History
Laroles, the capital of the municipality of Nevada, was originally called Alaroles. It is the administrative centre of the municipality and was part of the Taha de Ugíjar during the period of Muslim domination. The history of this village runs parallel to that of other villages in the Alpujarra region, which, due to its geographical isolation, has developed its own distinctive culture. Laroles had its moment of splendour during the Arab-Andalusian period, when the whole of the Alpujarra was an important agricultural centre specialising in silk production.
Following the Christian reconquest of Granada in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs, the population suffered unbearably. Thus, in 1568, the wealthy landowner Hernando de Córdoba y Válor proclaimed himself Abén Humeya and rose up against Felipe II, inciting a general revolt amongst the Moors from across the Kingdom of Granada.
The villages of Laroles, Mairena, Picena and Júbar, which have formed part of the municipality of Nevada since 1974, played a decisive role in the guerrilla warfare due to their strategic location at the northern entrance to the Alpujarra via the La Ragua pass.
However, internal disagreements amongst the Moors, who assassinated Abén Humeya in 1569, allowed Don Juan de Austria to put an end to the revolt. The Moors were eventually expelled in 1609. The Alpujarra was later inhabited by peasants from Galicia, León, Asturias and Castile.
In 1972 the municipality of Nevada was created when it merged the villages of Laroles, Mairena and Picena. The Nevada town hall is located in Laroles.