The Castillo de La Atalaya, also known as Forte de La Atalaya, was constructed by the Concejo, initially as a lookout post to safeguard Granada in the Baja Edad Media, from pirate attacks. In 1706, two more forts were added during the Spanish Succession War, but these forts were not of great significance. Instead, they served as a defensive measure to protect Cartagena. The design of the final Castillo de La Atalaya was planned by engineer Pedro Martín-Paredes Cermeño in 1766 and completed in 1777, as per the Count of Aranda's orders.
Through the years, this fortress has witnessed intense battles during Cartagena's centralist siege during the Cantonal Rebellion, earning it the dismal nickname 'castillo de la Muerte'. While it is known for this chilling moniker, it is also remembered for being surrendered to the enemy during the Cantonal Rebellion, and later used by the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War to question and interrogate suspected anti-Republican individuals.
The castillo housed part of the concentration camp operating in Cartagena from April to November 1939. As time passed, the stewardship of the castle moved from the Ministry of the Army to the Ministry of Finance in the 1960s, and then to the City Council of Cartagena in May 2016. Today, the Castillo de La Atalaya stands abandoned and neglected, a symbol of decay and mystery on Monte Atalaya, the highest peak of the Sierra de Pelayo, one of the Sierras Litorales Cartagena and Las Sierras Litorales del Mar Menor.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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