Albanchez de Mágina castle (Jaén)

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Introduction

Albanchez de Mágina town is situated on the southeastern slope of Monte Aznaitín, to the north of Sierra Mágina.

The Castle is positioned at the base of the Sierra de Catillejos, perched atop a rocky summit nestled between Monte Aznaitín and Monte Agudo.

Construction of the castle dates back to the early 14th century. It is a rather diminutive castle with narrow interiors. Accessing and descending from the castle is quite challenging due to its precarious location.

The Alcazarejo, which is the recognized section of the Albanchez Castle, is constructed with regular masonry. The exterior perimeter of the castle extends approximately 50 meters downhill at the foot of the peak.

Within the Alcazarejo, two prominent towers are discernible. They can be ascended from the southeast side of a rocky wall, featuring rounded corners and a small triangular courtyard enclosed by battlement parapets.

History

In the early 10th century, Muslims constructed a fortified refuge named Hútar atop the Sierra de los Castillejos. Its primary objective was to safeguard the farmers residing at the hill"s base.

Subsequently, another castle made of rammed earth was erected in the lower part of the village. Today, scant remnants of this castle remain.

In 1231, Albanchez was seized by the knights of the Order of Santiago, who were affiliated with the Uclés de Cuenca Monastery.

In 1309, as a token of appreciation for their aid during the conquest, Ferdinand IV entrusted Albanchez to the Order of Santiago, incorporating it into the la Encomienda de Bedmar-Albanchez.

During the early 14th century, knights of the Order of Santiago constructed a modest rocky castle atop the hill. Though not suitable for long-term occupation due to its size, its strategic location and elevation made it an ideal spot for overseeing the River Garcíez and surveilling the neighboring villages.

In 1460, a conspiracy known as the Good Friday Conspiracy (la conjura del Viernes Santo) unfolded against the Cuevas family, who possessed numerous castles in Sierra Mágina.

A group of knights from Úbeda plotted to capture these fortresses. One of them deceived the Governor of Albanchez, briefly seizing control of the castle before the conspiracy unraveled.

In subsequent years, during the conflict between rebels and Henry IV loyalists, the Cuevas family was expelled. Nevertheless, they fortified themselves within the Albanchez castle to withstand enemy attacks and strategize their return to Úbeda.

The dominion of the Order of Santiago over Albanchez endured into the Modern and Contemporary Eras. As Muslims were expelled from the Peninsula, the castle lost its original defensive significance. In the 18th century, the castle was entirely demolished.

Castle

The Albanchez Castle, commonly known as "alcazarejo," boasts a distinctive structure due to the steep topography of the terrain. The outer enclosure of the castle is located approximately fifty meters below the alcazarejo, at the foot of the rocky peak that supports the latter.

The alcazarejo is constructed with regular masonry and consists of two small nuclei at different levels. Despite its imposing exterior appearance, its internal capacity to accommodate troops and belongings is limited.

The upper level is a narrow rectangular platform that houses a small space resembling a corridor.

The entrance to the upper level is linteled and faces southeast, opening onto the terrace of an adjacent rectangular tower.

This tower contains two chambers, one on the upper part covered by a barrel vault and illuminated by an opening in the wall, and another on the lower part covered with a slightly pointed vault and featuring a water hole.

Additionally, traces of stucco remain on the walls of this lower chamber.

The two towers of the alcazarejo are located on an inaccessible rocky wall on the southwest side and have rounded corners, a characteristic feature of constructions by the Order of Santiago and the Order of Calatrava.

On the opposite side of the towers, there is a small triangular courtyard with a battlemented parapet and arrow-slit windows.

The entrance to the alcazarejo is located on the northwest-facing side, and due to collapses and fillings, its access is challenging.

A few meters below the alcazarejo, to the north, a wall that enclosed the entire complex is still preserved. It has a length of thirteen meters and is in a rather deteriorated state, culminating in a square terrace that serves as a coracha with its albarrana protruding over the precipice.

Other remnants of the enclosure are situated towards the south and southeast, approximately fifty meters below the alcazarejo, on the vertical rock that supports the complex.

These remains consist of a wall and enclosure measuring about thirty-five meters in length, in an almost ruinous state, which relies on the surrounding rocks to form an enclosure.

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