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.