Ibero-Roman City of Castulo

Archaeological site

0, Linares

The archaeological site of Cástulo and its monographic museum in Linares are the ideal places to get to know the cultural diversity of Andalusia. The Ibero-Roman city is located on the right bank of the Guadalimar River. It was one of the capitals of the south of the Iberian Peninsula in ancient times, both because of the size of its walled enclosure (70 hectares) and its strategic position on the Upper Guadalquivir River and its silver, lead and copper mines. The "oppidum" - or fortified city - of Cástulo was first the most important centre of population in the Iberian Oretania and later became a Roman municipality, becoming an Episcopal see in the late imperial period.

Information

Schedule

Archaeological Ensemble of Cástulo


Tuesday to Saturday: from 09:00 to 18:00
Sundays and holidays: from 09:00 to 15:00
Monday, except holidays: closed.

Archaeological Museum of Linares


From April 1 to June 15:
Tuesday to Saturday: from 09:00 to 21:00
Sundays and holidays: from 09:00 to 15:00
Closed Monday

From July 1 to August 31:
Tuesday to Sunday: from 09:00 to 15:00
Closed Monday

From September 1 to March 31
Tuesday to Saturday: from 09:00 to 21:00
Sundays and holidays: from 09:00 to 15:00
Closed Monday

Closed holidays:

January 1 and 6, May 1, December 24, 25 and 31

The archaeological site of Cástulo and its monographic museum in Linares are the ideal places to get to know the cultural diversity of Andalusia. The Ibero-Roman city is located on the right bank of the Guadalimar River. It was one of the capitals of the south of the Iberian Peninsula in ancient times, both because of the size of its walled enclosure (70 hectares) and its strategic position on the Upper Guadalquivir River and its silver, lead and copper mines. The "oppidum" - or fortified city - of Cástulo was first the most important centre of population in the Iberian Oretania and later became a Roman municipality, becoming an Episcopal see in the late imperial period.

Cástulo, Iberian-Roman city

The archaeological zone of Cástulo comprises a vast area where multiple evidences that are an expression of other forms of occupation overlap. There are necropolises, factories, public infrastructures and other suburban facilities related to the Iberian-Roman city, but also other settlements from Prehistory to the late Middle Ages, which complete the historical value of this archaeological zone. This complex stratigraphic and temporal sequence, which has reached our time in exceptional conditions of conservation and integrity, constitutes a significant segment of the entire history of Andalusia.

The tour begins at the Reception Centre, where the visitor will find all the keys to understanding the historical evolution of the site. On the walls you can stop at the highest part of the city and visit the Republican Lion Gate, where the famous Lion of Cástulo was discovered, the best preserved in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula. In the central area of the plateau do not forget to take a tour of the different archaeological areas and contemplate the spectacular "Mosaic of Love", considered one of the ten greatest discoveries of 2012 by the National Geographic magazine. Also in the same area you can see an important religious building inside which the "Paten of Christ" was discovered, a glass plate from the 4th century with one of the best preserved images of Christ and which is currently on display at the Linares Museum. At the most eastern end of the settlement, you can see the Castle of Santa Eufemia, a fortification that dates back to the Arab period and is also part of the cultural route of the Castles and Battles. 

Archaeological Museum

This museum cannot be understood in its entirety without reference to the Archaeological Site of Cástulo as they are closely related. In fact, an important impulse in the development of the Museum came about when the expropriation of the lands of the former Cástulo was carried out, a process that began in 1968 and concluded in 1972, thus facilitating the research work that had been carried out on these lands since 1958 and from which the most important and numerous part of the collection came.

The route is divided into several floors, a covered courtyard and the basement. Its rooms contain the most important finds from the Castor, including the Ibero-Roman Lion dated in the 1st century BC and the Paten of Christ dated in the 4th century AD.