In 888, in view of the growing rebellion against the Umayyad government, Emir Abd Allah gave an order for the fortifications at Aryuna (Arjona) and Anduyyar (Andújar) to be urgently expanded. In Anduyyar, these measures involved enlarging and consolidating the existing defences, which at the time consisted of an old Roman fortress.

Anduyyar would have been a hisn, a generic Arabic term meaning a place with defensive capabilities. The hisn was located at the highest and most strategic point in what is now Andújar’s historic town centre, and comprised a walled enclosure constructed from rammed earth and mortar, crowned by solid towers and defended by a moat. Although the emirate- and caliphate-era wall has almost entirely disappeared, some remnants have been identified, such as a trapezoid-shaped tower discovered between Calle San Francisco and Calle Juan Robledo next to a detached tower from the Almohad era.

Archaeological excavations have also revealed the existence of an early alcázar or castle from the 11th century, which would have protected and stood guard over one of the town’s main access points. It was replaced during the second half of the 12th century by a new alcázar located on the north side of the town of Anduyyar. Inside the grounds there was an open area that served as the bailey, and within it a rectangular building that housed kitchens and storage rooms. This structure was badly damaged by the major earthquake that struck Anduyyar in 1170.

Between the 11th and 13th centuries, this early settlement underwent significant transformation in order to repair the widespread damage caused by the earthquake, as well as to protect the town against incursions by Christian armies and the internal conflicts that beset al-Andalus.

Extensive arrabals (suburbs) sprang up around the centre of the old walled town, created by people fleeing from the areas conquered by the Christians and by local peasant communities seeking refuge in the town. This expansion made it necessary to build a new perimeter wall encircling both the medina (old quarter) and the arrabals. The new enclosure, which was almost twice the size of the old one, was constructed from tightly packed rammed earth around a frame of wooden beams. It had four large, octagonal towers to defend its corners, an alcázar adjoining the north wall and numerous detached towers (both square-shaped and octagonal). In total, this extensive perimeter fortification, which was also defended by a moat or ditch, boasted 45 towers and numerous fortified gateways. On the west and south-west sides of the enclosure there may also have been an outer wall at the foot of the slope. 

The new alcázar was built on the north side of the enclosure and although little of this structure remains, there are some photographic records of its existence. In 1657, it consisted of four towers connected by curtain walls, a barbican, a moat and a counter pit. One of these towers served as the keep.

On either side of the alcázar, in the sections of wall connecting it to the walled enclosure surrounding the town, there were two gateways: the larger of the two was known as the Arco Grande, while the smaller was called the Arco Chico. 

After the Christian conquest, a series of alterations was made between the 13th and 15th centuries, chiefly consisting of the application of masonry cladding to the main defensive structures of the complex, including the towers and gateways.

In 1605, King Philip III gave the alcázar to Alonso Serrano Piédrola, who renovated its interior and converted it into a palatial residence or stately home.

The origins of the town of Andújar may lie in a small Roman settlement that incorporated a small tower or defensive enclosure to stand guard over the River Guadalquivir, the main waterway in the province of Baetica. The strategic importance of the settlement grew following the construction of an important bridge during the time of the Roman Republic.

Towards the end of the 9th century, in 888, in view of the growing rebellion against the Umayyad government, Emir Abd Allah ordered the governor of the kura to strengthen the fortifications of Aryuna and Anduyyar. Built in the area’s main defensive and strategic centre, its population grew, and it became one of the iqlims (administrative districts) of the kura of Yayyan (Jaén) and one of the foremost towns in the Campiña region.

Between the 12th and 13th centuries, the Almohads completely transformed Andújar’s defences, especially following the widespread damage caused by the earthquake of 1170 that devastated the town.

After the arrival of the Christians in 1225, Andújar became a strategic location near the border with the Nasrid kingdom of Granada and played a vital role in the campaigns of Castilian expansion into the Upper Guadalquivir region.

In 1605, King Philip III gave the town’s alcázar or castle to Alonso Serrano Piédrola, appointing him as its governor in perpetuity, where he took up residence and was also made a caballero veinticuatro (broadly equivalent to alderman) of the town.

During the early modern period, the castle lost its military function and the town walls were only used for tax-collecting purposes and to protect the population against outbreaks of plague. Maintenance of the walls, towers and gateways was reduced to an absolute minimum. In 1839, during the Carlist Wars, Andújar was taken by the troops commanded by Choclán, after which the castle fell into disrepair.

Over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, the area around the castle became home to numerous commercial buildings, while the town walls and towers became hidden from view amongst residential buildings or were simply demolished. In early 1934 the castle was pulled down, and during the second half of the 20th century many of the towers and a large part of the town walls suffered the same fate.

LEGENDS

“The Legend of Egilona and Abdelazis”. After the death of King Rodrigo (the last Visigothic ruler), Abdelazis, the son of the great conqueror Musa, was sent by Tarik to find Rodrigo’s widow, who he intercepted on the road to Toledo. The story goes that Abdelazis renounced his Muslim faith in order to marry the Christian Egilona, and they sought refuge in the old Muslim alcázar located in the area now known as Altozano del Alcázar in the town of Andújar. 

However, Abdelazis was summoned by the caliph to an assembly of noblemen in Seville, where he was betrayed and decapitated in front of his father. Egilona died weeping for her lost love within the walls of the alcázar of Andújar.