Casal Fester and Old Telephone Center. We are located between two historical buildings at El Poble Nou de Benitatxell, Casal Fester and the Old Telephone Center. Casal Fester was the headquarters of the local farmers’ brotherhood in Santa Maria Magdalena Agricultural Cooperative between the 40s and the 70s.
The brotherhood was an organization with a lot of social and political influence and was founded to organize work outside the class unions of the Republican period, as well as to establish a social protection system for farmers and breeders. On the other hand, the old telephone center served as a communication center during the Franco era.
In 1953, the mayor, Pascual Bolufer, asked for telephone services after many previous attempts. On the 22nd of July 1954, day of Saint Mary Magdalene, the telephone center was inaugurated. It was run by the Pascual family and was mainly run by women, Mrs. Pepita and her daughter Matilde. Communication was directly with them, who, by hand, connected the caller with the person they wanted to speak to. In this way, the Pascual family mediated between El Poble Nou and the outside world until the telephone system was automatic.
