Castle of Villena (Alicante)

View of the castle on mount San Cristóbal

The castle of the Watchtower was an important fortress of the Almohads and its construction was around the year 1172, date in which it is mentioned in Arabic sources. Its robustness is confirmed, since Jaime I of Aragon needed to besiege it three times, to be able to take it around the year 1240. The fortress consists of a double wall flanked by circular towers. Inside, in the south-western part of the parade ground, the homage tower stands out, with a quadrangular plan. It is the most characteristic structure and stands out rising above the rest of the complex.

Villena

Panoramic view of the town from the terrace of the castle homage tower

Villena is a municipality in the province of Alicante in the Autonomous Community of Valencia. It belongs to the Alto Vinalopó region. The town has an important historical complex, made up of two castles and several churches, hermitages, palaces and squares, as well as a great museum heritage, highlighting the José María Soler archaeological museum, historian, archaeologist, researcher and Spanish linguist, who discovered in 1963 the Tesorillo del Cabezo Redondo, an Argaric town located two kilometers from the town.

Castle of Biar (Alicante)

View of the castle from the south

The castle of Biar is a castle of Muslim origin of the XII century, located on a hill that dominates the town of Biar. It is composed of an outer enclosure with four towers at the corners and an inside space with four cubic structures and the homage tower. It began to have relevance during the time of Jaime I, being like border castle according to the Treaty of Almizra, pact of peace signed between the Crown of Aragon and the Crown of Castile that fixed the limits of the Kingdom of Valencia.

Castle of Peñíscola (Castellón)

Panoramic view of the rock where is located  the castle and the old town

The castle also called Castle-Palace of Papa Luna, is located in the highest part of the rock that dominates the town of Peñíscola, formerly within its walls. The Knights Templar were who built this romanesque work on the remains of a former arab fortress between 1294 and 1307. Its plant is roughly square with five towers, which are characteristic of this castle, the use of terraces as defensive elements. 

Cullera

The Well (old jewish quarter) district seen from the castle

Cullera is a municipality belonging to the Autonomous Community of Valencia, located in the comarca of the Ribera Baja. The Júcar river waters throughout the municipality through a system designed at muslim time and flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a river port.