Sentinels of the Mountains
Description
ROUTE FROM SEGURA DE LA SIERRA TO CAZORLA
EXCEPTIONAL VIEWPOINTS
This very special itinerary includes some of the finest examples of military architecture in the province's catalogue of fortifications, together with an extraordinary array of viewpoints over the most striking landscapes of the former Kingdom of Jaén.
The castles of Segura de la Sierra, Hornos, La Iruela and Cazorla lend interest to this route, which reveals how these medieval military fortifications adapted to the mountainous landscape of the eastern part of the province. A landscape unfolds before the traveller's eyes, viewed from different perspectives: the natural one, glimpsed from these watchtowers; the cultural one, linked to defensive architecture; the economic one, reflected in the different uses of the land between the Muslim era and the period following the Castilian resettlement. And finally, a symbolic landscape emerges, telling the story of the shared imaginaries between the two cultures and the emergence of a new system of territorial organisation.
Is part of
Rutómetro
Segura de la Sierra Castle
Segura de la Sierra
AN ESSENTIAL STRONGHOLD IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST GRANADA
Following the Castilian conquest of the region, in 1242 Ferdinand III granted Segura to the Order of Santiago, which would turn it into the Encomienda Mayor of Castile. From here, numerous attacks were launched against the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, and it would later serve as a stronghold during the noble power struggles of the 14th and 15th centuries, under the authority of the Manrique family. In 1810, it was the scene of confrontation with Napoleonic troops, who destroyed and burned both the town and the castle.
Numerous defensive elements stretch along the slope of the hill on which it stands, while inside the castle a chapel built in the 13th century by the Order of Santiago, in Mudéjar style, along with a chapter house and other structures from various historical periods, have been preserved.
The complex preserves a chapel built in the 13th century by the Order of Santiago, in Mudéjar style. The castle has been declared a Historic-Artistic Site and Picturesque Landscape, and the town, like the castle, is included in the network of "Most Beautiful Villages of Spain."
Hornos de Segura Castle
Hornos de Segura
A WINDOW ONTO THE STARS
Following the conquest of Hornos in 1239 by Don Pedro Pérez Pelayo Correa, Master of the Order of Santiago, Ferdinand III "the Saint" granted this territory to the Order, which built a Christian castle consisting of a trapezoidal enclosure with a large keep.
Hornos was one of the settings for the projection of the Manrique family's political power in the 15th century, in conflict with the monarchs John II and Henry IV. The Manriques came to control much of the Order of Santiago's resources, which enabled Rodrigo Manrique, Commander of Segura, to be proclaimed Grand Master of the Order.
Originally, the castle's walls extended to form an enclosure surrounding the town centre; today, two towers still stand, along with the so-called Puerta de la Villa (Town Gate).
Another added attraction of this fortification is that it houses the Cosmolarium, an astronomy interpretation centre.
La Yedra Castle
Cazorla
THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE LEGEND OF LA TRAGANTÍA
The Castillo de la Yedra, also known as the Castle of the Four Corners, is an ancient site of defensive origin. It is located on the lower part of the Salvatierra hill, above the Cerezuelo river. It is a structure dating back to Berber times, although it was completed in the form we know today by the Castilians. From its position, at an altitude of 831 metres above sea level, the town of Cazorla and its surroundings can be seen. At the top of the hill, the Castillo de Salvatierra, or de las Cinco Esquinas, can also be seen. The origins of the Castillo de la Yedra may be Muslim, possibly dating from the Almohad period (12th century), although over the course of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, the Christians completed its final layout, which explains why the Gothic style predominates in many of its interior rooms. The castle houses the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs of the Upper Guadalquivir.
La Iruela Castle
La Iruela
A MAJESTIC SILHOUETTE ATOP A CRAG
The Fortress of La Iruela stands out for its striking presence, perched on a steep rocky outcrop. It belonged to Don Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada, Archbishop of Toledo, who organised the crusade that led the Christian kingdoms to war against the Almohad Empire, culminating in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
It is a formidable structure of Almohad origin, built to reinforce the frontier of Al-Andalus, and is accessed through a 15th-century gate tower. It consists of three walled enclosures dotted with towers, arranged in a stepped layout running north to south, with its Keep standing out most prominently, positioned at the highest point of the crag and visible from a great distance.
Next to the castle, the ruins of the 16th-century Renaissance church of Santo Domingo can also be seen.
