Casa Benavent, an Icon

Casa Benavent has long served as a village institution — a kind of local Harrods where you could find almost anything under one roof, from pianos to thread. Known in Valencian as "Ca Benavent," the shop was established in 1914 by Francisco Benavent Taroncher, an entrepreneur from Antella, Valencia, and his wife María Catalá Sancho, originally from Jávea.

The business was continued by their son, Miguel Benavent Catalá, a skilled musician who performed piano accompaniment for silent films at a local cinema from the 1920s until 1933. The shop's inventory over the decades was extraordinary in its breadth: parcel delivery, groceries, stationery, perfumery, hardware, pharmaceuticals, musical instruments, lingerie, haberdashery, religious articles, cookware, children's clothing, corsetry, motorcycles, bicycles (Orbea and BH brands), firearms, fishing equipment, industrial supplies, and paintings.

In 1972, a new three-level shop opened, after which hardware operations were gradually wound down. During its musical instruments phase, approximately fifty pianos were sold throughout Jávea and the surrounding area. Transport was initially handled by motorcars, and later by a distinctive Renault van that became locally iconic — the affectionately nicknamed "Cuatro Latas."

Today, the shop continues at its original location on Calle Virgen del Pilar, its centenary brown and yellow tiles still intact. New ownership carries on serving loyal clientele — a living link between Jávea's past and present, and a quiet act of resistance against the homogenisation of commerce.