The modern-day town of Rojales is based on a settlement dating back to the Middle Ages but the history of the area goes back a long way further, about two million years in fact, when at that time the area was under the sea. Tectonic action caused the land to rise and the Sierra de Crevillente was thrown up. This range of mountains forms a backdrop to the low lying plain of the Segura River, the Vega Baja.
As the sea retreated it left behind a large lagoon which was eventually filled by silt from the erosion of the surrounding hills. Wetlands and marshes were formed, some of which still exist today, which provide a suitable habitat for all sorts of wildlife.
Large numbers of fossilised sea creatures have been discovered including whales which are believed to have used the shallow sea as a breeding ground. The first human artefacts date back some 35,000 years to the time of the Neanderthals. The remains of a Neolithic settlement were discovered at La Bernada, the site of the modern industrial estate.
The rich fertile plain attracted settlers and an agricultural society developed. As the population increased, the smaller tribes and kingdoms amalgamated into larger groups and the Iberian civilisation came to dominate the south-east corner of Spain. The Iberians were highly skilled craftsman and had trading links with the Greeks and Phoenicians.
By the 3rd century BC the wealthy economy attracted the attention of the Romans who conquered the region and remained in power until the 5th century AD, when they in turn were ousted by the Goths. The economy went into decline during this period and would not recover until the conquest of southern Spain by the Arabs at the beginning of the 8th century.
The Arabs brought with them new agricultural techniques and products including more advanced irrigation and the citrus fruits which are so common today. Once again the economy prospered leading to a growth in the population. For seven hundred years the area was caught up in the battle for control of Spain between the Arabs and the Christian Kings. A struggle which is still celebrated today by the Festivals of Moors and Christians during the summer months.
The economy of Spain collapsed during the 17th and beginning of the18th centuries and the area around Rojales was in decline until the end of the 18th century when major drainage systems were installed and the marshes were turned into the flat fertile farmland which we can still see today. Again Rojales prospered with a thriving population and in 1773 was declared a municipality in its own right.
The building of a bridge across the Segura river was a major factor in the growth of the modern town as this created an important focal point for transport and trade. The earthquake of 1829 destroyed much of the town and many of the buildings we see today came from the re-construction. Incidentally, the cave houses seen in various districts around the town date back to the early 1800s and not to any earlier periods, and the House of Shells was created during the 1990s.
The modern town of Rojales is still centred around the bridge across the river. Since 1980 the population has increased yet again with the influx of people from northern Europe either buying holiday homes or retiring there as permanent residents. The majority of new construction has taken place with the building of new urbanisations which form Ciudad Quesada, although a lot of new construction has taken place within the town itself.
