Castle of Molina de Aragón
Encyclopedia
The Castle of Molina de Aragón (also called alcázar
or alcazaba
) is a fortification in Molina de Aragón
, Castile-La Mancha
, Spain
.
It is located on a hill commanding the surrounding valley, and is formed by an external line of walls with four gates and numerous towers, which defends the internal fortress. The latter has six towers, of which four are currently in good conditions. Originally, the line of towers included a village
It originated as a Moorish fortress (10th-11th century), built over a pre-existing Celtiberian
castle. The fortress was used as residence of the lords of the taifa of Molina
. El Cid
resided here when he was exiled from Castile
. In 1129 it was conquered from the Moors by Alfonso I of Aragon, who gave it the Lara family.
Alcázar
An alcázar , alcácer or alcàsser is a type of castle in Spain and Portugal. The term derives from the Arabic word القصر meaning "fort, castle or palace"; and the Arabic word is derived from the Latin word, 'castrum', meaning an army camp or fort...
or alcazaba
Alcazaba
An alcazaba , alcáçova or alcassaba is a Moorish fortification in Spain and Portugal. The word derives from the Arabic word القصبة , a walled-fortification in a city....
) is a fortification in Molina de Aragón
Molina de Aragón
Molina de Aragón is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2009 census , the municipality has a population of 3,671 inhabitants...
, Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
It is located on a hill commanding the surrounding valley, and is formed by an external line of walls with four gates and numerous towers, which defends the internal fortress. The latter has six towers, of which four are currently in good conditions. Originally, the line of towers included a village
It originated as a Moorish fortress (10th-11th century), built over a pre-existing Celtiberian
Celtiberians
The Celtiberians were Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group used the Celtic Celtiberian language.Archaeologically, the Celtiberians participated in the Hallstatt culture in what is now north-central Spain...
castle. The fortress was used as residence of the lords of the taifa of Molina
Taifa of Molina
The Taifa of Molina was a medieval taifa kingdom that existed from around the 1080s to 1100.-Sources:* http://web.raex.com/~obsidian/taifa.html...
. El Cid
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
resided here when he was exiled from Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
. In 1129 it was conquered from the Moors by Alfonso I of Aragon, who gave it the Lara family.