Alcaine rises on impassable and frightening rocky ridges that surround and protect it, on the left bank of the Martín river and on the right bank of the Radón river, at the foot of which they converge to flow into the Cueva Foradada reservoir. This position, which today causes problems of isolation and isolation, once protected it and allowed the town to be linked to an independent lordship in medieval times, which belonged to Don Artal de Alagón (1272), although shortly after (1293) it became dependent on the Crown. The Sesse family, don Juan Galindez, acquired the place in 1333. From the 15th century onwards, the village of Alcaine appears associated with the Bardaxí family, together with the villages of Oliete and Obón. The matrimonial links of this family connect the locality with the Bermúdez de Castro (XVIII century) and the Rebolledo de Palafox family until the XIX century.
Alcaine did not need a wall, the protection was entrusted to its rugged terrain whose armor was composed of steep and rugged rocky escarpments and a series of independent towers strategically anchored in the rocky ridges surrounding the town. This unique defensive system (11 independent towers and a fortress) made of stone and mortar, seems to take us back to the years of Arab occupation and must have been quite common during the medieval centuries, although the remaining examples are very scarce, which revalues this system as Cristóbal Guitart explains.
Around this defensive system and around the town there is a hiking route through the rocky cliffs that require extreme caution (PR-TE 98) and that can cause certain problems for hikers with vertigo problems. Some of the towers have been recently consolidated, others were adapted for use as pigeon lofts that once served for the use of pigeon guano as fertilizer and pigeons and pigeons as food, and of others there are only a few barely perceptible remains.
The strategic location of Alcaine to control the Martín valley seems to be confirmed in the “Cantar del Mío Cid” (XI century), when the raids of this warrior through the “Val del río Martín” are described, identifying“al’Caz” with this town.
The urban fabric is characterized by the terrain, adapting the buildings to its irregularity. This causes the main axes of the population to follow the contour lines at different levels of slope, and the buildings -many of them still show the tapial on their facades-, adapt to the rugged terrain and the heights marked by it, so that the slope or lower slope of the streets presents the descending access stairs -integrated in the façade itself-, to access the houses through boxed doors, while on the upper slope of the street the steps are ascending and invade the road itself, outside the façade line where the doors of the house are located. In addition, these slopes allow some buildings to reach up to five stories and not clash with the urban environment. It is an environment that has managed to maintain its old and popular flavor, probably thanks to its isolation. From the river, the urban center shows spectacular views of houses built on dreadful cliffs.
The main axis of the village opens into three squares. To the north is the irregular Church Square, where the church of Santa María La Mayor (XVII-XVIII Sgs.), recently restored and with a unique bell tower of Mudejar tradition, stands out. The main chapel of the church has an elliptical dome and lantern with eighteenth-century decoration and a spectacular and prolific polychrome baroque altarpiece. In the center is another rectangular square (of San Agustín), from which a steeply sloping cross street leads to a beautiful corner passageway. The third square -plaza Mayor del tenor Albero-, includes the most outstanding civilian buildings, together with the Town Hall – in the first floor is located the market, then pelota court, formed by two semicircular arches today adapted to bar or social center- stands an old house made of masonry today recovered as a Hostel and Fauna Interpretation Center of the Cultural Park of the Martín river.
The main axes are cut by sloping streets, highlighting the Nevera street that still preserves the local refrigerator in a small replaceta. The accesses to the town are flanked by several peirons and the very location of the town allows ending at any point on amazing viewpoints, either on the plain of the Martin in the viewpoint of San Ramon that allows access to the river through a cobbled path in steps, or on the Radon River, all of them of great wealth of scenic views.
