Logbook · 5 places

Castle of Chera

Chera, La Plana de Utiel-Requena, Valencia

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 1 Nature

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Castle of Chera

Monument · Chera, La Plana de Utiel-Requena, Valencia

The Castillo de Chera stands on a hill one kilometre from the village, from where it once dominated the plain and the trade routes. Of Muslim origin, it is believed to have been built in the early 12th century, given the presence of a barbican, an element introduced by the Almoravids; it protected the Muslim population of nearby hamlets. It has a quadrangular plan, with rammed-earth and masonry walls, corner turrets and a central keep; it preserves the Pedriza, Cueva and Ermita towers, along with remains of walls and an outer barbican. Its state of conservation is precarious, with a large part of the wall lost; the Ermita tower, ten metres high, is the best preserved. Declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection) in 1998, it ranks among the monuments of the municipality alongside the Casona of the Marqués de Santa Coloma.

Photo: Falconaumanni (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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