MODEL OF THE CHRISTIAN CASTLE (14th CENTURY)

In the mid-13th century (1244), La Mola Castle was occupied by the Christians under Infante Don Alfonso of Castile. The Muslims who lived along the Vinalopó Valley began to concentrate in a single settlement, the origin of the present-day historic center of Novelda.
Between 1304–1305, with the Treaty of Torrellas-Elche, the castle passed into Aragonese hands, being granted to Doña Blanca of Anjou, wife of King James II. She ordered its restoration, beginning major renovations that would continue throughout the first half of the 14th century.
Of particular note is the extension of the castle to the northwest, reusing the old Islamic wall, and the construction of the famous triangular tower, or “three-peaked tower”, unique in its form across the entire Iberian Peninsula.
At this time, the upper part of the castle was inhabited by a small military garrison commanded by its alcaide, while in the lower part, the former albacar, a Christian settlement emerged, formed mainly by peasants and artisans.