Castillo de Alcalá - restoration complete!
Like most Andalusian hill-towns, Alcalá used to have a castle. It was built by the Moors in the 12th century, at the highest point of the town with commanding views in all directions. When the Christian king Alfonso X "El Sabio" reconquered the town in 1264, the castle was extended and remained in use for the defence of the town for many centuries. Unfortunately most of it was destroyed by French soldiers during the Guerra de Independencia (Napoleonic Wars). Both the French and the Spanish troops wanted it because of its strategic position as a lookout post. The Spanish tried to repair it for this purpose but didn't have the materials. The French managed to occupy it in September 1811, but when they were forced to retreat they blew up the walls to stop the Spanish using it. All that remained was the keep (known as la torre de homenaje in Spanish). The keep was declared a site of historical interest in 1984, but remained basically a pile of rubble u...