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Condition: Since 1479 the Council of Seville stopped paying attention to this historical site, reason why it was in a state of neglect until its recent restoration. Still, although only generic, Almonaster La Real Castle is protected by the decree of 22 April 1949, and the Law 16/85 on the Spanish Heritage, by which it was given the status of monument and became an asset of Cultural Interest. Further, in the year 1993 the Junta de Andalusia gave it the deserved special recognition as Castle belonging to the autonomous community of Andalusia. Actual use: Various cultural activities are organized and are sponsored by the City Council. The mosque is still part of Muslim worship during the annual celebration of the Islamic Days. It is open for visits most of the day, as well as for bullfighting performances in the square which is integrated into the walled enclosure.. Architectural sheet: Almonaster Mosque is located at the top of the hill which is crowned by the castle. The old Morish church, which name appears in a document from 1583 kept in the Archives of Simancas, was built during the reign of Abd al-Rahman III. Because of remains that were reused in its construction it is supposed that in Roman times a monumental building could have been here and that later it was transformed into a Visigothic-Christian church, subsisting a monastic character until the Muslim invasion. Numerous columns and capitals of the Roman 1st and 2nd Century, as well as interesting relics of the Visigoths are silent witnesses of this reuse.
According to Alfonso Jimenez (architect, author of the restoration of 1975), the mosque built at the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century, was entirely new, not using any part of the pre-Islamic building, except the already mentioned decorative remains. This date has been justified by the archaism of the mihrab. Following the canons of the Caliphate era, the mosque has two clearly defined areas: the Shan or open courtyard for ablutions and liwan, prayer room. The oratory is composed of five ships oriented towards the qibla wall with brick arches, originally in horseshoe form, resting on columns and pillars of different materials, sizes and ages. At the center of the qibla opens the mihrab, a cubic semicircular floor; a brick alfiz frames the front horseshoe arch. The minaret, which still retains in its initial part the steps that circulate the central Machón, complete the Islamic building. When the Christians took these lands in the 13th century, a possibly Romanesque apse was built, of which only the base of the triumphal arch is embedded in the current arc. It is not known whether this apse construction was interrupted, if it suffered violent destruction or was partly dismantled to build the current one. Nor is the naming of the Christianised mosque exactly known, although the name of Our Lady of the Conception, in the sixteenth century, makes it believe that it was originally advocated Santamaría, as was often the case. At the end of the 15th century or the beginning of the 16th, the mosque suffered a series of important works which brightened up part of its structure and added new spaces: the arches were cut immediately after the qibla, although some retained the base of horseshoe; the wall of the qibla was reinforced, adding a stirrup; the mihrab was reformed and the mosque was extended by lifting the gate and perhaps the water tank, all within a Mudejar style (reduced arches, clean brick) related to Seville. In the 16th century the bell tower was realised and work was done on the sacristy and the porch, as well as some added details such as decorative tiles that adorn the entrance to the presbytery. Later works, in the 18th century, are the transformation of the top of the tower, the construction of the Room of the Moors and the decoration of the dome of the apse. The mosque has a square floor, with its angles significantly deformed. Sides have similar dimensions (10.7 by 11 metres in the interior) and its highest point in the north, down towards the south. The thickness of its walls is variable and the materials are various, predominantly masonry and Toledan rigging, although also appearing is brick and, in some areas, a mud wall or corners of large granite blocks. It has in its interior a very interesting set of archaeological pieces from different periods and styles: a Roman burial altarstone; a Paleochristian epitaph, the remains of the altar and the iconostasis door of the old Visigothic church; a cimacio, dating back to between the 5th and 7th century; a Visigothic lintel, crowning the entrance, many shafts and Roman capitals. Almonaster Mosque is a unique testimony of the first Islamic works in Spain. It conserves the character, so hard to find, of a small town mosque, sober, and gifted with the subtle elegance of the Umayyad period, whose legacy joined classical art and Eastern influence. The use of Romans and Visigoths materials, the rigging of brick and stone as a decorative archaic taste, the circular prayer niche, the central Machón with minaret, are evidence of the antiquity of this unique building. Its architectural environment is related to the most ancient works of the Western Islam, North Africa and Al Andalus. Neither the vicissitudes of time, nor the attacks of the nature themselves were able to claim this unique monument, emblem of Almonaster and origin and destination of cultures. Each time imposed its stamp and from each time we find a living memory in its old stones in our days as a true melting pot, synthesis of the history of this town. Historical sheet: The remains from the earliest settlement in this part of the Sierra are dating back to the Bronze Age (3000 BC). Numerous and very interesting are the remains discovered in the necropolis of Becerreros, south of the town, and the mine exploitation of Monte Romero. But the most abundant are the ones corresponding to Roman times. As Professor Luzon said, the town of Almonaster itself was founded on a Roman site. In the wall of the old castle many Roman blocks can be seen, although everything is hidden under medieval works, and also Roman are some of the architectural remains (columns, capitals and blocks), reused in the construction of the Mosque. From the same period is the remarkable site - still to be excavated - Santa Eulalia, in which stand out the walls underlying the apse of the chapel. These are the remains of a turriform tomb of the 1st century, like the tower of the Scipions of Tarragona. The population remained active in the Visigoth era, a period in which a monastery was built on the site of the fortress. The religious remains of this phase are very interesting, standing out the lintel of the entry, part of the iconostasis of the Church, the remains of an altar and a cimacio, all dating back between the 5th and 7th century. According to Alfonso Jimenez, restorer and expert of the Mosque, the current name of the town comes from the Arabic name Almunastyr, almost literal transcript of its previous latin name monasterium. The first written evidence of the existence of Almonaster is from the Muslim geographer Abu Ubaid al Bakri, in 822 AD, "the iqlin at Al Munastyr and others in the Isbilya Kora collected over 35,000 dinars for gibaya". When the Muslims reached Spain it is believed to have been occupied by Abd al Aziz, as the rest of the province of Huelva, when he lead a campaign from Sevilla to the lands of the Algarve, the people capitulating without a fight and going to depend on the Wali of Cordoba. In this area Berbers settled, while the plain areas were occupied by muladíes and hispanic Mozarabs. During the Emirate of Cordoba, Al-Munastyr was a significant population of the region. A good proof is the existence of a stone wall with inside the mosque of the Islamic medina, built on the old Christian building. Following the breakdown of the Caliphate, the Sierra of Huelva was in the grips of the Kingdom of Taifa of Badajoz. The Almoravid invasion in its attempt to unify the divided kingdoms, encountered strong resistance in the Sierra of Huelva and it managed to remain independent until, in 1111, it fell into African hands. In the mid-thirteenth century the whole Sierra is already under Christian rule. By 1230, the Military Order of the Hospital incorporates Almonaster and other towns of the region to the Portuguese crown, and an important repopulation during the reign of King Alfonso III, which will leave an important mark on the local people. The frontier problem emerged between Portugal and Castile about the lands of the Algarve is ended by the intervention of the Pope, decided in 1253, that these territories will belong to Castile on the condition that they are given as dowry to the Infanta Beatriz, promised to marry Alfonso III, apart from those lands situated on the left bank of the Guadiana River, thus functioning as the border between the Portuguese and Spanish domains. Almonaster was included in the Alfoz or 'land' of Seville. On December 16 of 1279, privileged by Alfonso X the Wise, and later confirmed by his son Sancho IV the Brave, the Council of Seville gave Almonaster and Zalamea to the Bishop Don Remondo in return for Puebla de Cazalla. Shortly after May 24th of 1285, the two cities were made exclusive possession of the Archbishop. This way an episcopal rule was constituted in the Realengo (free) territory of the Sierra of Huelva, a situation that would last until 1574. In this year, King Philip II, through a Papal Bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, separates Almonaster from the seat of Seville, the ratification of which is issued by Royal Decree of 1579. In 1580, Philip II made a provision for lawyer Alvaro de Santander to take possession of the town and its castle, thus incorporating it into the royal jurisdiction. Shortly afterwards it was sold to the Prince of Salerno, Nicolao Grimaldo, who in turn tried to sell the jurisdiction to the Marquis La Algaba. However, the people of the city, through convenient payment, appealed to the Crown requesting that the city would remain "realengo" (free, unattached). By Royal Decree of 10 May 1580 the request of the people was accepted, outlining the service and form of payment, authorizing the city council the collection of a special levy and to pawn properties with which to meet the payments to the Royal Hacienda (Tax Office). Keeping the status of "Realengo", the City put the extension of La Real (the Royal)at the end, thus from then on called Almonaster La Real. In the eighteenth century it loses the character of Realengo and by the middle of this century it is belonging to Don Gregorio Clavijo Valley, not of any kind of nobility. At the end of the century it recovers again its status of Realengo. By decree of 27 January 1822 the administrative framework of Provinces is established, integrating Almonaster La Real into the province of Huelva. During the 19th century, the town enjoys a period of economic and social expansion, driven by the valuation and exploitation of its mineral resources. The mining activity declined significantly throughout the second half of the 20th century. At present, only the site of Aguas Teñidas has certain expectations for the future and the start of the operations seems imminent. The rural exodus of the sixties and seventies years struck the town that in that time passed through a significant demographic crisis, which end is mainly due to the recent creation of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park. Its apparition has led to an escape route in the economic sphere in which are combined the remarkable development of infrastructure for rural tourism and the proliferation of farms and industries related to the Iberian pig, whilst maintaining the ancestral traditions in festivals, customs and popular cuisine. Similarly, management and revitalization of historical and artistic heritage, as cultural and tourist statement, are contributing to the economic takeoff of this area. Arts and Culture:
In the handicrafts stand out cork, pottery, animal horns, skins, and wicker baskets. Forging is based on deformation. We also find interesting works with regard to textiles, whether cotton, wool or linen, and there is pottery of limited production. In its festive and folcloric expressions, Almonaster la Real has 'villagers' fandangos and the ballads of the 'pilgrim'. In May there are the festival of the Cross, of great cultural polychromy and the third Saturday of May is the day of the Pilgrimage of Santa Eulalia. |
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