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Castle of Almenara

Almenara, La Plana Baixa, Castellón

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 1 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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Castle of Almenara

Monument · Almenara, La Plana Baixa, Castellón

A 10th-century Muslim fortress built on Roman remains on a hill 175 metres high, with two towers known as L'Agüelet and L'Agüeleta. Its name, Al-manara, means lighthouse or watchtower, for its role on the border between the taifas of Valencia and Tortosa; the earliest written references date from the 11th century, and in 1238 it was conquered by James I and incorporated into the Kingdom of Aragón, an episode recorded in the Llibre dels feits. Of irregular layout with three enclosures, the upper castle occupies a platform of 4,000 square metres and preserves a cistern and the remains of a mosque. The Bergamuza tower was rebuilt between 1862 and 1865 using stones from the demolished Dominican convent, as a communications tower. Declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection) in 1985, it is mentioned in the Cantar de Mío Cid.

Photo: Falconaumanni (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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