HISTORY OF ALBOX
Albox owes its foundation and population to the Arabs (the town’s name means “the tower” in Arabic), with a history linked to the medieval splendor of the Kingdom of Granada from the thirteenth century. In the throes of the Christian Re-conquest of the fifteenth century, Albox was snatched from the Arabs by the troops of the Adelantado Mayor of the Kingdom of Murcia (Crown of Castile), Alonso Yáñez Fajardo, and later incorporated into his Marquesado de los Vélez.
During the period of the Nasrid Kingdom across the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Albox had one of the most important castles in the Almanzora valley. Other important fortresses included Cantoria, Oria, Tíjola, Purchena and Serón. As the Re-conquest was completed at the end of the fifteenth century, the castle of Albox, like others in the Kingdom of Granada, was destroyed in fear of rebel groups (first Mudejar and later Moorish). Due to its position on the border between the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and the Christian Kingdom of Murcia, several watchtowers were erected in this territory, some of which are still preserved and constitute a valuable historical heritage.
In 1518, a strong earthquake, with an epicenter in Vera, hit Albox, destroying many of the town’s houses.
The town played an active role in the continuous Moorish uprisings which occurred in the sixteenth century throughout the Kingdom of Granada; it was King Felipe II who, after defeating the Moors, decreed their expulsion from the region and the repopulation of the town with Christians brought mainly from the Kingdoms of Murcia and Valencia and La Mancha. Albox became the centre of the municipal council in 1563, under the command of its former Mayor, Anton de Andrano.
During the nineteenth century, the town played an important role in the fight against French invaders, particularly during two bloody skirmishes in 1810 and 1811. This was also the period of greatest economic prosperity in Albox, thanks to its looms, artisan pottery industry and the transport and commerce activity of the muleteers.