Bélmez de la Moraleda

BÉLMEZ DE LA MORALEDA

by Saskia Mier

Bélmez de la Moraleda is part of the Ruta de los Castillos; the castle's keep is the town's most distinctive element, categorized as a Historical Monument, along with the Torre del Lucero and Torre del Sol. It has about 1,500 inhabitants.

HISTORY

The oldest archeological find made locally is a sword from the Iberian era, when the Jandulilla Valley was the communication route between Cástulo and Acci. This route was probably at its most active during the fourth century BC, when the trade in Greek products was more prolific and the aristocracy of Úbeda la Vieja extended its control throughout the entire valley of the river, from the mouth to the Pajarillo hill in Huelma. The location of the Bélmez settlement indicates occupation, or at least some control over the valley, from an earlier time. More>

THINGS TO SEE

Ayuntamiento
The Town Hall stands out as a work of popular architecture, with four asymmetrical openings on the first floor and upper floors, three linked by a continuous balcony. Inside there is a patio with a central fountain and galleries with arcades crowned by a balustrade. Located on Calle Concejo.

Centro de Interpretación de las Caras de Bélmez
The Caras de Bélmez, translated as the Faces of Bélmez, is an alleged paranormal phenomenon in a private house that began in 1971 when residents claimed that images of faces appeared on the concrete floor of the house. Situated in the Pereira family home at Calle Real 5, the Caras de Bélmez have been responsible for bringing a large number of tourists to the town. Various faces are supposed to have appeared and disappeared at irregular intervals since 1971 and have been frequently photographed by local newspapers and curious visitors. Some paranormal researchers believe that it is a psychic photography phenomenon, subconsciously produced by the late owner of the house, María Gómez Cámara. Skeptical researchers have conducted extensive tests on the faces and believe they are fabrications possibly created as part of a hoax. It is suspected that the Pereira family may have perpetrated the hoax for profit. This Interpretation Centre guides visitors through audiovisual and graphic supports to detail the history of the phenomenon from the 1970s to the present, featuring media documentation and publications and the numerous theories surrounding the mystery. Located on Calle Alonso Vega.
Opening Times:
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays, 10:00-14:00hrs and 16:00-20:00hrs.
Tel: 953 39 40 02

Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Paz
The church was built in 1966. The entranceway is formed by a columned atrium, besides which the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is represented on an exposed brick wall. Its stylized square tower, topped by a pyramid, is highlighted by the succession of three small rectangular openings, a clock and a larger opening for the belfry. Located in Plaza de la Constitución.

THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE TOWN

Castillo de Bélmez
The castle of Bélmez sits at the crossroads between Granada and the Mágina mountain range. Surrounded by the Carboneras peaks and controlling the passage to Bedmar through the Valle Valley, the castle of Bélmez was an ideal enclave for Moorish occupiers both for defending the border of Granada as well as for the practice of punitive raids in the Kingdom of Jaén. The castle was consolidated as one of the Nasrid border strongholds and it resisted conquer by Baeza until the middle of the fifteenth century. The keep is the only remaining architectural element and has become a local landmark. It has a rectangular base and extends to three floors. Inside, the masonry alternates with plaster and brick and pointed transverse arches that reinforce the domes. The alzarejo originally also had four square towers and another rectangular one. The albacara (the outer walled enclosure) was once an expansive area ringed in by masonry, stone and mud. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1985. Located approximately 3km north of the town.

Torres del Lucero y Torre del Sol
The Castillo de Bélmez was surrounded by a series of watchtowers that protected it from attack from the closely surrounding mountains. The best preserved of these is the Torre del Lucero, close to the town and guarding the southwest route to Huelma. Cylindrical in shape, it was protected by a small walled enclosure, which evolved inside from the massif to the terrace passing through superimposed interior rooms covered by hemispherical vaults. Built in a similar circular style is the Torre del Sol, which controlled the southeast. Declared Assets of Cultural Interest in 1985. Located north west of the town.

Castillo de Chincóya
This castle is famous for being cited in Cantiga 185, attributed to Alfonso X "el Sabio", which includes the popular tradition that narrates the involvement of the Virgin in a miracle that favoured a Christian Mayor against an Arab one (due to mistrust of the Moorish population following the occupation). It is a quadrangular fort situated in front of the Castillejo de Neblin. Despite its current dilapidated state, its style shows that it was a castle carefully planned by a master builder who knew his trade. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1985. Located southwest of the town.