Comunidad Valenciana - Villena Castillo de la Atalaya - Passage -2019

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The castle of the Watchtower or of Villena rises on a foothill of the mount of San Cristóbal or of the Villa, in the locality of Villena, to the northwest of the province of Alicante (Spain), next to the lines of separation with the provinces of Albacete, Valencia and the Region of Murcia and dominates the old border line between Castile and Aragon.
Currently, it is considered a Property of Cultural Interest (BIC), having been declared a historical-artistic monument belonging to the National Artistic Treasury by decree of June 3, 1931.
In addition, it has been restored on several occasions, so it is currently in good condition.
It was built by the Arabs on an unknown date, although not after the twelfth century, since Arab sources already mentioned it in the year 1172. There has been much speculation about the possibility that the fortress sits on a fortification or former Roman villa, although archeology has not shed light in this regard.
It was an important stronghold of the Muslims, and proof of its robustness is that the troops of Jaime I had to besiege it three times to get it, finally, in 1240, at the hands of an army formed by the knights of the order of Calatrava together with mercenaries almogáraves, under the command of Ruy Pérez Ponce de León, commander of Alcañiz. These incursions involved a violation of the Treaty of Cazola, according to which Villena belonged to the Castilian conquest. Pssaría would definitely be in Castilian hands under the Treaty of Musk. First, these gentlemen from Calatrava were held in possession, but it soon passed to the infant Manuel de Castilla when he was appointed lord of Villena. At his death he would pass to the son of his son, the distinguished writer Don Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena. This married the Infanta Constanza de Aragón, daughter of Jaime II at the age of 6, and had her held in the castle of Villena until she turned twelve and was able to consummate the marriage. Constanza's stay forced Don Juan Manuel to make reforms to improve the security of the square.