Juviles

The village of Juviles is located on the south face of the Natural Park of Sierra Nevada, on the road descending from Trevélez towards Bérchules and Válor. It is well-known for the production of exquisite Serrano ham and shares the typical features of all Alpujarra villages, i.e. a distinctive type of architecture in the buildings, adapted to the structure of the irregular land and to the climate of the area, which is characterized by narrow streets with memories of a Moorish past.

In the heart of the Alpujarra, a unique natural connection between the Mediterranean coast and Sierra Nevada, towered by the highest peaks of the Peninsula, Juviles is a place to visit as part of the Alpujarra route.

History

The history of Juviles runs in a parallel history to other villages in Alpujarra, an area that due to its geographical isolation, has developed its own characteristic culture. It had its moment of splendour under the Arab Andalusian period when all of the Alpujarra was an important agricultural centre, specializing in silk production.

In the 10th century, the inhabitants of Juviles, protected by its castle, joined the movement against the emirate of Córdoba organised by the leader from Ronda Umar ibn-Hafsum; it was Abderramán III himself, the first caliph of Córdoba, who intervened suffocating the revolt in 913 AD.

After the Christian re-conquest of Granada in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs ordered to destroy the castle of Juviles.

In 1568, Hernado de Válor, a rich landowner of the Granada Alpujarra, proclaimed himself as Abén Humeya, uprising against Phillip ll, causing a general revolt amongst the Moors from all over the kingdom of Granada.

Internal disagreements amongst the Moors, who in 1569 assassinated Abén Humeya, allowed Don Juan de Austria to terminate this revolt, being Juviles one of the villages that suffered more severe repression.

The Moors were eventually expelled in 1609.

The Alpujarra was later inhabited by peasants from Galicia, León, Asturias and Castile.