Castillo de la Atalaya - Villena

Monuments

Undoubtedly, Villena clearly identifies with his Atalaya Castle, whose erect profile outlined on the horizon recalls the Muslim and Christian cultural miscegenation. It is undoubtedly the most significant monument of Villena and its identifying element next to the Treasury. Its great uniqueness and historical value led it to be declared a "Historic Artistic Monument" in 1931 and, currently, enjoys greater protection since it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. Thanks to the archaeological excavations carried out by José María Soler in the seventies of the last century, we know that the origin of the Atalaya Castle dates back to the end of the 12th century. Its location on the hill of San Cristóbal, a moderate elevation of the Sierra de la Villa, allowed him to exercise control and defense of the surrounding territory. Its use extends in time from the Muslim era to the Contemporary Age, living diverse events from the Muslim occupation of these lands to the War of Independence. After the Christian conquest in 1240, the fortress passed into the hands of the Infante de Castilla Don Alfonso, who created the Señorío de Villena for his brother the Infante Don Manuel, from whom don Juan Manuel inherited it. The famous writer spent much time in this fortification dedicated to literature and hunting and reinforced the defenses of the Castle to house his fiancée, daughter of Jaime II of Aragon, who remained several years in the castle until reaching the age of majority to be able to to contract nuptials with Don Juan Manuel. Architecturally, it has a double walled enclosure with a rectangular to a rectangular plan. The outer wall is defended by twelve towers and the interior by circular cubes and a large tower of homage of four floors, the first two are Muslim and the rest Christian as evidenced by the coats of arms of Juan Pacheco, Marquis of Villena, located on the four faces of the facade. The most outstanding of this tower are the Almohad vaults of the first two floors, the stairs of pointed vaults and the graffiti that are conserved in the walls of the different rooms, of Islamic and Christian symbolism made by the prisoners of the wars of Succession and of the independence. Schedule: Mornings: Tuesday to Sunday, holidays and Monday eve of holidays. Guided tours at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00. Afternoon: Tuesday to Saturday. Guided tours at 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Closed: Monday all day and Sunday evenings and holidays. Ticket sales from the Visitor Reception Center (next to the Castle) and at the Tourist Info Office (Plaza de Santiago). Price: € 3 (€ 1.5 with discount). Attention: -The guided tours begin with punctuality, the sale of tickets at the Visitor Center ends five minutes before the guided tour, so please arrive well in advance. -The people who arrive late will have to wait for the next visit, as long as there is availability. -If you come to Villena from the A31 motorway, take the Villena Sur exit and follow signs to Castillo de la Atalaya. -Turismo Villena is not responsible for the tourist information regarding the existing Castle on different web pages. - For the safety of the visitors, during storms with electrical equipment and / or orange or red warning due to strong gusts of wind, the Atalaya Castle will remain closed. -The entry of animals is not allowed, except for guide dogs. Atalaya Experience: Once a month the Association Echoes of Memory, together with the Department of Tourism of Villena, offer since 2015 Atalaya Experience, a unique way to know the Castle of the Watchtower through the people who lived in different historical periods. A show that has received critical and public applause.