Village
Culla is a municipality of medieval streets in the comarca of L'Alt Maestrat, in the province of Castellón, at 1,088 metres of altitude, a member of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain. Its origins go back to prehistory, with cave paintings in the Barranco de Santa María and Covarxa and an Iberian settlement at the Castellar; it remained under Muslim rule until Blasco de Alagón reconquered it in 1233, and in 1244 it received its Charter of Settlement from Guillermo III de Anglesola. The castle of Culla was sold in 1303 by Guillem d'Anglesola, together with all his domains, to the Order of the Temple for 500,000 Jaca sous. With the Temple dissolved in 1312, its possessions passed in 1317 to the newly founded Order of Santa María de Montesa.
Monument
The old town of Culla preserves its medieval layout of narrow streets and stone houses. Among its features stand out the Torre de Frare Pere and the entrance gate to the castle's barbican, which bears the coats of arms of the Order of Montesa. The castle, which crowns the site, suffered severe damage during the Carlist Wars of the 19th century.
Activity
Culla celebrates its patronal festival in mid-August (15, 16 and 17), in honour of the Assumption of the Virgin, San Roque and El Salvador; it also celebrates San Miguel on the last weekend of September and San Pedro Mártir and San Antonio Abad on the last full weekend of April.
Monument
Former granary of the commander of the Order of Montesa in Culla, built between the 13th and 14th centuries, located on Calle de la Abadía next to the ruins of the town's Arab castle. During the Carlist Wars it became a prison, which is where its popular name comes from. Its interior preserves a network of corridors leading to numerous rooms, including small punishment cells where chains and shackles can still be seen on the walls, along with inscriptions left by prisoners. It is listed as a Bien de Relevancia Local (a local-heritage listing in Spain), with the number 12.02.051-009, under the protection of the historic ensemble of Culla.
Monument
The Sant Cristòfol watchtower stands beside the chapel of the same name, on Sant Cristòfol hill, at over 1,000 metres altitude in the Culla mountain range. It formed part of the fortress of Culla castle, whose ownership possibly dates back to the 12th century, and which belonged first to the Order of the Temple, around 1303, and later to the Order of Montesa. Circular in plan and built of ashlar, with a slight batter, it retains remains of its battlements despite having been partly demolished. Its location, far from the town centre, has helped it remain in relatively good condition; the castle complex as a whole, by contrast, was badly damaged during the Carlist Wars.
Nature
Monumental holm oak located in the municipality of Culla, considered one of the most notable singular trees in the Alt Maestrat. Known as the Gran Carrasca, said to be five centuries old, it is estimated to be around five hundred years of age and has been officially classified as a monumental tree of the Valencian Community.
Historical milestone
Guillem d'Anglesola sold the castle and the district of Culla to the Order of the Temple for 500,000 sueldos; with the Templars dissolved, the lordship passed in 1317 to the Order of Montesa, which kept it until the nineteenth century.
Historical milestone
From the 14th century Culla led the Setena, an association of seven towns of the district that jointly managed pastures, firewood and use of the mountain; the institution ordered the pastoral life of these mountains for centuries. It was born in 1345, when the master of the Order of Montesa, Pere de Tous, ceded to the seven towns of the Tinença de Culla — Atzeneta, Benafigos, Benassal, Culla, Torre d'en Besora, Vilar de Canes and Vistabella — the rights to use the pastures belonging to the order, in exchange for an annual payment of 1,600 Valencian royal sueldos. From that common law were also born the royal roads and rights of way between these villages. A rich documentary archive is preserved, today largely digitised at the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón.
Food and drink
Sweet turnovers of thin dough filled with angel-hair squash jam or sweet potato and dusted with sugar; they accompany the festive meals in a town where rabbit with saffron milk caps and oven-roast kid are also classics.