Castillo de la Mola - Novelda

Monuments

The Castillo de la Mola is located on a small hill at 360 m. of altitude in relation to the sea. It is 3 km away. from the town of Novelda, in northwest direction. Fort of Islamic origin, it was built at the end of the 12th century. Its plant is polygonal with eight quadrangular cubes in salient, of which at the moment only there are four, two of them masked, with a square tower in its interior, at present desmochada, all this of tapial factory, on base of masonry. This exempt tower has 9 m. of side by 11 of height, although at the moment it lacks a floor; It has a lower room illuminated by an embrasure. You enter the tower through a half-point door and located in height. After the Christian conquest of the Castle by the hosts of the Infante Don Alfonso de Castilla, land and strength passed to the Castellana Crown. With the signing of the Pact of Elche in 1305, the Castle and its dependencies pass to the Aragonese Crown, forming part of these lands of the Kingdom of Valencia. It is then when the fortress is donated to Doña Blanca d'Anjou, wife of Jaime II, who orders the reconstruction of its deteriorated walls, taking place during the fourteenth century, a series of reforms in the fortified enclosure, and building on its northwest flank a magnificent triangular tower. The tower of 15 m. on the side by 17 m. of height has no known parallels to the present; It is made of masonry, with reinforcement of chairs in the corners. It is accessed through a semi-circular door facing northwest and located in height, masonry factory. It has two floors and its interior lighting is made through several loopholes. In the middle of the 14th century, the Aragonese King Pedro the Ceremonious, gives the possession of the Castle to Beltrán du Glesquin, noble Breton come to the Iberian Peninsula with the White Companies, as payment for his help in the War of the Pedros, a year later . In 1367 it is sold to Hugo de Calviley, who in 1371 sells it to Mateo de Gornay, Lord of Novelda. Years later he goes back to the crown, being donated by Pedro IV to his wife Doña Sibila de Forcia. In 1391, Don Pedro Maza de Lizana, Lord of Mogente and Chinosa, bought La Mola from Doña Violante de Bar, and in 1448 the Barony of Novelda was established. From that moment the Mola was part of this important manor house, until the abolition of the manors in the first decades of the nineteenth century. Since 1931 it has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. Open to the public every day of the year. Free entrance. From Monday to Sunday from 10am to 2pm and from 4pm to 7pm. (Winter) From Monday to Sunday from 10am to 2pm and from 5pm to 8pm. (Summer)