The fortress of Castillo de Buñol

The Castillo de Buñol, located near the center of Buñol on two rocky mounds that formerly housed an Islamic settlement, was built as a fortress. It initially served as a military space, with walls made of lime mortar reinforced by towers of mixed construction of lime mortar and calcarenite limestone. The castle's northern fortress had an irregular pentagonal plan with a plaza de armas in its center. The current open space within the castle's perimeter is occupied by houses attached to it, leaving a central space that once housed buildings serving the military garrison - such as a kitchen, dormitories, a guard body, and stables.

The southern fort was constructed with walls of lime mortar and housed the residential structures of the castle. This enclosure can be divided into two zones: a higher zone containing the Torre Mayor, the Gothic Palace, and a Renaissance palace, and a lower zone, currently occupied by housing where the church and a southern tower called "La Torreta" are located. The square-shaped tower served as the southern access to the fortress from the town.

The church of El Salvador, with a single nave, is covered with a barrel vault with brick arches and lunettes between them. Founded in the 14th century, it was reformed in the 17th century, although its civil occupation at the end of the 19th century almost completely destroyed its decorative program. A wall of W-E orientation linked the Gothic palace with the Church of El Salvador, near a gate providing access to what may have been an agricultural garden to supply the castle's kitchens.

The fortress was conquered in 1238 and subsequently passed through multiple hands before being purchased by a local family in the 15th century. The castle was used as a barracks in various wars and was occupied by the local civilian population at the end of the 19th century, eventually becoming part of the town's neighborhood.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons