Felix

FELIX

Felix is another village whose architecture gives away its Arabic past. The mass of white houses is presided over by an eleventh-century Arabic castle. Legend says that the castle is de la matanza (‘of slaughter’) because the Moriscos who fought against the Christian troops in 1568 threw themselves from the top, as they would rather die than convert to Christianity. The village has around 640 inhabitants.

HISTORY

The origin of Felix dates from the Al-Andalus period when it was known as San Afliy. Two sixth-century written testimonies say that this village belonged to Almotacin, King of Almeria. During the Nazari period it belonged, along with Enix and Vícar, to the AREA of Remepipar.

During the Moorish uprising, in the year 1568, its inhabitants put up a strong resistance to the troops of the Marquis of los Velez. Opposite the village is El Cerro de las Matanzas (slaughter hill), so named due to the bloody fight that took place here between the Marquis and the Moors.

In the nineteenth century there were five lead smelting complexes in the village. Today, the traditional cultivation of olive, almond trees and vines is for family consumption and the majority of the inhabitants make a living working in reforestation and the greenhouses in the western part of Almeria.

THINGS TO SEE

Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
The church has been declared of cultural interest and was built throughout the sixteenth century, on the site of a former mosque. Located on Calle La Fuente.

Castillo de Felix
After sheltering so many generations, the castle has gone from being the focus of the village to a ruin. It is one of the many fortresses that the Arabs built during their period of domination in this province. Its origin dates back to the year 955, when Abd-Rahman III designated the centre of Almeria as a medina. The castle’s ruinous state has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) , and can be found on Calle Castillo.

Ermita de San Roque
The small chapel was once a monastery during the Middle Ages and later a Christian church dating to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Today, it is a municipal theatre and can be visited on Calle San Roque.

THINGS TO SEE OUTISDE THE VILLAGE

Acueducto de los 20 ojos
This is the fourth largest aqueduct in Spain, and owes its name to its twenty openings. It is one of the most important Roman-style aqueducts of those preserved in the area, taking into account that its construction was carried out for rural purposes and not as a water supply for the population. It is the largest and most spectacular of the three aqueducts. It measures 40 meters long and 10 meters high, and be seen in Paraje de Casablanca.

GASTRONOMY

The most traditional gastronomic dishes of Felix are the arroz de banda (rice cooked in fish stock), ajo blanco (almond and garlic soup), ajo colorao (cold soup), migas (fried bread usually served with pork), la olla (broth), encebollao (fish stew) and moraga de sardinas (sardines).

FESTIVALS

Popular festivals celebrated in Felix are Fiestas de San Roque, Fiesta de San Marcos, Fiesta de las Castañas and Chapuzones de San Juan. More>

NEARBY PLACES

The neighbouring villages to Felix are Enix, Vícar and Alhama de Almería.

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