El Castell de la Granadella: history, location and routes

El Castle of the granadella (Granadella Castle in Spanish) is an 18th-century fort belonging to the coastal defense system of the Kingdom of Valencia. It has been a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) since 1996. Although it is the only publicly owned defensive structure preserved on the Xàbia coastline, it is unfortunately in poor condition. Although it has always been known as Castell Granadella, it is not actually a castle as such, but it really is a coast battery, similar to that of Teulada-Moraira.

Location

The Castell de Granadella is located in Morro del Castell, the rocky point that closes the south of the Creek Granadella. This is the southernmost area of ​​Jávea. It can be reached on foot from Camino Viejo del Morro del Castell street. Here is the map:

It is a place of great scenic and environmental value, with high calcareous cliffs very characteristic of this part of the Marina Alta.

Features

The Castell de la Granadella was shaped like a horseshoe. Remains of its structure can still be seen, but deteriorated, scattered and a little hidden among the vegetation. It is practically disappeared.

Recreation of the Castell de la Granadella (Soler Blasco Museum Fountain)

It is believed that it was mined during Napoleon's war (at the beginning of the XNUMXth century), as happened in other fortifications in the area, such as the Fontana castle or the Moraira castle. However, very close to the ruins of the fortress, a rectangular cistern is preserved in good condition, intended to store water for the consumption of the troops stationed there.

The remains that we currently see are of a coastal battery with a semicircular front. Its total height should have been around 17 meters, although the upper part is no longer preserved. The construction plans, from 1737, are in the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum Soler Blasco from Xàbia. Thanks to them we know that it had two floors that were accessed by a narrow spiral staircase (of which only the first three steps are now preserved). The walls were about two meters wide at the bottom, and tapered to 1,5 meters at the top. On the outside, they were lined with rough stone. The land front had a moat, so it probably had a retractable bridge or a winding rope ladder.

View of what remains of the Castell de la Granadella in Jávea (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

On the lower floor there were two rooms: one used as an ammunition closet and a food store for the guards. The other had five embrasures that allowed us to control the cove and the open sea. The artillery platform had the capacity for two guns (Pastor Fluixá, 1988).

The Castell de la Granadella with the sea in the background (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

History

There are not too many documents about the Castell de la Granadella, but we know that its origin is Muslim. It was a small fortification, and on it another fortification lined with rough stone was built in 1739, which was occupied by a garrison of three men and two bronze cannons.

View from the top of Castell de la Granadella, with the Discoverer's Island in the background (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

According to a study by Jávea's municipal archaeologist, Ximo Bolufer, the oldest evidence of human activity at the Castell site is a piece of pottery found in the cistern. The piece, also housed in the Museu Soler i Blasco, is the base of a washbasin (a jug or basin for personal hygiene) glazed and decorated in green and manganese from Paterna. decor It represents a schematic heraldic motif that places it chronologically around the middle of the 14th century.

Towards the XNUMXth century there are two reports on the existence of a tower on the Granadella cliff:

• One, from a document from the Dénia Archive, which refers to the payment of a man to be assigned to the Granadella tower.
• The other is a reference by the chronicler Martí de Viciana cited by G. Cruañes in his Ephemerides"Year 1492, being Marqués de Dénia and Lord of Xàbea D. Diego de Sandoval, the castle of La Granadella was built".

In the Topographic and Historical Relations of the Kingdom of Valencia from 1777, you can read: “The castle of La Grandella is modern, founded some 40 years ago, and that is why it will not be found on other maps”. On September 17, 1779, the castle in an episode of pirate attack: an Algerian ship attacked two Catalan ships, which had to take refuge in La Granadella cove. During this incident, according to the historian Roc Chabás (1886-87), “The cannons of that castle were dismounted and could not help in the combat".

Castell and Cala de la Granadella (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

As in the case of the Moraira Battery or Castle, the Granadella Castle was born as a consequence of the political Built to curb pirate raids on the Alicante coast, it functioned as a lookout post until the War of Independence in the early 19th century.

Archaeological finds

The restoration of the cistern unearthed a large number of artifacts. In addition to the ceramic piece belonging to a basin, which, as mentioned, constitutes the oldest evidence of human activity, the following were found: fragments of pitchers, buckets (containers for transporting water, for example, in a waterwheel), pots, saucepans, lids, and a collection of fine glazed ceramics decorated in blue and purple, all from the workshops of Manises and dating to the mid-18th century. Also found were bronze metal pieces, unidentified objects, and fragments of iron hinges and nails belonging to the building's carpentry (doors and CabinetsUnder the ruins of the castle, but on the outside, twelve spherical iron bullets were found, as well as a coin of Charles III, a small medal of Saint Francis Borgia and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and three broken clay pipes.

Recovery work

El Javea Town Hall He acted on the Castell de la Granadella between 2001 and 2005 to turn it into a tourist landmark and mandatory hiking stop. Some of his remains were recovered, almost disappeared by the bushes and abandonment, but they were not enough actions. Excavation campaigns promoted by the Soler Blasco Museum. But these actions have been insufficient.

View of the Discoverer's Island through one of the walls of Castell de la Granadella (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Routes for your visit

Reaching this point in the nature It involves a circuit of about 3,5 km round trip, starting from the same Cala de la Granadella, although the excursion can be lengthened if we take advantage of the circular route through the Granadella Forest Park, which has a couple of variations that allow you to visit new environments and make the main route shorter.

Short route: Cala de la Granadella - Castell de la Granadella

On the one hand, we have the Route Cala de la Granadella - Castell de la Granadella, 1,6 km (one way) and about 45 minutes long and of medium difficulty for which we pass near the sea and we have impressive views of the cliffs and the sea. This route is the PR-CV 354.

Route indications

To start it, we leave the car in the parking lot and walk in the opposite direction to the beach to find the post that indicates the direction of Castell de la Granadella. We continue along the paved track with white and yellow signs, which guides us at the crossroads until we reach the path.

This route has steps, some railing and safety chains up to the ruins of the Granadella tower.

Within this route, there is the option of the Teulería variant to reach the Castell de la Granadella, the route being 4,8 km and 279 m of unevenness.

Middle route: Cala - Castell de Granadella - Mirador de Llevant - Cala

This route, which takes the other variant of PR-CV 354, is 5,6 km long and takes about 2 and a half hours to complete. It is not a difficult route but it must be borne in mind that it has narrow sections so it could be considered of medium difficulty.

The route begins in the parking lot as we have previously indicated in the other routes and ascends along an asphalt road that leads to the path up the cliff and offers spectacular views. We follow the path, now descending, passing through some natural steps that lead to Castell de la Granadella (First short route). From there, we begin the ascent to the Mirador de Llevant, a route with greater unevenness than the previous one. The return to Cala de la Granadella, the starting point, offers a downhill route on a flatter and very simple path.

Long route through La Granadella: Cala - Castell - Cumbre del Sol - Mirador - Cala

This hiking route, 13,4 kilometers long, makes a circular route through the entire Granadella area. With a height difference of 460 meters, the route is easily accessible and is signposted at all times by PR-CV 354. The duration of between 3,5 and 4 hours, although as we have indicated there are two variants that can shorten the route .

Route PR-CV 354 from Wikiloc

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