Monturque Castle

Monturque Castle, locally known as Castillo de Monturque, lies on a hill in the center of the village with the same name, in the province of Córdoba in Spain.

When Monturque Castle was exactly built is unknown. Archaeological findings suggest it was built during the reign of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 AD) on Roman remains.

In 1240 Monturque Castle was taken by Ferdinand III of Castile. In 1273 half of the keep was given by Martin Sánchez and his wife, Dona Munia, to his grandson Lope.

In the 14th century the castle became part of the estate of the Aguilar family. It remained in the hands of this family for many centuries. During the 14th and 15th centuries there probably was no village connected to the castle. In the 16th century mentions of the village appear.

The remains we see today date back to the 13th and 14th century when Monturque Castle was rebuilt by the Christians. The castle had a rectangular layout with corner towers. There is a rock cut moat on two sides of the castle, separating it from the rest of the hill. The remaining keep shows signs of rebuilding in the late 15th century. Its size suggests that it was not meant for permanent accommodation but only for short stays.

Monturque Castle can not be visited but can easily be seen from the public road. Too bad because I would have liked to visit the interior of the keep.

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