History of Gualchos
Gualchos has its origins in the Nasrid farmhouses, possibly arising as a result of the desire to take advantage of the land for irrigated crops. Here we must highlight the mine, which was once a cistern, then a washing place and now a wonderful viewpoint, whose water source still provides spring water to the community.
In Castell de Ferro we find the Castle that is located on a hill on the west side of the town, and dates back to the Nasrid period. It was established under the direct control of the Sultan of Granada, who was interested in maintaining military contingents in these areas. Next to the castle, there are a group of watchtowers and other fortresses, both urban and coastal.
This new coastal defensive line was built to the detriment of the previous inland fortifications more linked to the settlement and which were used as a rural refuge by the communities of the Lújar and Contraviesa mountains.
Repopulated by Christians after the expulsion of the Moors, like the entire Kingdom of Granada, it lost its splendour, which little by little it recovered until the spread of phylloxera during the nineteenth century, which attacked the abundant vineyards, forcing many families to emigrate to America and Catalonia. However, the Catalanization of the name from Castril to Castell occurred after the Napoleonic defeat, when a large group of Catalan fishermen emigrated to the area.
In 1887, the Gualchos city council was suspended due to irregularities in administrative management, excess of powers and violation of legal provisions by the mayor and councillors.
The town has enjoyed the title of villa since 1901, granted by King Alfonso XIII for the increase in its population and the progress of its agriculture, industry and commerce.
During the latter part of the twentieth century, it experienced great prosperity thanks to the development of intensive agriculture that introduced organic farming and tourism.
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