Alcalá la Real is a small city watched over by the Fortaleza de La Mota, a well documented castillo offering a peek into past centuries. The city is small enough to walk around for a day, making it an excellent day trip from major cities like Granada, Cordoba, or Jaen.
Understand
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Alcalá la Real seems to have been a town in Roman times. During the Moorish times it was fortified, first against Viking and Norman raids, later against the Christian Reconquista (the Arab name Qal'at – cf Al Calá – means "fort"). There are also remains of the Iberians, dating to the late Bronze Age, and it has been hypothesized that this was one of the last places inhabited by Neanderthals.
In 1341, the city was captured from the Moors by Alfonso XI of Castile, who granted it the title Real ("royal"), still part of its name. It was elevated to the rank of city in 1432. In 1492, with Granada conquered by the Christians, the city lost its strategic role, but with the military threat now absent, it could grow down the slopes.
The city suffered severe damage in the Napoleonic Wars and in the Civil War.
Get in
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Alcalá la Real lies some 60 km north-west from Granada by N-432, some 60 km south from Jaén by A-6050 and some 100 km south-east from Córdoba by N-432.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- 1 The Mota Fortress (Fortaleza de la Mota), s/n, Castillo-Fortaleza de la Mota (On the namesake hill overlooking the city.), ☏ +34 953 102 717. Fortress from the Nasrid period, with parts dating as far back as the 8th century. There is plenty to see and read. Kid friendly. 8€ per person. Discounted tickets available..
- 2 Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor (on La Mota). 16th-century church.
- 3 Archeological Museum (Museo Arqueológico de Palacio Abacial), Carrera de las Mercedes, s/n. Good archeological evidence and detailed explanations are exhibited inside.
- Roman Bridge (on the Guadalcoton River).
- Saint Marcos Viewpoint (Mirador de San Marcos), C. Virgen de la Cabeza, 78 (At the end of Calle Virgen de la Cabeza). An excellent viewpoint of the city and the fortress. It's a good uphill walk from the city center if you want to join the locals for an after-meal stroll; otherwise, you can drive or bike up. Free.
