The ruins of the Castillo de La Torresaviñán sit atop a hill on a visually privileged peak. The tower was designed as a solitary, strong tower to monitor the surrounding area and nearby villages.
Manrique de Lara, lord of Molina, ordered the construction in the 12th century at the edge of his lordship to defend the limits of the territories conquered from the taifa of Molina. Because of problems caused by troops from the nearby strongholds of Algora and Torremocha del Campo, a defensive line of castles and towers was needed. During the same period, the fortresses of Tortonda and Torrecuadrada de los Valles were built. These three towers formed a territory that was widely resettled by Manrique de Lara with colonists from his possessions in the alfoz de Lara, in Burgos.
The property eventually passed to the bishop of Sigüenza, who held it until the late 19th century. The tower remains un-remodeled and partially destroyed, showing its current appearance as a result of artillery fire from retreating Austrian troops during the War of Succession.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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