Aledo Castle
Aledo Castle, locally known as Castillo de Aledo, lies in a small town of the same name in the province of Murcia in Spain.
Aledo Castle was first built by the Almoravids during the 11th century. This Moorish castle was built on a promontory in the southern foothills of the Sierra Espuña, rising 125 meters above the Guadalentin valley.
In 1088, the Castilian nobleman García Giménez took the castle exploiting the Muslim confusion after the fall of Toledo in 1085. This prompted an intervention by the Almoravid caliph. After three unsuccessful sieges the Castilians still abandoned the castle, because of difficulties in maintaining its defence, and the castle fell into the hands of the Almoravids again.
In the late 13th century Aledo was conquered by the Christians again. They then rebuilt the castle. The 20 meters high, square keep that remains today, dates back to that time. The rest of the castle, its curtain walls and towers have disappeared.
At present Aledo Castle can be visited for a fee. From atop the keep you have a great view over the surrounding countryside. A very nice keep in a sleepy little town.
Castles.nl
Aledo Castle
The castle is located 9 kms from Totana, and stands on a small ridge beside the Sierra Espuña mountains. It is Muslim in origin, and is built of tamped earth which gives it its reddish colour. The outstanding feature of the castle is its defensive character, and the way it adapts to the unevenness of the terrain. It has several underground spaces with different channels and corridors which lead to the area beside the river. Particularly significant are the tower and other structures which were used to defend some of the areas near the castle. Today only the keep, dating from the 11th century and with a square floor plan, remains in a good state of conservation. It has three floors; the third still conserves the ribs of pointed arches; while there are small arrow slits on the other floors. It is crowned with battlements.
Spain.infoWebsite:http://www.aledo.es/turismo/lugares-que-visitar/
