Coca Castle, Coca, Spain - SpottingHistory.com

Magnificent Coca Castle was built in the 15th century by Alonso de Fonseca, a mighty archbishop of Seville, during the reign of King Enrique IV of Castile. It's made up of two square baileys separated by a passageway. Both show polygonal towers at the corners. The double walls are 2.5 m thick and it's circled by a deep dry moat.

Coca castle is a mixture of western and Moorish military architecture, as can be seen from its decoration. It has a square ground plan, a moat and two walled enclosures, which gives it the air of impregnability for which it has been known over the centuries. The keep is located in the second area. It is made of brick and its walls are profusely decorated. The interior is very luxurious and lavish, and conserves its Mudejar decoration. Due to its great splendour, it was used more as a palace than as a fortress. It is one of the crowning works of the military Mudejar style.

The castle is owned by the Alva family and now serves as a training center for foresters. Their school is situated in the inner bailey.

User Reviews

Kev Thomas (5 months ago)
A hidden gem in the middle of Tortosa. Not worth a special visit as half of it is closed off and a little unkept. But the views and the ability to see the rest of the walls in the distance makes your imagination see how big the complex actually was. Plus go up to the new part which is on the other side and converted to a hotel. But its nicely done

Stanimir Angelov (6 months ago)
The village is very cozy, the castle is incredible you need to visit it from from inside. There are few bars , but you can eat good there

tradinomad (9 months ago)
Very authentic castle still untouched by the masses. There’s a nice self guided walking tour climbing up quite a big amount of tall steps that showcase the convergence of Mudejar design and Gothic architecture.

Richard Buck (10 months ago)
Unbelievable place really worth the trip One of the better castles in Spain in my opinion and sadly missed by many as they hurtle North - South on motorways. So worthwhile taking longer to make a trip and enjoy Spains best kept secret - it’s interior.

Bernadette Trinidad (2 years ago)
Outside of the castle is beautiful. Due to the pandemic must do online reservation to see the inside of the castle, was not able to see it due to this reason.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright larrywkoester

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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.

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