MONTEFRÍO, AN OTHERWORLDLY LANDSCAPE
Montefrio is a municipality in the province of Granada. The ruins of a Moorish castle sit near the highest point. Being built midway between the Sierra de Priego and Sierra Parapanda, and commanding the open valley between these ranges, it became one of the chief frontier fortresses of the Moors in the 15th century.
Near the town is a vast archaeological site known as Las Peñas de los Gitanos, famous for its prehistoric tombs and remains of Roman and Visgothic settlements.
Montefrio's primary church is the only round church in the whole of Spain since its recapture from Arabian control.
Montefrío has one of the richest historical and cultural heritage of the province, however the impact of tourism in the city is minimal.
Montefrio was selected by National Geographic as being one of the Best views in the world in 2015.
Monuments of Montefrío
Iglesia de la Encarnación
It was completed after the Christians regained authority in southern Spain at the beginning of the 1800s. The architect, Domingo Lois de Monteagudo, modelled the church after the Pantheon in Rome and as such, it is the only round church in Spain.
Iglesia de la Villa
It sits on the imposing hill to the west of Montefrío. This church was built on the site of what was once a Nasrid Castle that aided in the protection of Granada’s Muslim kingdom from the Christian invasion in the Moorish wars during the 15th century. Today, the church is home to a small museum which informs visitors about the church and the local area’s history; it can be accessed for a fee of €2.
National Geographic Viewpoint
The viewpoint of 'National Geographic', on the Tocón road, is the first in Spain dedicated to the magazine, in this viewpoint you can see the whole town and, since it's constuction, tourism in Montefrío has boomed.
