Sacred Empire of Montefrío (Province of Granada) The picturesque and friendly town of Montefrío enjoys one of the regions most striking settings. Located in the north-western corner of the province of Granada, near to the border with the province of Cordoba, it is just 30 minutes drive from Cortijo Huerto. With one of its churches perched on top of a bare, rocky pinnacle overlooking the town, the once called “Sacred Empire of Montefrío” is surrounded by hillsides that are clothed in olive groves and fields of cereal crops. As a frontier between two worlds, built midway between the Sierra de Priego and Sierra Parapanda, and commanding the open valley between these ranges, the “Sacred Empire of Montefrío” became one of the chief frontier fortresses of the Moors in the 15th century. Actually Montefrío is nestled between two rather memorable hilltop churches which dominate the skyline. On the rocky outcrop is the Iglesia de la Villa (Town Church), which is well worth the steep climb from the town to visit and enjoy the magnificent panoramic views. The church was built on the site of a Nasrid Castle which was constructed in this key strategic location in the mid 14th century, to help defend the then Muslim Kingdom of Granada of the Moors and prevent an invasion by the Christians. It is believed to have been designed by the same architect who designed la Alhambra in the city of Granada and at one time there was also a watchtower on the castle hill, which formed part of an extremely effective network of lookout posts used to stand guard over the important routes across the vega (plain) of the Kingdom of Granada. After conquering Montefrío in 1486, the Catholic Monarchs ordered the castle to be demolished and the church was built in its place. The architect Diego de Siloé later became involved in the churchs design, which has Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance features. There are though still to this day some ruined sections of the castle walls around the church. Although the church no longer holds services, there is a small history museum inside it called Centro de Intepretación La Centinela (the Sentinal Interpretation Centre), with interactive displays of the former castle, the church and the conflict between the Muslims and the Christians during 15th century in the province of Granada. Down in the centre of Montefrío is the truly amazing and totally round Iglesia de la Encarnación (Church of the Incarnation), which has a huge domed roof and is the only round church that stands in the whole of Spain. It was designed in the 18th century by the Galician architect Lois Monteagudo, a disciple of the acclaimed neoclassical architect Ventura Rodríguez. Inspired by the Pantheon in Rome (where Lois Monteagudo studied), he decided to incorporate many aspects of the Pantheon’s design for Iglesia de la Encarnación (Church of the Incarnation).
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 09:43:41 +0000
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