History of Albolote
The town's history is intertwined with the vicissitudes experienced by the Vega de Granada
region as a whole. During the Roman era, it formed part of the network of rural estates used for
agricultural production in the area, and during the Muslim era it was occupied by a peasant
population who cultivated mulberry trees for silk production.
There is evidence of human inhabitants dating back to the Upper Paleolithic. Several Roman
villas from the third century AD have been found around the Cubillas River. However, Albolote
emerged as a settlement during the Caliphate period, with the hamlet of El Tinar belonging to
the cora, or province, of Elvira. In fact, the place name Albolote derives from the Arabic word
“albolut”, meaning holm oak. The first known written records of this town come from a famous
Arab chronicler who mentions a human settlement in the area and describes it as an Alqueria
(small village) belonging to the Cora (administrative division) of Elvira (Granada).
The Battle of Higueruela marked the end of the reign of King Juan II of Castile and his adviser,
Álvaro de Luna. De Luna led the Christian troops down into the Vega via the Parapanda
foothills, setting up camp in the Maracena area. The battle took place on 1 July 1431. This event
is vividly depicted in a mural in the Sala de las Batallas at the Monasterio del Escorial.
From the fourteenth century onwards, it suffered continuous incursions by Christians seeking to
end the Arab occupation. In 1490, the systematic destruction of crops began, and the subsequent
repopulation of the land was achieved by selling it directly to Castilian peasants through royal
grants in exchange for services rendered to the Crown. In the nineteenth century, it experienced
an economic boom alongside Cúllar Vega when Juan López Rubio and Juan Creus planted 1,800
acres of sugar beet and distributed seeds to anyone willing to grow them, thus revitalising the
sugar industry.
In the seventeenth century, Albolote was granted to Don Antonio Álvarez de Bohórquez, the first
Marquis of Los Trujillos, by order of Felipe IV. In 1802, King Carlos IV granted the title of Duke
of Gor, along with the status of First Class Grandee of Spain, to Don Nicolás Mauricio Álvarez
de Bohórquez.
Several earthquakes in Albolote and the nearby municipality of Atarfe have caused chaos and
confusion among the inhabitants. The last major earthquake occurred on 19 April 1956, causing
several deaths and extensive damage, and is still fresh in the memories of the oldest residents.