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 (9 months ago)
Beautiful place and fab bar! And free entrance!

Saule S. (12 months ago)
Beautiful church, beautiful location. It's really relaxing.

Anna McCloskey (15 months ago)
Beautiful place to visit in the evening, look forward to seeing it in daylight & can see inside!

CHARLES ARNESTAD (2 years 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 (6 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 Andy Hay

Historic Site of the week

Argos Theater

The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.