Tebra Castle is sited in the Tomiño valley. The river Tebra, tributary of the Miño, flows through this valley. Alonso Gómez Churruchao was the owner in 1345, but Pedro Álvarez de Soutomaior took possession of the Castle in 1468. Between 1481 and 1486, Don Fernando de Acuña, on behalf of the Catholic Monarchs, (Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile), destroyed the castle and later it belonged to Alvaro Suarez de Deza. The Queen Juana la Loca authorized the rebuilding of the castle and it was owned by the Count of Camiña one year later.
The battlements, the sentry box and the cornice are specially beautiful. But, undoubtedly, the Renaissance tower is the most outstanding element of the Castle. After the Catholic Monarchs ordered the destruction of this tower, Alvaro Suarez Deza rebuilt it in 1532. The two sides of the Tower have an extraordinary dimension of approximately 8m wide.
The castle of Tebra has four floors: the ground floor and other three floors. The most remarkable parts of the Castle are its wide viewpoint, a gallery with semicircular arches, a large tower and a chapel.
The castle is in good condition and it is in the municipality of O Seixo, Tomiño. Nowadays the castle is a residence of private property but visitors can have free access to the outdoor part of the castle.
References:The castle of La Iruela, small but astonishing, is located on the top of a steep crag in Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. From the castle, impressive views of the surrounding area and of the town can be enjoyed.
The keep dates from the Christian era. It has a square base and small dimensions and is located at the highest part of the crag.
There are some other enclosures within the tower that create a small alcázar which is difficult to access.
In a lower area of the castle, protected with defensive remains of rammed earth and irregular masonry, is an old Muslim farmstead.
After a recent restoration, an open-air theater has been built on La Iruela castle enclosure. This theater is a tribute to the Greek and Classic Eras and holds various artistic and cultural shows throughout the year.
The first traces of human activity in La Iruela area are dated from the Copper Age. An intense occupation continued until the Bronze Age.
Originally, La Iruela (like Cazorla) was a modest farmstead. From the 11th century, a wall and a small fortress were built on the hill to protect the farmers.
Around 1231, don Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada, Archbishop of Toledo, conquered La Iruela and made it part of the Adelantamiento de Cazorla. Over the Muslim fortress, the current fortress was built.
Once the military use of the fortress ended, it was used as cemetery.