La Mola: Novelda's triangular tower and modernista sanctuary
La Mola sets two Novelda landmarks beside one another without making them the same story. The castle preserves Islamic and later Christian fortification, including a rare triangular tower. The Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena, begun in 1918, turns local stone, brick and coloured ceramic into a modernista pilgrimage church.
Why it matters
The castle controlled the Vinalopó corridor and was reshaped after Christian conquest. Its triangular tower creates three defensive faces around an internal core unlike the common square keep. José Sala Sala designed the sanctuary with two 25-metre towers and natural, medieval and baroque references. Its plan evokes the ointment jar associated in Christian tradition with Mary Magdalene.
Plan the visit
Read the complex from outside first: the contrast between plain defensive masonry and the sanctuary's textured façade is strongest across the shared hilltop. The sanctuary is currently closed and fenced because structural cracks placed its east tower at risk, with rehabilitation moving forward in 2026. Respect the perimeter. Castle access and conservation areas should be checked separately.
- Do not cross sanctuary fencing or rely on older published opening hours.
- Check the municipal heritage notice before travelling.
- Use the exterior viewpoints to study materials without approaching works areas.
- Combine La Mola with Novelda's town-centre modernista buildings when open.
Connect the story
The Novelda guide links this hilltop to Casa Museo Modernista, marble, saffron and bagged table-grape country.
Sources
Written in September 2026 from Novelda council's official histories of the Santa María Magdalena sanctuary and its current structural-closure and rehabilitation notices.
The sanctuary remains closed at the time of writing. Barriers and conservation instructions override old tourism leaflets and opening times.