Estepa Castle, Estepa, Spain

Estepa castle was known in the Islamic period as Hisn Istabba, and was taken by Spanish king Fernando III on 15 August 1241.

The city walls that still surround the old town on the San Cristóbal hill were first built in the tenth century by the Moors, renovated by Almohad invaders in the twelfth, and again reconstructed when Estepa fell to the Christian Order of Santiago in the thirteenth century. The keep inside the walls was built against attacks from Granada in the fourteenth century, and at 26 metres offers sweeping views of the town and surrounding countryside.

A defensive tower built by Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa, Master of Santiago, it carried out defensive and logistical functions, measuring 26 metres high by 13 metres wide. On clear days, you can see Sierra Nevada from the roof.

References:

andalucia.com

User Reviews

francisco estevez (4 months ago)
Very expensive to see simple ruins; If they included a visit to the convent or the church, it would still be worth it...the very friendly guides and the spectacular views, yes.

Tomás Rincón García (10 months ago)
Although the keep stands out, good work has been done to recover this fortress and enhance its value. Its walls closely monitor the passage of time in this Sevillian town.

Maica Sánchez Martínez (3 years ago)
Despite how little is left standing. The guide has offered us a magnificent visit, with great explanations and has taken us from the Tartessian settlement period to the present day. We have learned a lot about the magnificent history of Estepa, seeing archaeological remains, walls, the keep, and the impressive views of a green countryside, dotted by numerous Sevillian and Cordoban towns. Also in the distance you could see the provinces of Málaga and Granada, looming, Sierra Nevada in the distance.

José A Díaz (3 years ago)
Located on the San Cristóbal hill next to the main church, to enjoy a quiet place and beautiful views.

Isabel M Dorado Fernández (3 years ago)
What an incredible place!! It surprised me a lot. It is a magical place. They explained the history of the Alcazaba and Estepa to us in a theater in the Alcazaba. Very entertaining. The origin of the mantecados, and the accent of its people... its wealth... its battles all narrated by a character... Aguilar y Cano...

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Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Estepa Castle

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