Although Montanejos stands out mainly for its incredible natural surroundings, in the urban and heritage areas we find many scenes that cannot go unnoticed.
Below we present the most outstanding places of the town and its surroundings.
Download the Urban Map of Montanejos and Surroundings
Montanejos’ church
Montanejos’ church is dedicated to the Apostle Santiago, the town’s patron saint, and was built at the end of the 18th century (1782-1798) on the site of a previous 16th century temple. It is built following the usual layout of the period: a Latin cross plan (two segments of different lengths that intersect at a right angle, where the smaller segment is three-quarters the size of o the longer one), with a central nave and two side naves with chapels.
On the inside, the main altarpiece stands out, which has been restored. It is also unique because, out of the 22 municipalities that make up the Alto Mijares region, only five of them have churches with domes: Villahermosa, Fanzara, Vallat, Espadilla and Montanejos.
The dome is at the crossing, supported by four pendentives , in which the four Evangelists are represented writing: Saint Mark (next to his symbolic animal, the lion), Saint Luke (who is represented as the painter of the Virgin), Saint John (along with his symbolic animal, the eagle) and, finally, Saint Matthew (along with the angel who inspires him). All these paintings are frescos made by Luis Antonio Planes, at the end of the 18th century. They follow the style that marks the Academy of Fine Arts, also called ‘academicism’, characterized by classicism, moderation, balance and norm.
The bell tower has four bells, two old ones dating from 1869, one called María del Rosario (note B) and another San Jaime Apóstol (note D); there is a third one from 1914 called Corazón de Jesús (note E), and the most recent one built, during the 2009 restoration, called Virgen de los Desamparados.
The back facade of the Montanejos church, which faces the Town Hall Square, has a peculiarity: a visible mark of recent history. There is a large hole that was made during the Spanish Civil War in order to create a small storage space. This can still be seen quite clearly today because the covering used is different from that of the rest of the facade.
Lastly, we should highlight the weather vane of the Church of Santiago Apóstol in Montanejos, which was placed for the first time at the beginning of the reign of Philip V, in 1701 (as indicated by an inscription on the church itself). In 2001, the 300th anniversary of the weather vane that crowns the church bell tower was celebrated.
The arab tower
The Arab Tower, of islamic origin, is located in the middle of the town of Montanejos, opposite to the church, integrated into the facade of the former Counts of Vallterra’s Palace. It is a monument declared in the registers of Assets of Cultural Interest of the Valencian heritage. In its day it is said to have been connected to the Castle of la Alquería.
It has a circular floor plan and cylindrical elevation and is built with different sizes of stones from the river. Today, the Arab Tower is integrated into the town’s urban planning, as it is surrounded by residential buildings. Only the outer load-bearing walls remain, as the inner ones were demolished.
These types of fortifications, also known as watchtowers, were not isolated constructions, but rather formed part of an effective network of buildings whose purpose was to control a certain area. There was a main castle commanding these networks, named “hins” by the Muslims, always built at a high altitude and with complex topography.
Other secondary fortifications were dependent on these bastions which were capable of housing small garrisons and in between, at the most strategic places, thay placed the watchtowers, “sajra”, which were the last member of the entire defensive framework.
San José Bridge
The San José Bridge was built in 1803 over the Montán River and was originally an aqueduct. It has a structure of three semicircular arches and is made of stone. During the great flood that devastated the town in October 1975, it was one of the most damaged constructions, as a result of which the two arches closest to the town were demolished.
A small irrigation ditch runs through its interior, which carried irrigation water to La Alquería and that is where it got the name ‘bridge-aqueduct’ from. As a matter of fact, it was in the 1930s, thanks to this San José Bridge, that running water would reach the town of Montanejos for the first time from the Fuente del Chorrador.
It is currently listed as a Site of Local Relevance due to its high level of original conservation. It is located in the town of Montanejos itself, at the end of Santa Bárbara Street, and connects the town with the hill that goes up to the La Granja campsite.
In the middle of the construction there are two niches on both sides, which have ceramic panels depicting Our Lady of the Forsaken and Saint Joseph. During the restoration in 2008, it was discovered that the image of the Virgin is a fake that was built some time after its construction. This fact confirms the origin of the popular name of the bridge.
The San José Bridge is approximately 48 metres long and 10 metres tall.
The hermitage of La Alquería
The hermitage of the Our Lady of the Forsaken is located in the municipal district of La Alquería and dates back to the 17th century. In the 18th century it underwent a remodelling which gave it its current appearance, with its bell tower and portico standing out.
Located less than two kilometres away from the town of Montanejos, it has a single nave structure, with small side chapels attached to the walls. At the head of the altar we can find Or Lady of the Forsaken and, on each side, Saint Joseph and the Immaculate Conception.
It is worth mentioning the beauty of the tiles of the bell tower, popularly known as “el Campanico” (the little bell tower), which date from the second half of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. They are quarter-square tiles, with their complete design in four parts. They represent a quartered rosette, curved leaves, fruit and a palmette in the corner.
Montanejos’ Castle
Montanejos’ Castle is located in a strategic position, near La Alquería, on the top of a hill situated on the left bank of the Montán River. From there, it dominates part of the Montán River, the whole Mijares River, the entire plain that forms at its pass through Montanejos, the roads that descend from the area of Cortes de Arenoso and Zucaina and the current towns of Montán and La Alquería. Montanejos’ Castle is listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest.
This type of defensive architecture played an important social, political and cultural role during the Muslim domination and the struggles between the Taifa kingdoms. After the various wars of the time, the castle lost its function and was gradually abandoned and deteriorated. This process of ruin was often reinforced by the reuse of materials from the fortresses for the construction of terraces, houses and yards.
Villa Purificación
Discover Villa Purificación, the former summer residence now transformed into a cultural space and home to Montanejos’ permanent museographic collection.
