XV - XVII Centuries 

King Felipe III of Castile and II of Valencia granted Jávea-Xàbia the title of Villa (Borough) in 1612, a fact which indicated a recognition of the importance of the place and its 1,800 inhabitants, dwellers in the four hundred and fifty houses existing inside the walled town. This idea is endorsed by the establishment in the town in 1616 of a Franciscan Monastery, built in the place known as the Plaçeta del Convent.
The most notable families in Jávea-Xàbia, such as the Bañuls (1944), the Sapenas, the Bas (1640) or the Trilles (1633), obtained privileges of chivalry and noble titles in the XVII Century. Some buildings in the town date from this period. The most representative case is possibly the present Town Museum.
In the times of Carlos II, the region of La Marina abounded in criminal gangs, who terrorised the people of the area, although many of them left behind their life of crime when they went to serve with the king’s armies in Italy.
In 1681, the Marquis of Dénia granted Xàbia-Jávea the right to impose tolls and taxes on hunting, grazing, etc . . ., so that the town could recover the money spent on its fortification.
Given the importance of trade and the possibilities of expansion existing in 1687, the construction of a wharf was begun on the Xàbia coast, but the work was aborted by the vice-regal authorities, although it was permitted to embark and disembark merchandise.
During the XVII Century, serious legal battles were fought with neighbouring Dénia over disputes regarding their respective municipal boundaries. As a result of a favourable decision, Jávea-Xàbia incorporated the San Bartolomé valley, while Jesús Pobre continued in the hands of Dénia.