Mola Castle

Novelda, Spain

Mola Castle was built during the Arabian period in the 9th century and enlarged in the 10th century by Almohad reign. It was restored by the Kingdom of Valencia in the 14th century. Today there are impressive ruins and the Gaudi-inspired church of Santuario Santa Magdalena.

The church was designed by an engineer from Novelda, José Sala Sala. The work was started in 1918, but was first completed in 1946. It is inspired by the famous La Familia Sagrada, Gaudi's masterpiece in Barcelona, but has several characteristics that make it unique.

Address

Partida Molinos 151, Novelda, Spain

See all sites in Novelda

Details

Founded: 10th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Spain

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Belinda Regan (4 months ago)
Beautiful place and fab bar! And free entrance!

Saule S. (7 months ago)
Beautiful church, beautiful location. It's really relaxing.

Anna McCloskey (10 months ago)
Beautiful place to visit in the evening, look forward to seeing it in daylight & can see inside!

CHARLES ARNESTAD (14 months ago)
Not quite as impressive as the church alongside but well worth a visit. Make sure you climb the stairs for a great view over the church and the surrounding countryside. The buildings are starting to crumble but it seems that restoration is coming soon. No entry fee so worth a short visit at the same time that you visit the church. My review will soon be on my Two Passports Packed travel blog which can be found with a Google search.

R Stunetii (5 years ago)
Lots of history here. But the fortress is pretty much in ruins. It's definitely worth the visit while visiting the nearby cathedral. While the cathedral and adjacent restaurant are easy to access, the castle requires walking on uneven and sometimes loose surfaces.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright CONTROTONO

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.