Sagunto Castle

Sagunto Castle is a fortress overlooking the town of Sagunto, near Valencia in Spain. The site's history extends back over two thousand years and includes Iberian, Roman and medieval remains.

In 214 BC, Romans took Sagunto from the Carthaginians and later built a temple and water cistern on the hill. During the Islamic period, the Albacar section and much of the outer wall were constructed, and the castle was used to defend Catalonia and Valencia. El Cid occupied it from 1098 to 1102, and in 1238, Christian king Jaume I incorporated it into the Kingdom of Valencia.

Peter IV of Aragon reinforced the castle in the 14th century, and King Peter of Castile captured it in 1363. In 1562, King Philip II commissioned upgrades, dividing the castle into seven plazas. During the War of Succession in the early 18th century, it changed hands between the Archduke of Austria and King Philip V of Spain. In 1811, during the Peninsular War, French General Suchet captured and repaired the castle after a siege.

The site occupies a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and is surrounded by defensive walls. The castle is divided into seven main sections or plazas. The visible ruins are essentially those of the Muslim citadel, with later modifications under Christian rule, and finally by French engineers during the Peninsular War.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Carrer del Castell s/n, Sagunto, Spain

Details

Founded: 8th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Spain