Alcalá de Chivert: For Whom the Bells Toll

Alcalá de Chivert used to be the most important town in the area, which is why its enormous church and bell tower can be seen from miles away. In fact it used to be a landmark for invading and defending armies to muster their troops.

With the growth of importance of nearby coastal towns such as Peñiscola, Alcalá has lost a lot of its importance, although the lack of tourists makes it ideal for those of us who live with the delusion that there is still a ‘real Spain’ out there waiting to be discovered.

In fact, there is a tourist info booth in front of the tower, and if you ask, they will open it up so that you can ascend the 140 odd steps for some of the best views of the area, if you don’t mind the pigeon droppings.

Up in the bell tower, where each bell has a name, you can see the nearby castle and recall the different armies that would have approached from north and south, including those of Napoleon at the beginning of the 19^th century.

The Romans were also here, although it was the Arabs that built the castle, captured in 1234 by King Jaume I. In fact the town’s name derives from the Arabic word for ‘castle’.

Its greatest moment of glory was perhaps on 30th August 1905, when a horde of international scientists descended on the town to watch a total eclipse of the sun and listen to Pink Floyd records.