What to See
Parish Church of La Virgen del Carmen
Is located, as is characteristic of all the peoples of the Vega Baja del Segura, near the Town Hall and opposite to the Square of Spain.
Construction of functional style, its began to be build in 1963 in honour of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, completing the building in 1967. With a Christ on the altar and paintings on the side altars.
Algorfa’s Chapel
It stands on a small hill that allows it to be distinguishing at any point. It is one of the most representative examples of Algorfa. It was built early this century with stones of the local quarry.
The neighbours of this village told, in other times, that the inside of the chapel was decorated as follows:
"...Had marble slabs with white and black, like a chessboard. Upon entering and on the right side there was a font of stone, built by a mason in the village. The altar was pieces of wood of different colours, symbolizing a mosaic. The interior of the chapel allowed an exceptional acoustics, and light rays, to penetrate the glass of the windows, giving to the interior the feeling of being wrapped in a piece of heaven...".
The Pilgrimage was famous throughout the Vega Baja that was made to the Hermitage in September, during the festivities. These were celebrated in September and not in July, as it should, because in the summer months most of the men of the people were in the harvest. The first Sunday of September was celebrating mass in the Hermitage, later the Virgen del Carmen was taken to the village, where remained throughout the day in the unitary School existing at the time. In the evening of that day was celebrated the procession through the streets of the village. The next day, Monday, the Virgin was carried in pilgrimage to the chapel again.
The Chapel is part of the municipal heritage and that famous pilgrimage has been revived, never forgotten by the residents of the village.
Today the Town Hall is making negotiations with the Excelentísima Diputación Provincial de Alicante, and the Generalitat Valenciana, to restore it as well as the pine grove that surrounds it. Equally it is managed to acquire the House-Palace of the Marquises, placed close to the Hermitage.
Montemar’s Castle
To the south of Algorfa's municipal area, and by the road linking the town to Los Montesinos, you can find a farm dedicated to several crops and with great part of pine forests and scrubland. In the middle of this farm, there is a noble Castle, called Castle of Montemar, on the top of one of the highest summits of the different ones that form the Mount of this real state.
This Lordly house was built at the end of the eighteenth century and since then, and during nearly 150 years, belonged to the family of the counts of Red Houses. The first Count of Red House, and possibly the first owner of this Castle, was Don Jose Rojas and Recaño. This gentleman was the first that had the dignity of Captain General of the department of Cartagena. Born in Cádiz in 1702 and after a long and courageous career in the navy, was appointed by the King, Count of Red House and Viscount of Recaño. He died in Cartagena to 93 years of age. During all the 19th century, the Castle of Montemar continued belonging to their successors. The end of the Civil War, the Rojas family had to sell the farm and the Castle, which contained. After passing through several owners, the Castle was acquired in the year 1970 by its current owners, and was the subject of an important restoration that saved it from disappears, and adapted it inwardly as private housing, which remains in use today.
This castle never had military uses, was generally used as a summer residence of successive owners. Its style is something French. It has two square and two circular towers with the corners of the ashlars. The main tower, to be called "the tribute", has "garitones" in its corners, and battlements with their coronations inclined toward the outside. It has a square courtyard surrounded by a gallery on the first floor. The roofs of the towers are flat and accessible, although during the last century had a roof made of slate. The view from these terraces justifies undoubtedly the name of this "Castle of Montemar".
The Small Castle
It was close to Castle of Montemar, on a hillock.
There are few data on this small castle, which had functions attached to Montemar. It was owned by the Orders of Santiago and Montalban, and more than a castle itself would probably be an outpost.
The building has cylindrical body topped by battlements, leaving few traces of other elements.
Necropolis
The remains of the necropolis of Algorfa belong to the Neolithic period, III millennium BC. The basic instrumental was of ceramic stone, made with genuine virtuosity, including the thirty-three arrowhead found there and in view of tooling and functionality due to the existence in the surroundings of a village composed of strong hunters and warriors who lived in a wooded framework on the banks of the Segura.
Festivals
Algorfa offers its locals festivals in two dates a year, the first one ,the second Easter Monday, in honour of San Vicente Ferrer, patron of Algorfa, religious dominico born in Valencia toward 1356 and died in Vannes, (France), with procession and festive activities, theater and dance. Since mid-April to May. They celebrate the Spring Cultural.
The second date is July 16th, local festivities in honour of the Virgen del Carmen. Sporting and cultural events are a source of unity among the people of Algorfa.
In June they celebrate the Sports Gala, and inthe second weekend in September is celebrated Algorfa Jove.
Holy Week
Algorfa’s Holy Week is distinguished by the fervent and massive participation of the faithful in each of the processions and in the sacramental liturgy of Palm Sunday and the Tríduo sacrum of Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord, like many other villages that lack of Confraternities.
It is on Easter Sunday, in the Procession of the Meeting, where they live moments more emotive, after the reverences with flags among the Lord and the Virgin, with the release of doves on the part of the people of this town.
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