The Marqués de los Velez Castle 

The Marqués de los Velez Castle (Castillo del Marqués de los Vélez) is the most important monument in Cuevas del Almanzora, it is located in Plaza de la Libertads square. It was built as a fortress, expanding the existing Roman Tower by order of Don Pedro Fajardo y Chacón.

It’s a large walled enclosure with a single access gate, above which the Coats of Arms of Fajardo family is placed. Once inside the building, we find a paved courtyard and an amphitheatre overlooking the three buildings housed in this fortress: The Homage Tower (Torre del Homenaje) is believed to be from the Roman Period. It’s 16 m wide x 19 m high and is divided into five floors joined by a spiral staircase. It was used as a prison during the 18th century, as testified by the fantasies and desires printed on its walls by the prisoners.

The Marquis Palace (Palacio del Marqués) is a two- storey ashlar building surrounded by four cylindrical bastions. There are several rooms surrounding a central courtyard inside the building. Currently it houses the Museum of Contemporary Art “Antonio Manuel Campoy”, one of the best art galleries in Andalusia.

The Tercia House (Casa de la Tercia), with a neoclassical style, was built in the 18th century as a barn and it was also the place where people paid the tithe tax to the Marquis. Nowadays, it houses the Historical Archive, the municipal library, the Archeological Museum, and the exhibition room Tercia I. Next to this building is Tercia II, a glassed-in hall containing many jars partially buried in the ground and travelling exhibitions of local artists.

Town Hall

It is prominently located in Plaza de la Constitución square. It is a two-storey neoclassical building where the embossed circle housing the municipal clock and the large balcony of the first floor are its most striking features.

Church of “La Encarnación”

Declared Artistic Historical Monument, it is the second largest religious building in our province, it was built in the 16th century, in the same place where it was situated an ancient mosque. This current appearance is the result of several restorations, since the left tower was destroyed because of an earthquake. The front door was built in a neoclassical style, but the lateral and inside doors are Baroque. It is divided into three naves and it has a Latin-cross layout, it houses ten chapels with statues, one of which was donated by a mining partnership. The baptismal font, made in a single piece of marble, has also an important cultural interest as well as the altar and the choir.

Statue of José Mª y Bajo de Mengíbar

It is located in the Plaza de la Constitución, next to the fountain. The pedestal is made of marble and the statue is made of bronze. It represents the gratitude of the townsfolk towards José Mª y Bajo de Mengíbar – known as the Black Saint - for being the benefactor of this town when it was flooded in the 19th century.

Palacete of Torcuato Soler Bolea

It is the best example of a neo-classical bourgeois house of 19th century. There are several architectural elements that stand out in this three-storey mansion, including the two big columns that decorate the main façade, the plaited grilles that protect the bay on the first floor and the long balcony on the second floor. The interior of the building is worth a visit: there are several noble rooms, most of them are painted with tempera and decorated with details in plaster and have canvasses of great artistic value. A marble staircase flanked by two double marble columns leads up to the first floor. There, we can see the superb wood panelling with colour stain glass window of the assembly room.

Public  wash house (1950’s)

“El Calvario” Public Wash House was the meeting point of the local women for decades. There, they did their laundry every day. The wash basins were assigned to the women who paid for them. The price for each basin was ten cents of the old pesetas (“perrachica”). The water used in the public wash house was auctioned every day at noon for use in the surrounding agricultural land. The auction price could reach 300 pesetas.