Monturque Castle

Monturque, Spain

When Monturque Castle was exactly built is unknown. Archaeological findings suggests it was built during the reign of the Ummayad Caliphate (661–750 AD) on Roman remains.

The Castle was conquered by Ferninand III in 1240, and for a long time thereafter its ownership passed intermittently between the Crown and Nobility. One early record of this is from 1273, when half of the Monturque tower was awarded by Martin Sanchez to his grandson, Lope.

The well-preserved tower, Torre del Homenaje, stands in the center of the Patio de Armas. A sober and simple structure, this tower was the best equipped of the castle to house its guests, who would probably only spend short stays here, as it does not show signs of having been adapted for permanent accommodation. The castle and tower are located on Calle de Rafael de Lara.

References:

andalucia.com

Address

Calle de Seneca 5, Monturque, Spain

See all sites in Monturque

Details

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

More Information

www.castles.nl
www.andalucia.com

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Gema Gemap (10 months ago)
Me ha encantado. Lourdes una magnífica guía que ama su trabajo

Darpi pino (10 months ago)
Lourdes es maja simpática y graciosa esta muy bien 10 l la guía

José Val San (10 months ago)
Una de las construcciones romanas mejor conservadas destinadas a almacenar agua. Sus doce aljibes almacenaban hasta 850.000 litros de agua.

Antonio Mejias (12 months ago)
Excelente visita a estas cisternas romanas que el ayuntamiento de Monturque ha puesto en valor

i R (3 years ago)
Being the largest easily accessible Roman cisterns these are not so well known and famous among foreign tourists. As I've been told by the cutest guide in whole Andalusia, we were only second non-spanish speaking visitors (it is probably sad, but I don't know if cisterns would benefit from higher number of visitors).

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

The Beauty of Cinque Terre

Photo from Flickr, copyright alancowper

Historic Site of the week

Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle

Easter Aquhorthies stone circle, located near Inverurie, is one of the best-preserved examples of a recumbent stone circle, and one of the few that still have their full complement of stones. It consists of a ring of nine stones, eight of which are grey granite and one red jasper. Two more grey granite stones flank a recumbent of red granite flecked with crystals and lines of quartz. The circle is particularly notable for its builders' use of polychromy in the stones, with the reddish ones situated on the SSW side and the grey ones opposite.

The placename Aquhorthies derives from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning 'field of prayer', and may indicate a 'long continuity of sanctity' between the Stone or Bronze Age circle builders and their much later Gaelic successors millennia later. The circle's surroundings were landscaped in the late 19th century, and it sits within a small fenced and walled enclosure. A stone dyke, known as a roundel, was built around the circle some time between 1847 and 1866–7.

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!