![Castillo de la Atalaya, Villena](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Castillo_de_la_Atalaya%2C_Villena.JPG)
The Atalaya Castle (Spanish: ''Castillo de la Atalaya'' or ''Castillo de Villena'', English: Castle of the Watch) is a fortress in
Villena
Villena () is a city in Spain, in the Valencian Community. It is located at the northwest part of Alicante, and borders to the west with Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia, to the north with the province of Valencia and to the east and south with the ...
,
province of Alicante, southern
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. Located over a spur of the
Sierra de la Villa, in the north-western part of the
province of Alicante, it commands the former frontier between
Castile and
Kingdom of Aragon.
History
![Castillo de la Atalaya 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Castillo_de_la_Atalaya_02.JPG)
The fortress was built in an unknown age, although not after the 12th century, since Arab sources mention it in 1172. It has been speculated that the fortification could have been built over a Roman ''
castrum
In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a po ...
'' or villa, but no proof of this has been found.
The fortress was an important stronghold on the northern frontier of the
Islamic emirate of Iberia, and proof of its robustness is the fact that the fortification resisted to three different sieges laid by
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 12 ...
. He was finally able to conquer it in 1240, sending an army led by the knights of the
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava ( es, Orden de Calatrava, pt, Ordem de Calatrava) was one of the four Spanish military orders and the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Orde ...
, with almogavar mercenaries, under the command of Ruy Pérez Ponce de León, Commander of Alcañiz. These incursions involved a violation of the Treaty of Cazola, according to which Villena belonged to the Castilian conquest. The castle would definitely be in hands of the
Kingdom of Castile
The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th cent ...
after the
Treaty of Almizra
The Treaty of Almizra (or Treaty of Almiçra) was the third of a series of three treaties between the Crown of Aragon and Crown of Castile meant to determine the limits of their expansion into Andalusia so as to prevent squabbling between the Chri ...
of 1244. It was first given to the
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava ( es, Orden de Calatrava, pt, Ordem de Calatrava) was one of the four Spanish military orders and the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Orde ...
, but was soon acquired by
''Infante'' Manuel when he became lord of Villena. Here resided his son, writer
Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena
Don Juan Manuel (5 May 128213 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordship of Villena, receiving the titles of Lord, D ...
, who made reforms to improve the security of the fortress, in order to defend his fiancee, the princess Constanza of Aragon. In the XIV century, the Lords of Villena were succeeded as proprietors by
Alfonso of Aragon and Foix, the first Marquis of Villena.
In 1476 the citizens of Villena, encouraged by the
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being bot ...
, rebelled against the marquesses. After this event, the castle stopped to be residence of the marquisses, and, together with the city, became a royal possession.
![Torre del homenaje del castillo de la atalaya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Torre_del_homenaje_del_castillo_de_la_atalaya.jpg)
During the
Revolt of the Brotherhoods
The Revolt of the Brotherhoods ( ca, Revolta de les Germanies, es, Rebelión de las Germanías) was a revolt by artisan guilds ('' Germanies'') against the government of King Charles V in the Kingdom of Valencia, part of the Crown of Aragon. ...
(1519–1523), viceroy Diego Mendoza took refuge in the fortress after his defeat at
Gandía
Gandia ( es, Gandía) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar (or ''Costa dels Tarongers''), south of Valencia and north of Alicante. Vehicles can acc ...
, and from here set out the troops which restored the royal power in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. During the
War of Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phili ...
(1701–1713), 50 Bourbon loyalist troops sustained a siege of 8 days from the biggest part of the Austrian army. The castle was abandoned after the loot perpetrated by the French Marshal
Suchet in the course of the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
(early 19th century). A first restoration was carried out in 1958. The castle is now in good conditions and is the centre of the yearly
Moros y Cristianos feast.
The castle was declared a
Historical-Artistic Monument in 1931.
Description
The entrance of the castle is oriented to NW; two other entrances are now closed. Across the upper part of the external wall is a
chemin-de-ronde connecting all the towers. Within the inner gate remains have been excavated, which are thought to belong to Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Snow, whose existence was known from written documents.
The fortress has a concentric plan, with an inner and higher line of walls forming a square, and with a rectangular
barbican forming a larger inner space in front of the keep. The inner square polygonal in plan, with round towers at the corners, aside from one which is occupied by the
keep. These walls were built in the
Almohad
The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire fou ...
era, and were covered in the 15th century by order of Don Juan Pacheco. Over this sector is another path leading to the keep. The latter and the towers have rectangular
merlon
A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 202. Merlons are sometimes ...
s.
![Plaza de armas del Castillo de la Atalaya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Plaza_de_armas_del_Castillo_de_la_Atalaya.JPG)
The keep is quite higher than the other fortifications. Its lower sections were built in Almohad times using the
rammed earth
Rammed earth is a technique for constructing foundations, floors, and walls using compacted natural raw materials such as earth, chalk, lime, or gravel. It is an ancient method that has been revived recently as a sustainable building method.
...
technique. The small entrance leads to a 7x7 m hall, whose walls have an average thickness of 3.5 m, and which is covered by an Almohad ceiling from the 12th century.
The stairs leading to the upper sections house a reproduction of a graffitied
khamsa Khamsa (Arabic, lit. "five") may refer to:
* Hamsa, a popular amulet in the Middle East and North Africa, also romanized as ''khamsa''
* Al Khamsa, a bloodline for Arabian horses that traces back to five mares
* Al Khamsa (organization), a nonpro ...
, the original being in Villena's Museum. The mid hall has also an Almohad ceiling. The two upper sections were built in the mid-15th century.
See also
*
Route of the Castles of Vinalopó
The Route of the castles of Vinalopó is a historic and cultural route in Spain, connecting some of the castles of the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, most of them based in the Valley of Vinalopó.
The route, which is located in the V ...
*
History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes
The early domes of the Middle Ages, particularly in those areas recently under Byzantine control, were an extension of earlier Roman architecture. The domed church architecture of Italy from the sixth to the eighth centuries followed that of the ...
External links
Page at Villena Archaeological Museum
{{coord, 38, 37, 55, N, 0, 51, 9, W, display = title
Castles in the Valencian Community
Villena
Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Alicante