Castles of Jaen

Santa Catalina Castle was built by Fernando III and his son and successor Alfonso X The Wise on the east side of the hill, in order to control the city and the roads around it.

Also known as the fortress of the seven kings, it is one of the best preserved Muslim fortresses in Europe, since it practically maintains the original enclosure.

The castle offers one of the most beautiful paradigms of Renaissance military architecture in Andalusia, and the creative uniqueness of its author, Andrés de Vandelvira.

The castle, small but astonishing, is located on the top of a steep crag in Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park.

In the impressive fortress of La Mota, not only one of the most complex defensive systems of al-Andalus was located, but also a model Muslim city with a citadel, a residential area and a commercial area.

Also known as the Four Corners Castle, dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries, although the current image corresponds more to the Castilian construction of the 13th and 14th centuries.

The castle is stunning and impressive, and was built using the most innovative and forward-looking engineering techniques.

Located on a witness hill at 713 meters, it presents a visual domain of the territory first as a strong Arab position, then as a Christian enclave of the Order of Calatrava.

The Castle dates from the period when the knights of the Order of Santiago owned the Encomienda de Segura, and it was built during the 13th and 14th centuries, taking advantage of previous Muslim constructions.

It stands on a limestone spur at one end of the San Marcos hill. La Guardia and its castle were one of the most important cities in the area until practically the 11th century.

The castle is not famous for military exploits but because Macías, the Lover, was imprisoned in its tower, which inspired works by Juan de Mena, Lope de Vega or Mariano José de Larra.

It is of Christian construction from the second half of the 13th century, although important reforms were carried out throughout the 15th century.

From this castle, built on the eastern end of the hill of the same name, two square towers, defensive in nature, and a cistern are preserved.

The Castle of Huelma is built on the top of the hill that protects the village. It is a 15th century Christian construction. It was built after the former Muslim castle conquest in 1438.

Built at the beginning of the 14th century, it is located at the foot of the Sierra de Castillejos, on a rocky ridge between Mount Aznaitín and Mount Agudo.

Also known as Triana Tower since it is located over the bridge of the same name by the river San Juan. It is located on the suburb, north of the town of Locubín castle.

Cambil’s lookouts are two big rocks, almost vertical robust walls separated by river Villanueva where the Muslims castles of Cambil and Alhabar are located.

Medieval fortification from the 9th century located on a promontory overlooking the right bank of the Víboras River, very close to the Víboras reservoir and the town of Las Casillas.

Sorihuela castle was located on a rocky promontory that rose above the town. The only vestige that remains is the homage tower, built in the 13th century.

From its medieval defensive structure, there remains a cylinder-based turret known as El Cubo, which is located in the town centre.

Since the 14th century, Lupión had a rural and strategic castle that formed the defensive belt around Úbeda and Baeza. Currently only the tower remains.

La Peña castle remains belong to the fortress that los calatravos (Order of Calatrava) built in 1340.

This castle is both known as Espinosa Castle, the name of the area where it is and also the name of a village, and as Consolación Castle due to its proximity to the Chapel of the Virgen de la Consolación.

Its origin is Islamic, around the 12th century, although it was heavily reformed in the Christian era as of the 13th century. Its function was to control the passage between the strategic centers of Jaén, Martos, Arjona and Andújar.

Boabdil tower was built in the first half of the 15th century and it is one of the most important medieval architecture symbols in Jaén.

In the Middle Ages, Beas de Segura had a fortress with a complex defensive system, however, only a few remains of walls have survived from it.

The cyclopean wall of Ibros has been compared for its aesthetics with the Gate of the Lions of Mycenae (Greece) and with the cities of Numantia and Tarraco.

Few remains of the important medieval fortification of Arjona are preserved. The most prominent is a spacious cistern, Almohad style, which uses two Roman columns to support the arches of the vault.

This watchtower, from the second half of the 13th century, is oriented towards the Guadalimar river and located in the area of Ricote.

A fortress that could date back to the second half of the 13th century, Jódar Castle is located on the slopes of Cerro de San Cristóbal, within the town center, on a rocky platform.

The Knights from the Order of Santiago built the castle between the late 13th century and early 14th century.

Of the medieval defenses of the castle of Pallarés, only a beautiful square tower and some remains of the walls remain.

Built at the beginning of the 15th century, it is located in the highest part of the town of Bedmar, on a large rock, and replaced an older Muslim fortification, the Old Castle.

From the old urban castle of Torres de Albanchez, built by Christian work in the 14th century, an imposing square Torre del Homenaje almost 12 m high remains.

Although the fortification was destroyed, a historic landmark from the medieval past still remains, the Arch of the Saints, and canvases of walls from the 13th and 14th centuries are preserved.

It is located on a rocky elevation, the Peña Bermeja. Of the medieval castle of Jimena, today only the Torre del Homenaje remains.

There are no remains of the castle that Iznatoraf had, however we can see part of its wall and several of its gates, such as the Arms gate or the Arrabal gate.

The rock castle of Tíscar, also known as Peñas Negras castles, is located in a beautiful spot near the sanctuary of the same name.

The Castle was located on a plateau-shaped hill 820 meters high. From the fortress the castles of Vilches, Torre Alver, Iznatoraf and Chiclana were connected.

The old medieval castle of Peal de Becerro was located on a 560m hill. The remains found today consist of two towers: La Torre del Reloj (Clock Tower) and La Torre Mocha (Dull Tower).

It"s located near the road that connects Jaén and Arjona. It was built over an old Iberian-Roman settlement after Jaén’s conquest by Christians during the second half of the 13th century.

It is located northeast of the town of Solera, in the municipality of Huelma, and is located on a rocky spur 1,090 meters high on the slopes of Cerro Morrón.

The Cascante tower was one of the fifteen towers that guarded the surrounding territory of La Mota. It is located on the hill of the same name that controlled the road to Frailes, southeast of Alcalá la Real.

From the castle, today we can still see the remains of the wall and the keep. The construction dates back to Visigoth times.

The castle of the Five Corners is located on the hill that dominates Cazorla, the hill of Salvatierra, of 1160 meters. It was built in the last third of the 14th century.

Ceal settlement, also known as Los Castellones de Ceal, is one of the most important Iberian settlements discovered. It is located 5 kilometers from Hinojares.

Set of three fortified towers from the Muslim period and of a defensive nature, spaced about 300 meters apart, between the towns of Orcera and Segura de la Sierra.

It owes its name to Don Pero Gil Zático, one of the distinguished knights in the conquest of Úbeda. Of the medieval fortification, only the Dark Towers, as they are popularly known, remain.

The castle was built on a steep and elongated hill. Its origin dates back to the second half of the 13th century, although it was converted into a stately residence in the second half of the 14th century.

On top of the place where the old fortress was erected, is located the Chapel of the Virgin del Castillo that dates back the 18th century.

The castle, built in Christian times, belonged to the Order of Santiago. Of this an extraordinary tower is preserved, dating from the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century.

Old medieval fortress from the second half of the 13th century located on a hill southeast of the city of Jaén, next to the old road to Granada.

The only remaining element of Génave Castle is the so-called La Tercia Turret, built by the Christians at the end of the 13th century.

It"s located in front of San Pedro Church. It was built by the Christians during the second half of the 13th century.