The fortified town on the edge of Spain

Castrotorafe is a lost medieval town in the Tierra del Pan region of Spain, located at an altitude of 718 meters above sea level beside the river Esla (Ricobayo Reservoir). The origins of the settlement may lie in a Roman mansio called Vico Aquario. The town was first mentioned in 1129 when Alfonso VII of León and his wife Berenguela de Barcelona granted it a charter and a thoroughfare, delimiting its alfoz. However, after Portugal's independence in 1143, its strategic importance increased, and the monarch ordered the demolition of the walls and the separation of Castrotorafe for Moreruela due to its support for the separatists. The town grew in importance after the separation of the Kingdoms of León and Castilla in 1157. Fernando II of León changed his stance towards the town and empowered it. In 1176, the Order of Santiago received Castrotorafe from the king.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons