Almodovar del Rio Castle (Castillo de Almodovar del Rio) is a military fortress of Arab origin built in 740 on the site of a Roman fortification. The castle is located on a monolithic rock 252 meters high, which is surrounded by the Guadalquivir River. It served to control the water and land routes from Seville to Cordoba.
The castle is also known as Almudawar Al-Adna. In the 10th century, it was fully associated with the Caliphate of Cordoba, and in the 11th and 12th centuries it belonged to the taifa of Carmona, later to the taifa of Seville and the Almohad Caliphate. In 1226, the castle of Almodóvar del Rio came under the control of the King of Castile and Leon Ferdinand III. Since then, it has been in the hands of the Castilian kings, who completed and expanded it.
Almodóvar Castle has witnessed many royal intrigues throughout its history. Its walls served as a prison for Dona Juana de Lara, the wife of King Pedro I's half-brother. The Duke of Benavente spent his last days in the dungeon of the castle. The castle kept the treasures of Castile, it even served as a royal residence.
And of course, Almodovar del Rio has its own ghost. According to the legend, the beautiful princess Zaida hid here with her beloved during the siege of Cordoba. But on March 28, 1091, the lovers were separated by the death of the prince - he was killed during the capture of the fortress. Until now, every year, on this day, Princess Zaida walks around the castle in search of her prince.
More recently, Almodóvar del Rio was featured in the 7th season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. The filming took place in November 2016, and the castle was closed to the public for 2 weeks. Interestingly, the castle played two roles in two different kingdoms. Most importantly - the Highgarden, the seat of House Tyrell. At the same time, the castle’s dungeon was Casterly Rock.
Parts of the Almodovar’s Castle that appear in Game of Thrones:
The castle appears for the first time - seen from a distance but clearly visible - in the third chapter when Jaime Lannister arrives at Highgarden.
The balcony in the Tower of Homage is Olenna Tyrell’s balcony, from which she could see the arrival of the enemy troops in the distance.
Olenna Tyrell’s Salon, where the woman is sitting around a round table to receive Jaime Lannister, is also inside the Tower of Homage.
The castle dungeons - in the scene where soldiers sneak into the fortress through underground tunnels.
