The Doors of Aledo During The Sleepless Night

Posted by: Darlene on: April 17, 2025

• In: Doors | Events | History | Spain
• 112 Comments

Spain is a fascinating country with many colourful Fiestas based on age-old traditions and legends. La Noche en Vela, or the Sleepless Night, is a unique festival held every August in the medieval village of Aledo, tucked high in the Sierra Espuna mountains. I was fortunate to visit this town during the Sleepless Night.

A bus took us through dense pine forests and climbed winding roads to a fortified hilltop town in the province of Murcia, offering gorgeous vistas overlooking the valley.

We waited in anticipation at the gates of the old town, since only a certain number of people are allowed in this World Heritage site at one time. Once inside the ancient walls, we wandered up to the imposing castle tower and the cathedral of Santa Maria la Real in the town square.

The castle tower

The cathedral of Santa Maria la Real

The doors and patios were all decorated for the yearly event.

Also known as Candle Night, the streets of Aledo´s old town are lit by over four thousand candles. As the sun sets, the village takes on a supernatural glow. The citizens, many of whom have lived there for generations, proudly showed off their candlelight displays.

It was a magical evening with music, dancing and poetry readings to entertain us.

We watched a flamenco dancer in front of one door

And listened to a duo sing a soulful Spanish melody in front of another.

As the night wore on, candles flickered on the castle walls, demons danced along the narrow streets, and children sang. Spirits of the past, inhabitants from prehistoric times, as well as Romans, Moors, and Christian knights, mingled with those of us in present times. I was mesmerised and didn´t want the night to end.

The town has a rich history due to its strategic location and the role it played in battles for supremacy between the Moors and Christian knights. The legend believed to be behind this festival is that of a Princess who lived in the tower and fell in love with a soldier. Every night, she waited for him to return from battle. He lit a candle upon his return to let her know he was alive. She would stay up all night waiting to see the candle flame.

Every door displayed decorations. A night I will never forget!

Thursday Doors is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other door posts too.

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Tags: Aledo, Candle Night, Dan Antion, Doors, Fiesta, Sleepless Night, Spain, Thursday Doors