The Castillo de la Peña in Martos, Spain is a remarkable example of medieval military architecture. It sits atop a hill called the Peñón de Martos, providing an exceptional placement for a practically impregnable fortress during the medieval period. Although much of the interior is in ruins, the exterior walls still stand largely intact. The castle was built in the 14th century by the Order of Calatrava and has a history tied to the Order’s defense against the Nazarite Kingdom.
It is located on a natural rock formation and has a trapezoidal layout with a winding path for entrance on the south side, designed to make access more difficult. In 1985, the castle was declared a historical monument, along with the Castillo de la Villa. It was built on the ruins of an Arab fortress and an Ibero-Roman fortification, but the Tower of Homage, the most impressive feature, is not explicitly stated in the source materials to have three floors or an underground floor.
Despite this, the highest and westward zone housed the Tower of Homage made with mortar, masonry, and ashlar in the corners, capable of housing a large garrison. On the south side, three gun embrasures from the first floor can be observed.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.