Guadalest Culture

A national heritage site

In Guadalest the main places of cultural interest are:

Castle of San José

Alcozaiba fortress

Orduña House

Parish Church

XII century prison and water tank

Castle of San José

This imposing fortress was built by the muslim inhabitants of the XI Century. You can clearly see the remnants of castle in the higher area of the town. There is a small charge to enter the castle but it is well worth the visit.

The 1644 and 1748 earthquakes and the bomb attack in 1708 in the Succession War were responsible for the destruction of the castle.

Alcozaiba fortress

All that is left of this XI century fortress is a restored tower located within the property of the old Orduña House.

Orduña House

The great earthquake of 1644 devastated the region and demolished the buttress of the castle. Orduna House was built by the Orduna family. The Orduna family were of Basque lineage and were linked to Guadalest from the XV) Century as servants of the cardona family, rulers of the viallage. The Marquis of Cardona was away from the village for the majority of the time and the Orduna family were given his trust. As a result they monopolised power for more than 200 years as mayors, magistrates and governors of the castle.

In 1708 the house was burnt down and plundered during the war of Succession.

In 1756 D. Pedro Antonio Buenaventura de Orduña y García entered the military order of Santiago and consequently became an aristocrat.

The family was one of influence and high standing. It exerted social influence and the family members were principally lawyers and military men.

All the furnishings thay you can see today within the house belong to the Orduña family and it is evident that the family had wealth and status. The house was occuplied continuoulsy after the fire through to the first half of the 20th Century.

The following are photographs I took when visiting the house.

You do have to pay an entrance fee to enter the house and it is from here that you can then enter the Castle of San José. Don't let paying for this area of Guadalest stop you from visiting. it is truly worth paying the entrance fee.

What amazed me about the house was the sixe of the doorways! The top of the doorway came up to my shoulder!

Our Lady of the Assumption Church

An unassuming building that hides the peacefulness and grandeur of a XVIII century construction from the Baroque period (ascribed to José Sierra).

The church is situated in the old part of the town and is a short walk up from the Orduña’s house.

Originally on the land was a primitive temple but the Church was built over this between 1740 and 1753.

During the Civil War the Church was plundered and suffered fire damage. In 1962 some changes were introduced to the Church which removed the cupola and the transept.

Further changes were made between 1995 and 1996 with the aim being to save the building.

Step inside the Church and you can feel the weight of historical prayer immediately engulf you. A feeling of calm quiet and peace welcomes you within this small Church no matter what your religion.

XII century prison and water tank

Of-course the little town of Guadalest required a prison. You can visit the old prison and the water tank at the bottom part of the town hall. It is a very small structure.

Guadalest is a destination for tourists. You won't get a feel for current Spanish culture here but you will certainly see an important part of Guadalest culture.

Further information on Guadalest

Guadalest
Guadalest Boat
Guadalest Photos
Guadalest Tourist Information
Guadalest Valley
Guadalest Videos
Guadalest Culture
Guadalest History
Guadalest Travel
Map of Guadalest