Castillo de Petrer

Monuments

The castle of Petrel is located in a mountainous elevation located in the eastern part of the urban area of ​​the city of Petrel, Alicante, Spain. From here you can see the entire Vinalopó valley. Originally from the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, it is a Muslim castle, probably built on a previous watchtower. It is of polygonal shape, and its factory is masonry with ashlar masonry on the edges of its sides. It is crenelated and its interior is covered by an embankment. The outer wall is formed by two canvases separated by a central tower and cubes at the ends. Its most outstanding element is its large square tower, with two floors and a basement that was a cistern in the Islamic period. Later it would be used as a prison. It also has a large hall, a stage for feudal lord parties, which is currently dedicated to chamber concerts held on the occasion of the Week of the Guitar and the celebration of civil weddings. Its function was eminently strategic and dominated the territory, controlling the passage between the Castilian plateau and the Mediterranean coast. It was taken by the Moriscos during the revolts of 1265; to recover it, king Alfonso X of Castile resorted to the help of Jaime I of Aragon, who soon reconquered it. The reconstruction works were completed in 1982, and new works were undertaken during 2010, currently presenting an impeccable appearance. In its tower of the homage exhibitions are realized and it is Historical-Artistic Set of National Interest from 1983.