Vélez-Rubio

Village which is the capital of the region of los Velez and situated in the north of the province on the border with the province of Murcia. Within its municipal area you can go from the bottom of the gullies to the plains and hills and from there to the escarpments of great heights. It is included in the Sierra de Maria-Los Velez Natural Park, characterized by its continental Mediterranean climate, its rural mountains of calcareous and dolomitic material and its forests of pines and holm oaks. It is also known for the archeological wealth of its remains and caves.

The village, set upon a hill surrounded by a fertile plain is a group of buildings of varied styles and origins, according to the historic moment of the population. The most representative corresponds to the XVIII and XIX centuries, coinciding with the peaks in the village's economy: the church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, a Historical-Artistic Monument; the church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen; and a good number of buildings that form part of the local architecture: ancestral homes, landowners" homes and modernist houses. All this produces a group of enormous architectonic interest.

History

Situated to the north of the province, it forms part of the region of Los Velez. Its current location dates from the end of the XV century due to the abandonment of the old city in el Castellón.

Although no remains from Upper Paleolithic times have been found, it is known that this area was populated in those times so long ago. There are remains from Neolithic times in the Cerro de Los López, with the existence of cabins, abundant ceramics and a lithic industry. We can also speak of the existence of remains from the Copper and Bronze Ages.

From the Roman period the traces are numerous in the region and in the current municipal area. The Roman road that joined Cartago to Castulo passed by here. During the Al-Andalus period it was called Velad al-Ahmar and it formed part of the area of Tudmir. In nazari times it was on the border between the kingdoms of Murcia and Granada. In the old settlement of el Castellón, a system of border surveillance was set up between Velad al-Hamar and the watchtowers of Charche and Fuente Alegre.

With the Christian conquest in 1488 it was incorporated definitively into the Crown of Castile and the Duke of Alba took possession of the castle. Later it formed part of the Marquisate of Los Velez. The primitive settlement was abandoned and at the beginning of the XVI century the new village began to form around St Peter's church and the small fortress of Castillico. It was during the XVIII and XIX centuries that the most significant urban development occurred.

Eminent citizens
Fernando Palanques Ayen, historian.
Jose Mendez Asensio, Archbishop.
Miguel Guirao, doctor and historian.