Monteagudo Castle sits on top of a hill and is in excellent condition. The archaeological remains that have been found date from the Moorish period. After the city of Murcia was founded in 825, the castle was used as a fortification and probably also a prison. Farmers stored grain there and it had large wells for the garrison. The walls are made of solid rammed earth and mortar, and the floor adapts to the terrain and is divided into two terraces at different heights. On the southern flank we can see several wells, granaries and other rooms.
When the castle was taken over by the Christians, it kept its strategic nature and was included as part of the Crown of Castile. After the Kingdom of Murcia was established, it became a border castle between the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, until the 15th century.
The castle is crowned by the the Christ of Monteagudo sculpture which is 14 meters high. It was originally founded in 1926. After its demolition during the Spanish Civil War, it was rebuilt in 1951 and is the one we can see today.
References:Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune of Riomaggiore. It is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, with a population of 353.
Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name 'Manarola' is probably a dialectical evolution of the Latin, 'magna rota'. In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to 'magna roea' which means 'large wheel', in reference to the mill wheel in the town.
Manarola's primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned; references from Roman writings mention the high quality of the wine produced in the region.