Why did the top of one of the southern spurs of the Falaguera range in Montserrat become such a significant site? In 1129, this was not just a local lookout. It was the site where an Almoravid army was defeated by a force led by Alfonso, who had formed alliances with Muslims resistant to the new Almoravid caliphs. That defeat discredited the Almoravids in Xarq al-Andalus, leading shortly after to the proclamation of several taifa kingdoms.
Before the focus on warfare, the castle had a much more mundane job: tax collection. Muslim records show it was the hub for gathering agricultural and livestock duties from the surrounding valley. Structurally, it was a sturdy, dual-walled fortress. It featured a rectangular keep for both military and residential use, plus a large outer enclosure and a section for livestock. Some remains of an aler or wall still stand three metres high.
Historians still argue over the construction phases. It started in the 11th century under the Taifa of Valencia, but the Almohads added massive reinforcements in the 12th and 13th centuries. Today, only the foundations of the towers and bits of the old walls remain. It is a ruin, but you can still see the ghost of its strategic layout overlooking the river Magre.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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