Countries<Spain<Comunidad Valenciana<Alfarp< Castillo de Alfarp

Castillo de Alfarp(Alfarp)

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Description

The tower of the castle of Alfarp is located in the highest part of the town, facing the river Magro. Although there are important prehistoric sites in the municipality of Alfarp, the origin of the present town seems to be an Islamic farmhouse, although even its place name (al-khárb means 'uninhabited' or 'ruins') seems to indicate the existence of an earlier settlement. The manor was purchased in 1353 by Pere de Centelles. It would later become part of the Marquisate of Llombay until the abolition of the feudal regimes. Inhabited mainly by Moors, it remained uninhabited after their expulsion and was repopulated in 1611 with Christian settler families.

It consists of a square tower and outbuildings that surround it inside a block made up of dwellings, between two of which it is located. At its base there are several tombstones of Roman origin with Latin inscriptions, which suggests a possible Roman origin, although it is more likely that older material of another origin was used for this work. Its walls date from the Arabic period.

It is almost certainly of Islamic construction, given the building technique, although it cannot be ruled out that it was a feudal building that used Muslim materials and labour. Likewise, it is only possible to make conjectures about the appearance and size of the castle to which this tower belonged. It must have been a small fortification that would have defended the farmhouse and its inhabitants.3 Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, all that remains of the former castle of Alfarp is a solid rectangular tower, in relatively good condition, built of mortar and masonry. At its base there are several slabs with Latin inscriptions (one of them reads 'Hercule Invicto'), which suggests a possible Roman origin, although it is more likely to be ancient material of another origin reused in this work.

Image of Castillo de Alfarp