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House of the Forger. As if it was the Wild West, La Marina Alta was full of bandits and smugglers. El Poble Nou de Benitatxell was not an exception, and today we have evidence that one forger lived in this house.
Historians think that this person could be Sebastià Ballester, but there is not a reliable fact to prove it. He forged money, as Robin Hood made it, not only for himself, but it is said that he helped the people most in need in the village doing so. Also, as a good bandit, he was very good at using the shotgun.
The tradition says that this house had tunnels that allowed him to escape from the police, Guardia Civil, every time they tried to capture him. The walls and the doors were fitted with loopholes to keep a clear vision and defend him from the forces of law and order. The houses in the area, and probably this one too, had their chimneys protected by iron bars. In addition, they kept gorse, which they set on fire in case someone tried to break into the house.
