On a hill in the Sangre Valley stands Calatañazor, also known as the castle of the Padilla family. The name Calatañazor may come from the Arabic Qalat al-Nasur, which means 'castillo del buitre' or 'nido de águilas'. Built in the 12th century and later reformed, the castle was the seat of the Padilla lineage.
Today, the castle houses remnants of its lienzos and part of the tower of the homenaje. The ancient courtyard of arms now opens to the caserío in the form of a porticoed plaza, with the tower of the homenaje and the rollo jurisdicional or picota - symbols of the royal and feudal power over the population - remaining.
The fortress is protected by the height of the cliffs overlooking the Sangre Valley. While the castle remains ruined, it is consolidated and sits above a triple burial carved into the rock, which dates back to the 10th century.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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