GUADALEST
King Jaime II donated the Castle of Guadalest as a fief to Bernardo de Sarrià in 1293 and here begins a period of 42 years, during which the castle and the entire region belong to the Sarrià family.
In 1335 the castle passed to the Crown, which sold it to the Infante D. Pedro and he passed it on to his son, the first Royal Duke of Gandia and on the death of the last Royal Duke of Gandia, the Cardona family. The Kings Dª Juana and Don Carlos, granted to D. Sancho de Cardona.
Cardona had titles, including Duke of Cardona and Admiralty of Aragon. D. Sancho de Cardona married María de Colón y Toledo, granddaughter of the discoverer of America.
The last Cardona, Marquis of Guadalest, died without issue in 1699 and this caused a series of problems that ended with the fall of the Marquis in the person of the Marquis of Ariza; The marquis continues and his power declines in the XNUMXth century.
During Cardona's time, another family that is more relevant is the Orduña family. Orduña's link with El Castell de Guadalest dates from the 1669th century, they were perpetual wardens from 1756 and reached nobility in XNUMX, when Don Pedro Antonio Buenaventura de Orduña y García entered the Order of Santiago.
In the XNUMXth century, with the abolition of the señoríos, the Orduña acquired power and influence over the inhabitants of the valley and also over the region of La Marina by holding among its members the positions of President of the Provincial Council of Alicante, governors, deputies and senators in the Spanish courts. D. Carlos María de Orduña y Ciscar was the patriarch of an extensive family. His political ambitions were inherited by D. Joaquín Feliu de Orduña and since he had no offspring, it was his brother José Atanasio Torres Ibars de Povil and his son D. Antonio Torres de Orduña who maintained a political career outside the valley limits. D. Joaquín was Civil Governor of Alicante and D. Antonio deputy.
In 1934 the last Orduña died, D. Carlos Torres de Orduña, without descendants, due to his possessions on lateral branches.
While these two families became part of the history of El Castell de Guadalest, other unique events changed the appearance of the municipality.
The majority population of the Moriscos valley was expelled, creating a great demographic vacuum that was attempted to be filled with the Puebla Charter of 1611.
The Bourbon army, victorious in the battle of Almansa, moved to Valencia, Játiva attacked and destroyed and part of it reached Alcoy and El Castell de Guadalest. The Austracists killed the Bourbon defenders, but eventually had to abandon the municipality.
In 1953, construction began on the dam that will be finished in 1971. Tourism begins to discover the charm of El Castell de Guadalest.
In 1974, El Castell de Guadalest was declared a historical-artistic site
In 1980, El Castell de Guadalest received the Bronze Plaque for Tourism Merit and in 1981 the Third National Tourism Award for Beautification and Improvement of the Towns of Spain.
In 1994, the municipal purchase of Casa Orduña was remembered and its rehabilitation was carried out to become a Municipal Museum.
Law 13/1985, of June 25, on Spanish Historical Heritage and Law 4/1998, of June 11, of the Generalitat Valenciana, on Valencian Cultural Heritage, establish that the rules applicable to the singular elements of the whole of El Castell de Guadalest are typical of Assets of Cultural Interest. (B.I.C.).
In 2015, after passing a series of audits, the municipality is part of "The Most Beautiful Towns in Spain" and in 2016 it enters the Federation of the most beautiful towns in the world.