Greetings from Novelda: modernism, grapes and inland Spanish life
Greetings from Novelda: modernism, grapes and inland Spanish life
Novelda lies inland in Alicante province, in the Medio Vinalopó area. Alicante is around 28 kilometres away and the A-31 provides convenient connections between the city, the coast and inland Spain.
The town has traditionally been associated with three products: table grapes, spices and marble. Yet its architecture and history are just as interesting. Novelda has one of the most important collections of modernist architecture in the Valencian Community, while a medieval castle and an extraordinary twentieth-century sanctuary overlook the town from La Mola.
La Mola Castle
The Castillo de la Mola stands around three kilometres outside Novelda on a hill approximately 360 metres above sea level.
The Islamic fortress was constructed at the end of the twelfth century and occupied a strategic position controlling routes through the Vinalopó valley.
Parts of its walls and original square tower survive, but another tower makes the castle particularly unusual.
An extraordinary triangular tower
During the fourteenth century, a triangular tower was added to the fortress.
Its sides measure around fifteen metres and the structure reaches approximately seventeen metres in height. Novelda's municipality describes it as having no known direct parallel, making it an exceptionally unusual feature of the castle.
The elevated position also provides wide views across Novelda, the vineyards and the surrounding Vinalopó landscape.
Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena
Only a short distance from the medieval castle stands something completely different: the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena.
Designed by local engineer José Sala Sala, the building was strongly influenced by Catalan Modernism. Construction began in 1918 and was finally completed in 1946 after several phases.
Its façade is dominated by two 25-metre towers and incorporates local materials including pebbles from the Vinalopó River, coloured tiles, red brick and stone. Even the floor plan has a symbolic shape connected with the ointment vessel traditionally associated with Mary Magdalene.
Seeing such an expressive modernist building immediately beside a medieval fortress makes La Mola one of Novelda's most memorable locations.
Please note: during 2026 the interior of the sanctuary is temporarily closed following the discovery of serious structural cracks in one of its towers. Check current access arrangements before visiting.
Modernism throughout Novelda
The sanctuary is not Novelda's only modernist landmark. Economic growth around the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries allowed wealthy local families to commission elaborate homes.
Today Novelda is regarded as an important modernist destination in the Valencian Community. The local route includes the Casa Museo Modernista, Gómez-Tortosa Cultural Centre, Casino, Plaça Vella, San Pedro Church and La Mola.
Casa Museo Modernista
The Modernist House Museum was built in 1903 for Antonia Navarro and designed by architect Pedro Cerdán Martínez.
Inside are carved wood, decorative glass, stucco work, ceiling paintings, marble and original-period furniture. Its staircase and columned courtyard are particularly impressive.
The house is one of the best places to understand the prosperity and tastes of Novelda's early-twentieth-century bourgeois families.
Gómez-Tortosa Cultural Centre
Another highlight is the Gómez-Tortosa Cultural Centre.
Originally a late-nineteenth-century family residence, it was extensively remodelled from 1902 with modernist decorative features. Floral tiles, oak panelling, marble columns and a large glazed roof above the courtyard are among the most distinctive details.
The Tourist Information office is now located here, making it a convenient starting point for exploring the centre.
Jorge Juan and Novelda
Novelda was also the birthplace of Jorge Juan y Santacilia, born on 5 January 1713.
A naval officer, scientist and geodesist, he became an important figure of the Spanish Enlightenment and was associated with several leading European scientific institutions.
His memory remains very visible in Novelda through monuments, cultural programmes and his birthplace.
Vinalopó bagged table grapes
Leave the urban area and vineyards quickly become part of the landscape.
Novelda is within the production area of Uva de Mesa Embolsada del Vinalopó, the protected Vinalopó bagged table grape.
Each bunch is covered individually with a paper bag while it ripens. The technique helps protect the grapes and encourages slower, more uniform maturation. This distinctive agricultural tradition has been practised for more than a century.
During summer, vineyards filled with hundreds of white paper bags are one of the most characteristic sights around Novelda.
Grapes as part of local tradition
Grapes are not simply an agricultural product here.
Selected bunches are traditionally used to decorate the image of Santa María Magdalena during events connected with the annual Baixà.
It is a small detail that shows how closely agriculture remains tied to Novelda's local identity.
Spices and saffron
Novelda also has a long commercial relationship with spices, especially saffron.
The municipality continues to identify spices alongside grapes and marble as one of the economic activities for which Novelda is known well beyond the local area.
Visitors may not immediately see this industry while walking through town, but it has played an important role in Novelda's development.
Marble and natural stone
Marble and natural stone form another important part of the local economy.
The surrounding region has long been associated with stone extraction, processing and international trade. Together with agriculture and spices, this helped generate part of the wealth reflected in Novelda's elegant modernist architecture.
The architecture and local economy are therefore more closely connected than they first appear.
Market days
Novelda's outdoor market traditionally takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays around the municipal market area.
The renovated municipal indoor market itself reopened in 2025 after an extensive refurbishment.
A market morning followed by coffee or lunch in the centre is a good way to experience the town beyond its monuments.
Santa María Magdalena and Moors and Christians
July is Novelda's main festival period.
The Patron Saint and Moors and Christians festivities are held in honour of Santa María Magdalena. In 2026 the principal celebrations took place from 18 to 25 July.
Religious traditions such as the Baixà are combined with music, street celebrations and colourful Moorish and Christian groups.
Visit during this period and the normally relaxed inland town feels completely different.
Inland but well connected to the coast
Novelda is clearly not a seaside town. The Mediterranean is something you travel to rather than something outside your front door.
However, Alicante is only around 28 kilometres away and good road connections make the coast, Elche and the airport relatively accessible.
For someone who wants to walk to the beach every morning, Novelda will not be the right choice. For someone who prefers everyday Spanish city life and sees the coast as an easy day trip, it may be far more interesting.
Living in Novelda
Living in Novelda means choosing a genuine Spanish town with year-round shops, schools, healthcare, sports, restaurants and cultural activities.
Apartments and traditional urban homes dominate the centre, while detached houses, villas and country properties can be found around the edges and in the wider rural area.
This gives buyers a very different property environment from the large international developments found nearer the coast.
Moving to Novelda
For anyone considering moving to Spain, Novelda can be especially interesting if becoming part of everyday Spanish life is important.
The international community is much less dominant than in places such as Ciudad Quesada, Torrevieja or Orihuela Costa, so learning and using Spanish naturally becomes more relevant.
At the same time, this is a complete town with good communications and easy access towards Alicante and Elche.
Buying property in Novelda
When buying in Novelda, one of the first decisions is whether you prefer town or countryside.
Apartments and town homes provide easy access to shops and services, while rural locations offer more detached properties, fincas, larger plots and privacy.
For country homes, thorough legal checks are particularly important. Registered buildings, land classification and the legal status of extensions, pools and outbuildings should always be reviewed before purchase.
Anyone attracted by this kind of inland environment may also want to compare Novelda with Pinoso. Pinoso is smaller and more rural, while Novelda provides more of a complete town environment.
Why Novelda is worth discovering
Novelda is a perfect reminder that Alicante province is about far more than beaches.
Start at La Mola Castle and look across the Vinalopó valley. See the extraordinary Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena before heading into town to discover the modernist houses. Visit the Casa Museo, stop for coffee and then drive through vineyards where every bunch of grapes hangs inside its own paper bag.
Add spices, marble, Jorge Juan and the huge July celebrations and you have a town with far more character than many first-time visitors expect.
Modernist architecture, history, vineyards and genuine inland Spanish life.
Greetings from Novelda!
