Medieval castles in Andalusia

Belalcázar Castle

The castle-palace of Belalcázar is one of the most representative of the 15th century, when the nobility attempted to demonstrate its social and economic status. Built entirely of stone blocks, Belalcazar preserves two enclosures: an outer barrier adapted to the irregularities of the land and reinforced with rectangular towers, and the inner rectangular castle-palace with eight towers, one at each corner and another in ...
Founded: 15th century | Location: Belalcázar, Spain

Belmez Castle

Castillo de Belmez is a small fortress located in Bélmez, northwest of Córdoba. It is visible from any angle, as it sits on top of a high limestone rocky outcrop. It seems to have been around at least since 1245, although the main tower and the wall were built later on, in the 15th century. It belonged to the Order of Calatrava after belonging to the Cordoba Council. In the 15th century it became an important area of co ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Belmez, Spain

Bujalance Castle

Castillo de Bujalance was built in the 10th century during the Caliphate of Abd-ar-Rahman III. It is a clear example of Muslim military architecture in Al-Andalus. It subsequently underwent several modernizations, most recently in 1512, which were paid for by Queen Joanna of Castile. It is rectangular in shape, measuring 59 metres north-south and 51 metres east-west. The castle"s original name, 'tower of the sn ...
Founded: 10th century AD | Location: Bujalance, Spain

Berrueco Castle

The castle of Berrueco is located in the small town that belongs to Torredelcampo. It is the most important castle in all Jaén district. On top of San Antón hill, the ruins and remains of Iberian, Roman and Visigoth settlements have been found. This is an area that has been conquered and occupied by different peoples over the years. The main settlement was Roman and took up the lower part of the San Antón hillside. T ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Torredelcampo, Spain

Fatetar Castle

The Fatetar Castle is located on the top of the Monte Fatetar, in the highest part of the town and enyoy stunning views of both, the village and its surroundings. Apparently the Fatetar Castle was built by Abderrahman III in 914. Though its origins are not well known, many cultures haved passed through this place, such as the Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, Muslims and Christians. Today you can still observe its keep and the ...
Founded: 914 AD | Location: Espera, Spain

Hins-Canit Castle

An Arabic Hins-Canit Castle construction begun in the 9th century and completed in the 16th century. This great fortress was one of the most important during the Humar Bem Hafsum uprising and the Christian and Granada wars. Its name can be traced back to the Arabic Hins Cannit or Qanit, which, depending on the author consulted, either means “Canit Castle” or is a reference to the canes that can still be found close t ...
Founded: 9th century AD | Location: Cañete la Real, Spain

Luna Castle

Luna Castle building started in the mid-15th century. Built in the Mudejar style, it has for towers and curtain walls.
Founded: 15th century | Location: Mairena del Alcor, Spain

Torreparedones Castle

The first documents of Torreparedones Castle date from the 14th century, but it was probably built in the 13th century. The best preserved part is the tower.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Baena, Spain

Mata Bejid Castle

Mata Bejid Castle is a rectangular fortress built originally during Muslim era. It has two towers on both sides, quite deteriorated, the one on the North consists of an interior room covered with a pointed vault (keep), and the one on the South has a low solid body and the upper one habitable. The castle is divided into two large areas, the main square (it was converted in recent times into a farmhouse, of which the arch ...
Founded: 14th century | Location: Cambil, Spain

Doña Blanca Castle

Castillo de Doña Blanca is a tower built in the 15th or 16th century to watch the Cádiz bay. It is named after lady Blanca de Borbón, who was imprisoned there.  The tower is built to the archaeological area. The remains of walls, necrópolis and parts of houses date from the eighth to the third century BC and were built by the Phoenicians. It is considered an ancient city with a significant development and urban plan ...
Founded: 15th century | Location: El Puerto de Santa María, Spain

Zalia Castle

The Zalia Castle is easily accessed by the road up from La Viñuela Dam address Ventas de Zafarraya-Granada. Although hardly can be seen today due to their state of total ruin, Zalia Castle had an irregural plant of approximately 120m x 150 m. You can still see some towers and remains of the wall between the gorse and scrubland existing around. Zalia Castle had a double walled, both being very irregular. Account outsi ...
Founded: 10th century AD | Location: Alcaucín, Spain

Setefilla Castle

The Setefilla Castle is located on the outskirts of the town of Lora del Río. The name has its origin in a medieval place name that should refer to the Muslim fortress located on the table of the same name. In the Middle Ages, Setefilla was an important enclave related tot eh Muslim conquest, the reconquest and the subsequent repopulation of the area and appears several times cited in the texts of historians of the time ...
Founded: 888-921 AD | Location: Lora del Río, Spain

Espeluy Castle

Espeluy Castle is located in Jaén, the Municipality that gives it its name, on the Guadalquivir and Guadalimar rivers. Its origin dates back to the Caliphate era, with a Muslim castle existing on this site. Since then it was owned in the year 1224 by Fernando III, leaving the area under the jurisdiction of the Crown, in 1321 a new castle was built and in 1469 it would be taken by the troops of Don Miguel Lucas de Iranzo ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Espelúy, Spain

Peña de Martos Castle

Peña de Martos Castle is located in the foothills of Las Cordilleras Béticas, in La Peña hillsides. A great panoramic view of the Guadalquivir valley can be seen from its location. During the Middle Ages, Martos had one of the most impressive fortresses in Andalucía. It was formed by two castles. One built in La Peña from which its name was taken, and De la Villa Castle built in the very center of the town. La Peña ...
Founded: 10th century AD | Location: Jaén, Spain

Aznalmara Castle

Aznalmara Castle was built int he 13th-14th centuries. It was conquered by the Christian army in 1410 and 1485. Today it lies in ruins.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Ubrique, Spain

Gigonza Castle

Castillo de Gigonza site has been in existence since antiquity. The present castle is of Andalusian origin and almost square in shape, with two parts to its structure. The current appearance dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. A narrow and low door contains a lintel with two heavy imposts. The upper floor is vaulted and contains windows. The grounds contain a surrounding fence. The courtyard is accessed through a door ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: San José del Valle, Spain

Bentomiz Castle

Bentomiz Castle is an ancient Moorish fortress built on a hill near the village of Arenas in the province of Málaga. It sits at a height of 711 metres, and lies to the northeast of Vélez-Málaga. The castle site is thought to have been occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, although it is not clear which parts of the ruins date to which period. Roman baths have been found there. The Arabs built on the existing ...
Founded: 11th century | Location: Arenas, Spain

Torrestrella Castle

Torrestrella Castle was built in the 13th century. It was built in to the rocky hilltop and was used by local bandits in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Medina-Sidonia, Spain

Anzur Castle

Anzur Castle was originally an ancient Moorish fort built in the 10th century. It was located at a strategic borderland location between the Christian and Moorish areas. The castle was conquered by Ferdinand III in 1241. Today only the watch tower exists.
Founded: 10th century AD | Location: Puente Genil, Spain

Fuentetétar Castle

Fuentetétar Castle is a rural castle from the 12th and 13th centuries that is located next to the village or farmhouse of the same name, rising on the top of a high hill from which much of the surrounding lands is controlled, visually connecting with the castle of Jaén and with the castle of Zumel. At present it is inhabited as a farmhouse, having undergone important reforms. Its keep, made of masonry, has practically ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Jaén, Spain

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Spisskà Kapitula

Spišskà Kapitula, a unique fortified ecclesiastical ensemble, began as a small fortified settlement overlooking Spišské Podhradie in the 12th century. It was the site of the residence of the Provost of the castle, in the no longer extant St Martin"s monastery, and later became a capitulary. This was destroyed in by Tatars in 1241-1243, but the pilgrim"s chapel, in rotunda form and dedicated to the Virgin, survived until the 18th century and the monastery until the 15th century.

The complex of buildings there is based on the Cathedral of St Martin, where building began in 1285 as a three-aisled Romanesque basilica with a chancel at the west end and a double spire. It owes its present form to successive remodellings and additions in the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles.

The Provost's residence was completed in 1281 and further religious buildings were added. Frequent raids by marauding Bulgars and others led to its being fortified in the 14th century. The cathedral was rebuilt in the later 14th century. In 1776 it became the residence of the Bishop and four years later a seminary was established. In 1819 the first teacher training centre in Hungary was founded there.

The Bishop's Palace is largely Baroque, with some excellent interior decorations, like many of the religious buildings in the group. The oval ground plan of the centre of the town is due to its having been fortified in the 14th century. The various religious buildings had defensive functions in this early period. New monastery buildings were erected when the provost"s residence was rebuilt and the whole area fortified. The earlier central fortifications were removed in the 18th century.

Spišské Kapitula is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments.