On the site of the castle, archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of a hisn or defensive enclosure dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries. In turn, this hisn made use of defensive elements built during the Ibero-Roman period. Evidence has been found of several sections of wall and a tower of considerable size dating back to this early period, in the south-east corner of the site on a rocky spur at the top of the hill. 

However, it was during the Almoravid and Almohad eras that the enclosure surrounding the early settlement was extended and strengthened, and a new ring of walls was built to extend the existing fortifications across almost the entire hilltop. This extended enclosure, which is accessed from the east side, has survived to the present day, although it was significantly altered during the period of Christian control. While the walls were being extended and strengthened, an alcázar was built at the west end of the enclosure on the hill’s highest point. Materials from the Ibero-Roman defences were reused and the castle’s rectangular layout was adapted in line with the terrain. However, only a few sections of the alcázar’s walls remain, along with part of a cistern.

After the Castilian conquest, Ferdinand III granted the feudal estate of La Guardia to the Ruiz de Baeza family, which began to strengthen the castle’s defences in view of its proximity to the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.

The gateway to the interior of the site remained on the east side, although it was converted into a bent-entrance system that sat within a spacious rectangular structure, providing access to the inner areas of the large defensive enclosure, of which there are almost no remains. A chapel was also built, consisting of just a single nave and a chevet, which made use of the internal structure of the only turret in the original defensive enclosure.

The most extensive alterations were made to the Muslim alcázar, the appearance of which was completely transformed. The original structure was converted into a rectangular castle with towers at each corner, the largest of which served as the keep. The bailey had two distinct areas: one contained the new, larger cistern (which reused the materials from the old Muslim cistern), while the other was an open space that provided access to the castle’s towers. Two pre-existing towers in the eastern part of the site, one of which was square and the other circular, were extended and had new rooms added on top. Openings were made in the first storey of the circular tower in order to facilitate communication with the other towers via the parapets.

After the Castilian Civil War of the 14th century, La Guardia passed into the hands of the Mexía family and the castle became a noble residence. This brought major alterations to the medieval building, which was remodelled to make it more palatial.

The chapel was enlarged to become the Church of Santa María, a rectangular building with three naves and a semi-circular apse. It was built from large ashlars cemented together with lime mortar. During the 16th century, a bell tower was erected between the apse and the entrance to the castle grounds. Standing three storeys tall, it has a roof of overlapping glazed ceramic tiles in a “fish scale” layout of various colours including blue, green and white.

Adjoining the east wall and arranged in a north-south direction, a number of buildings were added in order to provide service areas. They incorporated basement rooms used as wine cellars, above which were the kitchens and storage rooms.

Midway through the 15th century the castle’s main entrance was converted into a Gothic-style façade of dressed stone, consisting of two segmental arches that converge at a central moulding, supported by jambs in the shape of half-columns. Presiding over the façade are the coats of arms of the Messía-Guzmán family and the Marquess of Algaba.

The Christian-era alcázar also underwent major modifications in order to convert it into a palatial residence. To this end, the keep’s windows and entrances were enlarged and new ones added, with a view to projecting a sense of power. The rectangular tower was converted into a kitchen, while the square-shaped tower became a living space. The bailey was made significantly smaller and one of the cisterns was blocked off. Lastly, at the north end of the site a new building was added, with a basement level to serve as a wine cellar and storage room. The upper level served as a connecting space providing access to the square-shaped tower and the keep. 

Although some small modifications were made between the 17th and 19th centuries, the castle complex fell into disuse and its condition gradually deteriorated. As a result, in 1860 the old Dominican convent building became the main place of worship for the parish. Since the mid-20th century there have been a number of projects designed to revitalise the castle and highlight the importance of the site, in line with a generally appropriate set of criteria.

The area around La Guardia has been occupied since prehistoric times, as evidenced by the discovery of a burial mound and many stone and ceramic remains.

During the Iberian period, La Guardia was the site of an oppidum known as Mentesa Bastia, whose significance is illustrated by the necropolis of Ejido de las Eras de San Sebastián, where nearly 30 tombs of different types (including graves carved into the rock, as well as cists and chambers containing ceramic cremation urns and grave goods) have been studied.

After the arrival of the Romans, the settlement entered its heyday: it oversaw the area’s agricultural operations and served as a checkpoint for the provision of tribute from surplus production, as it was an obligatory stop along the Roman road from Acci (Guadix) to Cástulo and Aurgi (Jaén). The town expanded beyond the limits of the Iberian enclosure, spreading along the eastern side of the slope towards the river; indeed, many traces of this expansion and occupation have been found throughout modern-day La Guardia. The process of expansion continued under Visigothic rule, during which the town became a bishopric and was part of the province of Carthaginensis. 

In the 8th and 9th centuries, Mantisa became the capital of the kura of Yayyan and references were made to the impregnability of its defences, as well as its strategic location overlooking much of Jaén’s Campiña region and the routes of communication between the Guadalquivir Valley and the region of Granada. The area came under the control of the Uqaylids, an Arab tribe whose members included Husayn ibn al-Dayn al-Uqayli who was the leader of the yund (military division) of Qinnasrin and was appointed governor of the kura by Abd al-Rahman I. 

When the emirate entered a state of crisis, rural areas became unstable, which prompted the central authority to strengthen the defences of many settlements, not only in order to centralise and protect the local peasantry, but also to facilitate tax collection. This may have led to the fortification of La Guardia, whose walls may have been constructed by the Uqaylids in order to ensure the payment of taxes levied on the proceeds of the harvests.

The Almoravids and Almohads also attempted to halt the advance of the Christian conquerors by shoring up the defences of the towns under their control, including La Guardia. The most important defensive structures were built between the 11th and 13th centuries, including a new ring of walls that expanded the old fortified enclosure across much of the hilltop and encircled the town. An alcázar was also constructed at the west end.

Following its conquest by the Castilians in 1244, Ferdinand III granted the feudal state of La Guardia to the Ruiz de Baeza family. The castle subsequently underwent major renovations and alterations in view of its proximity to the kingdom of Granada, and became a fortified outpost of Jaén.

In the 14th century, La Guardia became part of a feudal estate belonging to Ferdinand’s wife Joan of Ponthieu. During the civil war between Henry II and Peter I, the Lord of La Guardia, Lope Díaz de Baena, remained loyal to the king; consequently, when the war ended he was stripped of his landholding, which was given to Pedro Ruiz de Torres. La Guardia subsequently changed hands on various occasions until in 1374 it was granted to Ruy González Messía, whose family converted the castle into a residential palace between the 15th and 16th centuries. 

LEGENDS:

“The Princess of La Guardia”. After the castle was conquered by the Christians, but before it passed into the hands of the Marquess of Messía, La Guardia belonged to a king who became notorious for his cruelty and despotism. The king had a daughter, who fell hopelessly in love with a humble soldier in the royal guard; the two of them would meet in secret on a path that led to the vegetable gardens next to the castle walls. However, when the king learned of the relationship, he ordered that the young soldier be put to death. The grief-stricken princess threw herself from the tower of the alcazaba.

The king, whether through grief or spite, put all of the princess’ possessions into a chest and buried it near the path where the two young people used to walk at night. According to the legend, there is a curse that prevents the couple from being reunited in the afterlife while the chest remains buried. For this reason, the ghost of the princess still haunts the path, hoping that someone will find the chest and release her from the evil spell.