Válor

Válor was one of the most notorious towns in La Alpujarra: Fernando de Cordoba y Válor, known as Abén Humeya, was proclaimed ‘King of the Moors’ here in 1568. He was the instigator and first leader of the Moorish rebellion until he was overthrown by his cousin Abén Aboo. Abén Humeya was born in 1520 and was a member of a prominent Moorish family that had converted to Christianity after the conquest of Granada in 1492. He hated Christianity and worked to recover Islam and to fight against the repression of the Muslim faith, traditions and customs after the King Carlos I and later his son Felipe II blatantly breached the terms of the peace treaty of Granada. This rebellion lasted three years and spread throughout the province, and was violently supressed by King Felipe II.

Válor has an interesting town centre, an excellent culinary tradition and is surrounded by impressive natural landscapes. Its main attraction is undoubtedly its Fuente Agria. It is located in an area known as Cuesta Viñas and its waters have special medicinal powers.

There are two other delightful small villages nearby that share Válor’s town council: Nechite, whose name means ‘joy’, and Mecina Alfahar, where you can see one of the largest medieval castles the region.

The town played an important role in the rebellion of the Moors, which has given rise to the Fiesta de Moros y Cristianos – one of the most popular and spectacular local festivals in the region.

Archaeological remains suggest the existence of human settlements in this area during the Bronze Age and the Roman Empire. However, the origins of Válor as a proper town date back to the Muslim period and since then its appearance has changed very little. It was part of the Taha de Juviles and enjoyed a period of great prosperity thanks to its silk production.

After the Reconquista, the Christians put pressure on the Moors that in turn inspired the noble Fernando de Córdoba y Válor to rebel against it. He was crowned King of La Alpujarra here and given the name Abén Humeya. However, he was overthrown by his cousin Abén Aboo and later killed. After Juan de Austria had supressed the Moorish revolt, Válor was repopulated with Christian settlers from Jaén.

Pickled partridge and the Soplillos (a sweet almond meringue) are both the legacy of the Moorish cuisine. The municipality also has a goat cheese factory and an olive oil mill.