The Castillo de la Villa, or Fortaleza Baja, is an urban castle in Martos, Jaén. Together with the Castillo de la Peña, it formed one of the most important defenses possessed by the Order of Calatrava against the Kingdom of Granada. Both castles were declared Historic Monuments in 1985.
The castle sits on a rocky hill where, during the Ibero-Roman period, the acropolis of the city of Tucci was located. In the Islamic period, it was converted into a hisn, or fortified castle. Its structure was altered on successive occasions, with the most important reform occurring during the Christian era under the Order of Calatrava. During this time, a large Torre del Homenaje was built as part of the alcázar, along with various other towers and walls.
The fortress is completed by the walls that protected the city from external invasions. While only fragments of these walls remain today, efforts are underway to recover and consolidate what still stands. Within the fortress stands the Sanctuary of Santa María de la Villa. The main tower, the Torre del Homenaje, is in good condition thanks to a restoration process and has been habilitated as the Centro de Interpretación Cultural e Histórico de Martos, where it houses informative panels about the heritage of Martos.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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