Álora Castle, Álora, Spain - SpottingHistory.com

Álora's castle was first built by the Phoenicians and subsequently expanded under Roman rule. In the 5th century the castle was destroyed by the Visigoths.

The present Álora Castle was built in the 9th century by the Moorish state of Córdoba during a campaign against the Mozarabic rebel leader Umar ibn Hafsun. Later modifications in the 10th century added two enclosures. The inner enclosure was square and used as a fortress. The outer enclosure, with several towers, covered a large area of the perimeter of the hill.

During the 17th century the parish church was built on the old mosque inside Álora Castle also using one of the castle towers. The castle was damaged by the earthquake of 1680 and since then was also used as the village cemetery. The church tower still shows several bullet holes made by a squadron of French cavalry in August 1823.

From the castle you can enjoy breathtaking views of the fertile Guadalhorce Valley and the town of Álora.

User Reviews

PSYKT NORMALT (5 months ago)
Beautiful ✨ Alora is also amazing!

Tim Tooher (10 months ago)
Beautiful spot.

Andrew Dixon (17 months ago)
Great views of alora the climb is worth it. Nice and quiet too on s Saturday morning. Check out the shrubs fused into shapes in the entrance. Castle has been reinforced with concrete so not much left

Raving Dave (18 months ago)
Gorgeous Castle grounds, bit of a hair raising trek, but worth it truly stunning surrounding views. What a vantage point ?

Kostyantyn Prishchenko (2 years ago)
Spectacular view, great atmosphere. Old church of 15 century. And it's free

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Martin M. Miles

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The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ('Men"s Abbey'), is a former monastery dedicated to Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne). It is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ('Ladies" Abbey'), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine.

Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was abbot of Saint-Etienne. Built in Caen stone during the 11th century, the two semi-completed churches stood for many decades in competition. An important feature added to both churches in about 1120 was the ribbed vault, used for the first time in France. The two abbey churches are considered forerunners of the Gothic architecture. The original Romanesque apse was replaced in 1166 by an early Gothic chevet, complete with rosette windows and flying buttresses. Nine towers and spires were added in the 13th century. The interior vaulting shows a similar progression, beginning with early sexpartite vaulting (using circular ribs) in the nave and progressing to quadipartite vaults (using pointed ribs) in the sanctuary.

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As a consequence of the Wars of Religion, the high lantern tower in the middle of the church collapsed and was never rebuilt. The Benedictine abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution and the abbey church became a parish church. From 1804 to 1961, the abbey buildings accommodated a prestigious high school, the Lycée Malherbe. During the Normandy Landings in 1944, inhabitants of Caen found refuge in the church; on the rooftop there was a red cross, made with blood on a sheet, to show that it was a hospital (to avoid bombings).

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