Montefrío

Visiting Montefrío is an amazing experience as the magnificent Arab fortress and the Church de la Villa boldly sit on top of a rock. This is accompanied by beautiful scenery in the surrounding area. From the road that links Montefrío with Íllora, one can access the Peña de los Gitanos, a natural location terminating to the north by a large valley, and to the south by the Sierra de Parapanda.

The rocky alignment running in parallel to the valley offers a spectacular view of calcareous nature with dense vegetation of forests full of brushwood and holm oaks. This is an ideal setting to go hill walking and its many paths will take you to a fantastic megalithic complex formed by hundreds of dolmens of Neolithic origin.

History

There are numerous Prehistoric sites, such as: the remains of Hippo Nova, the settlement and Megalithic necropolis of Los Castillejos and the dolmens at the Peña de los Gitanos.

In Latin, it was called Mons Frigidus and in Arab, Montefrid.

The fortress was used by the court of King Aben Ismael III. It played a essential part in the defensive organisation of the Vega del Genil, although it was eventually taken in 1486 by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba in the name of the Catholic Monarchs.

The church of La Villa was built on top of the old fortress between 1486 and 1507.

Important Characters
Alfonso García Valdegás, Member of the Real Academia Española (Spanish Academy).
Manuel Ávila, flamenco singer.