Novelda is a town in Alicante, Spain known for its grape production, trade in spices like saffron, and marble industry. It has a population of 30,000 and hosts parades in July celebrating local saints. The economy relies heavily on agriculture like vineyards and the marble industry, which provides many jobs. An important historical figure from Novelda is Jorge Juan, an 18th century scientist and sailor. Nearby is the smaller town of La Romana, known for its red marble and grape industry.

3. General Information
Novelda is a town of Spain, in the province of Alicante.
The town has about 30000 people. It forms part of the county
“Medio Vinalopó”, which is also known as “The grapes Valley”.
It has a dry Mediterranean climate, but its temperatures are
enjoyable during most of the year.
Between the 18th and 25th of July parades of Moors and
Christians are held. On 22 July the feast of Santa Maria
Magdalena, saint of the city, is celebrated .
Novelda is known for
 its grapes production
 trade in spices
 marble.

4. Economic Resourses in Novelda
The most important economic resourses in Novelda
are the saffron, the vineyard with its so called
“table grapes”, and the marble.
The saffron.
Novelda began its trade with spices in 1920. From
that date till now this trade has had a big increase. In
those days there was a man who opened a factory
called “Carmencita” which today leads the national
market and part of international market with its
incredible variation of spices and its high quality
saffron.

6. The vineyard:
Novelda is surrounded by vineyards . Thanks to the weather
people from Novelda grow grapes with an unquestionable quality.
This economic resource provides hundreds of jobs in the summer
season when grapes are covered with paper bags so that they get
protected from insects and bad weather. But it also provides
hundreds of jobs in autumn and winter when grapes are collected
and packaged to be sold in every market not only in Spain but also
all over the world.

7. MARBLE
But certainly , the sector that generates more income and jobs are
those industries related to marble and natural stone
Novelda is known as the Marble World Centre. Novelda exports
over 60% of the total marble from Spain. Some of its many
activities include national and international promotion through
the holding of editions of "The Marble day”, in fairs and
competitions.

8. CULTURAL HOUSE
“GÓMEZ-TORTOSA”
Modernist Route

9. Nowadays in this
modernist house, we can
find the Local Council
Library, the files , the
offices of the Department
of Culture, Tourism
Bureau and the
Department of Tourism.
Everything related to
Education, Sports,
Linguistics, Culture,
Environment, Health and
Women equality can be
found there.
In this building you can admire the fantastic tapestry of its different rooms
or ask at the tourist office when to visit the “Castillo de la Mola”. It also
enables you to visit different exhibitions, or even to marry there. For any
questions please call 965 60 90 53 or come to the main street, 6 where
someone with help you with any questions you may have.

10. The “GOMEZ TORTOSA” is an
Art Nouveau style building with
three floors built in the late
nineteenth century as a family
home.
It belonged to one of the
families of the gentry of
Novelda.
In 1902 the owner initiated the
reform and expansion of the
building, with the decorative
architectural elements typical of
the modernism style.

11. THE CASINO.
The casino is also a very important building in the city of
Novelda. It was built in 1888 and has been rebuilt recently.
It has two floors and a large garden that surrounds the entire
building.
Inside the building there are some very large rooms where you
can play all kinds of games.
On the top floor there is
a room with a big screen
to see the football matches.
There are bathrooms
for men and women on
both floors in the building.

12. On the ground floor there is a
café where people can drink
coffee and eat, because at night
they prepare all sorts of snacks
and sandwiches.
To climb to the top, there are
wide staircases and a special
decoration.
The casino is quite large and has
several rooms on the two floors.
The garden has some swings
where children spend all
afternoon. It also has some tables
and benches where people enjoy
summer evenings. There are all
kind of plants and trees.

14. The “Casal del Fester” was
a bank and a home for
retired people before it was
given to the association of
the local festivities “Santa
María Magdalena”
“Casal del Fester”

15. MODERNIST HOUSE
MUSEUM
This building was built
during the first period
of the 20th century,
more specifically In
1900-1903.
its first owner, Mrs.
Antonia Navarro Mira,
asked Mr. Pedro Cerdán
Martínez, architect and
author of the project, to
build this house for her
family.

16. It is one of the best
modernist buildings that you
can see in this town.
It has got three floors and a
wonderful patio where you
can see tiles all around it,
with pictures of all the
owner’s properties. It also
has a small chapel and fitted
central heating system as
well as bathrooms
(something which was not
very common at that time).

17. Windows, balconies, walls,
stairs, doors, furniture,
columns, ceilings, paintings
are decorated with the
elements of modernism,
making of this magnificent
building an unforgettable
example of the modernist
style.
Nowadays, the modernist
house, popularly known as
“LA CASA DE LA PICHOCHA”
belongs to a Bank and it also
keeps a little exhibition of
some documents, coins,
etc...of one of the most
important people born in
this town, JORGE JUAN

21. The Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena is a
religious building. It is of modernist style, and
the front façade looks like the façade of
“Sagrada Familia” by Antonio Gaudí in
Barcelona. Its vase shape makes it unique in
the world.
The building was started in 1918 but it
needed from three phases and the work was
finally concluded in 1946. However, the
decoration of the inner part of the building is
not finished yet.
It has two lateral towers, of 25 meters high
each one and a cross on the top of both of
them.
Inside of the Santuary there is a rectangular
central auditorium with two lateral spaces.
Behind the altar, we can see Santa María
Magdalena, Novelda's mistress.
A new organ of marble has been installed too.

23. MEDIEVAL ROUTE

24. La Mola Castle rises on a small plain 360 m
above the sea level, 3km northeast from
the city of Novelda. It takes its name from
this plain which is also called “LA MOLA”.
It is a fortress of Islamic origin, it was built
in the late 12th century. It has a polygonal
floor shape with eight square cubes
overhanging. Today only four remain. The
existing tower is 11m high by 9m wide,
although it is missing a floor; The tower is
entered by a half-mesh door at the top. It
has a triangular shape, which makes it
unique in Spain.
With the Christian conquest of the Castle
by troops belonging to the Infante Don
Alfonso de Castilla, the fortress, along with
its lands, passed to the Castillian Crown.
It has belonged to different kings and in
1367 it was sold to Hugo de Calviley, who
in 1371, became Lord of Novelda.

25. In 1391, Don Pedro Maza de
Lizana, bought La Mola, and it
became the Barony of Novelda in
1448. La Mola then formed part
of this important house of lords
until the feudal estates were
abolished in the early decades of
the 19th century.
In 1931 it was declared an
Historical Artistic Monument of
National Interest.
And nowadays it belongs to the
Local Council and you can visit it
in the following time-table:
Winter: 10am - 2pm and 4-7pm.
Summer: 10am – 2pm and 5-
8pm.

26. Important people in the town

27. Jorge Juan and Santacilia (Novelda, Alicante, 1713 - † Madrid,
1773) was a scientist and Spanish sailor.
Jorge Juan was born in Novelda, in a place called “The Fondonet”
and was baptized in Monforte del Cid. He studied grammar and in
1729 joined the Naval Academy of San Fernando. He participated
in the expedition which the Spanish Navy took against Orán and
Naples.

28. In 1734 he embarked with Antonio de Ulloa in an official
expedition to measure a degree of the meridian at the equator in
South America. In the expedition he found out that the shape of
the earth is not perfectly spherical and measured the degree of
flatness of the Earth.
Being aware that the Spanish fleet was beginning to be outdated,
the Marquis de la Ensenada commissioned him to travel to
England to learn about the new techniques of the English Navy,
and on his return he took over the Spanish shipbuilding, renewing
the shipyards.
In 1757 he founded the Royal Astronomical Observatory in
Madrid and in 1760 was appointed head of the Royal Navy fleet.
In the central part of the so called “Plaza de España”, there is a
statue devoted to him. It dates from 1913.
He is remembered as a remarkable marine and mathematician,
and some of his belongings can be seen at the exhibition of the
modernist museum.

29. The Green
Route

30. The West Park, also known as the Park of "Pas dels Dolors“ is located
on the outskirts of Novelda, in the west part of the town.
The park has received a clear influence of the modernist style that
prevails in the streets and buildings of Novelda. This fact can be seen
clearly in the details of the Mosaics that decorate the park
railing.

31. The West Park is considered one of the most
important green spaces of Novelda, it offers
visitors a wide range of leisure and free time
activities, and has many facilities to carry out
various outdoor free activities.
The park has an amphitheater where,
throughout the year, there are different
performances of all kinds. It also has a
barbecue area for public use, several picnic
areas equipped with tables and benches,
places for sports such as football and
basketball, board games, playgrounds, etc.
Among its facilities, the park is highly valued
for being a bastion of nature. Using the trails
that run throughout the park, you can enjoy
pleasant environments created by different
types of vegetation, which provide not only
beauty but also some interesting
environmental conditions for different types
of animals.
With more than 40,000 m2, it is a space that has an outdoor auditorium
for 2,000 people, picnic area and arboretum with native plants.

33. La Romana is a small village of about
two thousand and six hundred
inhabitants, located in the province of
Alicante, close to Novelda, about
eleven kilometres from it.
Until August 10th, 1928, La Romana
was part of Novelda, but this changed
thanks to the will of the people who
sent letters to the Government asking
certain independence.
Despite its low population density, La
Romana has a large amount of land
where the local people get most of
their economic resources.

34. ECONOMY
Marble is one of the biggest natural resources of the small village. Its
most distinctive feature is the bright red colour of the stone.
 Another great resource are the grapes, whose work, despite being
poorly paid, is claimed by the common people, especially in summer,
when people cover them with paper bags to preserve them until winter.
Part of these grapes ends in La Romana cooperative, one of the largest
in the province and where you can buy and taste different types of
wines.

35. GASTRONOMY
•“Alls i giraboix”, everything
served in the same meal, but
they are two dishes with
different content "alls" and
"giraboix."
•“Gachamiga”, it is a kind of omelette
made with flour, oil, salt, garlic and water.
It is usually cooked on cold days and when
rainy season comes in.

36. •“Coques a la pala”: they are cakes
made with flour, salt and water.
They are made with a special shovel
that we put over the the fire.
•It is a simple meal, but with some
tomato and olive oil, some smoked
cod or sardines, they are delicious.
KNOWN PLACES
Former home of the pianist José Mira
Pepin, which currently is used as a
hostel, and from which you can ascend
to the mountains of "Reclot" where
there is a wonderful view of all La
Romana and some of its lands.
“La cova de Pepín”.

37. “It is a really large tree with
enormous branches and trunk
located in a beautiful natural
landscape, and which has been
there for more than 1,000 years
(according to local sources).
“La carrasca”.

38. This is a natural place located on the
top of the Sierra de Algayat, in which
there is a large cave known as “La
Cueva Negra”. In this cave, the
shepherds sheltered from adverse
weather conditions.
“La peña de la Mina”.
FESTIVALS
The town festival takes place
the third week of August.
Despite the low turnout of
people at some events, these
parties have something
special.

39. you can see the Moors and
Christians parades, or the
ceremonies in honor of our
patrons saints, the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
However, the most
important events are "els
bous al carrer“ and the so
called "Socarrat" where in
the morning you can leave
the bread soggy in the
streets and at night you can
collect it burned by the
fireworks, called by us,
“carretilles”.