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César Justel
Huelva
Monday, 23 December 2024, 16:40
The first time I visited Almonaster la Real was in the early 1990s. Francisco José - son of the guardian of the mosque-castle - taught me about it, but he could only spend a little bit of time with me, until 3.30pm, because he had to go to school. I don't know whether it was the teacher's fault or his father's, but the fact is that Francisco José had somewhat confused ideas about the origins of the mosque, Almonaster's main monument. I have been there other times - the last one just a month ago - and a lot has changed. It is now the best-preserved village in Andalucía's Huelva province.
Built with Roman materials over what was once a Visigothic church-monastery, the mezquita - in the Caliphate style of the 10th century with Roman columns and an Arab mihrab - served during the Arab period as a place of prayer, a school and a meeting place for political affairs. No later culture destroyed it to make use of its materials, but it has survived to the present day by something of a miracle since, until the mid-20th century, it was used as a stable for storing horses.
The remains of the castle and the wall surrounding the mosque are also Arab. The bullring - one of the oldest in Spain - has been built next to it, in which, according to Francisco José, the Romans used to release lions on the Christians. As for its Arabic name Al-Munastyr, it refers to the former Visigothic monastery.
Almonaster la Real has been a historic-artistic site since 1982. In addition to the mosque and the castle, the 14th century church of San Martín, with a beautiful Manueline doorway from the 16th century, stands out. In the Plaza de la Constitución are the chapels of La Trinidad, town hall and the palace of Miguel Tenorio de Castilla (Almonaster la Real, 1818 - 1916), who was the political chief or civil governor of 12 provinces. His surname was already predestined, as he was for seven years secretary to Isabella II and something more, as three of the princesses - Pilar, Paz and Eulalia - were his daughters. Of the various lovers she had, according to some historians, he was her favourite. Another of them, Captain Puigmoltó, is said to be the father of Alfonso XII. Eulalia, a writer, died in 1940.
Almonaster - on the edge of the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche natural park - also preserves a first century Roman bridge and - 22 kilometres away - the chapel of Santa Eulalia, which has mural paintings from the 15th century. The ascent to the wall and the mosque can be made through the square-houses that are being restored and the shops selling blankets from Reguengos de Monsaraz in nearby Portugal.
If you have time, you should visit the five perfectly preserved medieval castles that remind us that this was a fortress - first with the Arabs and then with the Portuguese -, those of Aracena, Cortegana, Almonaster, Cumbres Mayores and Aroche.
Many cultures have passed through the castle of Almonaster - there is a dolmen from III BC nearby - such as the Romans, probably in the fourth century people from North Africa, then Visigoths in the sixth century, Almohads in the ninth century and Leonese in the 13th century. There are also medieval tombs. The landscape covered by swifts is still the same as it was two centuries ago.
Almonaster - due to its altitude of around 1,000 metres - is one of the most iconic places on the Ruta del Jamón that runs through the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche.
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