Lopera Castle

Lopera, Spain

Lopera Castle is a big castle in the city center made up of irregular masonry. It has an irregular pentagonal base. The castle is defended by five towers, some of the towers are cylindrical and some others are prismatic. It has machicolated balconies, a defensive device to better guard entrances and some of the fortified towers.

There were Romans and Visigoth settlements until Lopera was conquered by the Muslims at the beginning of the 8th century. During the 9th and 10th centuries, the population moved to the current town where a small Muslim farmstead was created. During the 11th century, the farmstead was fortified as a defence against Castilian attacks.

Once Lopera was conquered by the Christians, King Ferdinand III relinquished it to the Order of Calatrava. The Order of Calatrava built the castle that exists today. This castle guaranteed an escape to river Guadalquivir.

In 1856, the castle was acquired by Alonso Valenzuela who turned it into public property.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Calle Cuesta 17, Lopera, Spain
See all sites in Lopera

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Spain

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Manuel Chamorro Luque (6 months ago)
An amazing visit. When I booked I did not imagine that I would find such a well-preserved castle and such a professional guide to make a visit an entertaining history lesson. I definitely recommend making the visit, I will do it again with more companions to learn about the history of Lopera
Emilio Eugenio De Arriba Escolá (2 years ago)
Imposing castle of 3,500 square meters in length and that since 1240 when Fernando III the Saint ceded the land to the Order of Calatrava has been located in this town of Lopera. It has two towers, that of Santa Maria and that of San Miguel. The castle had various uses such as a tobacco dryer, cinema, theater, olive pickles, wine cellars and wedding celebrations. Excellent explanation from the person in charge of tourism who reveals all the secrets of the castle and the riches of the town. His great interest in promoting his town is to be admired, which he will surely achieve with the passion he puts into it. The truth is that we loved the visit and we did not leave without buying its famous wine at the Herruzo winery. Our anecdote was that we parked our motorhome in front of the castle to spend the night and it turns out that it was prohibited, we did not see the signs and they were new. We saw the local police taking our photo of the infraction and we went to the town hall to show our faces. The understanding of the policeman and his excellent attention exempted us from the fine, without processing, and allowed us to spend a magnificent day in this wonderful town. We encourage the council to install a motorhome area, which is sure to be successful and attracts quality tourism to the town that consumes and visits tourist sites, particularly its castle.
Juan Salas (2 years ago)
The score is only because it was closed without giving other explanations, although Google said it was open. We could only see the walled enclosure, which is very well restored and preserved.
Cristina Pérez París (3 years ago)
A good experience, I recommend visiting it. It is a castle that has its charm. The castle has a very beautiful architecture, and in general it is very well preserved. Without a doubt, what I liked the most about the visit was climbing the towers.
Juan Manuel Lázaro Pérez-Toledo (5 years ago)
Interesting guided exhibition, free, and you can take a photo with your partner that's cool. A civil war battle was fought on this front where many people on both sides died, so as not to forget.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.