| Castelló de Rugat | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Pushpin Map: | Spain |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Spain |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Spain |
| Subdivision Type1: | Autonomous community |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Valencia |
| Subdivision Type3: | Comarca |
| Subdivision Name3: | Vall d'Albaida |
| Subdivision Type4: | Judicial district |
| Subdivision Name4: | Ontinyent |
| Coordinates: | 38.8758°N -0.3831°W |
| Elevation M: | 320 |
| Area Total Km2: | 19.1 |
| Population Demonym: | Castellonenc, castellonenca |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Official language(s) |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 46841 |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Leader Title: | Alcalde |
| Leader Name: | Jose Miguel Barranca Alborch |
| Leader Party: | PP |
Castelló de Rugat (Spanish; Castilian: Castellón de Rugat) is a municipality in the comarca of Vall d'Albaida in the Valencian Community, Spain.
Located in the east side of the "comarca" at the North of Benicadell Mountains. Its district occupies about 2000 ha. the great majority of which are dedicated to agriculture, the other part are gullies and mountain ranges. The highest hills are La Lloma de l'Ullastre (820 m) Peña Blanca (530 m) Algebasó (503 m), other hills are La Buitrera, El Morqui or L'Ermita. The town is situated at the side of L'Ermita hill over 320m. high. The Benicadell Mountains separate the district from Cocentaina County. At the North, West and East there is the plain with many gullies and ravines.
The Castello district borders with next localities: Aielo de Rugat, Beniatjar, Llutxent, Pobla del Duc, El Ràfol de Salem, Rugat and Salem, all of them in the Valencia Province, and L'Orxa in the Alicante Province.
The first testimonies of the occupation of the Castelló lands can be found at the Llopis and at La Cerradura caves dated at the Neolithic era. other rests of the same time were also found in many district places like L'Ofra, El Planet, La Loseta Etc. Some testimonies of the Valencian Bronze Age are the villages found at the Buitrera, Algebassó or Peña Blanca. About the Roman era, many sites were found all over the district, even should be distinguished for each quality and quantity the recent find of a Roman villa at the L'Ofra place.
The Spanish Reconquista of this region was carry out by King James I of Aragon, it was no easy because of the important resistance put by the Muslim leader named Al Azraq whose troops even kill some king knights there. When the conquest was managed by the Christians this territories became part of the Rugat Baron properties given to Lord Bellvis till 1499, year in which were bought by the Duke of Gandia who keep a manor there, some parts of it still remain. Since then the town was named Castelló del Duc, the inhabitants were in the great majority moorish (moriscos), because of that in 1609 when King Felipe III sending off the moorish people from Spain, Castelló became underpopulated. Castelló remains in the Duke states till the nobility dominion abolition with the 1812 Cadiz Constitution.
The local economy has been historically based on agriculture, usually non-irrigated agriculture which was first cereals and vineyard later introducing gradually tree fruit cultivation however Castelló kept an ancient ceramics industry of earthenware jars manufacturers which were so famous in the zone. The progressive decline of the agricultural economy during the last third part of the 20th century turns this activity into a secondary partial one, however still exist there an agricultural cooperative and many fruit stores dedicated to export and trading fruits keeping the sector in a relatively main place.
The great and varied number of all kind services which exist in Castellò turn it in a very dynamic and attractive place for the other towns in the zone.
It also exist several mixed farming exploitations producing chicken, lamb, pork or eggs. Lately the building sector has become an important part in the Castello economy.
About industry stands out the decorative ceramics one destined to the building industries.