it's 70 kilometers downhill."
However, the municipal leader believes that the territorial claim has not prospered because the Valencian Community has never claimed it. His predecessor in office, who was a councilor between 2017 and 2025, agrees that the reivindicative debate does not exist, but rather the historical fact is viewed with nostalgia. This sentiment stems from the fact that Caudete's territorial status was not a choice of the people, but the result of a defeat in the War of Succession, which reduced the town to a hamlet of Villena.
Another former municipal leader, who held the mayoralty in two stages (between 1991 and 1994 and between 1999 and 2011), also argues that the claim for a change in territorial status is minor, partly due to the consolidation of the state of autonomies. Thus, Caudete remains a border town with a clear Valencian influence, more cultural than political.
