El Berrueco Castle stands on a rocky outcrop at a height of just over 400 m, on the south-east slope of Cerro de San Antón (434.77 m). The original Muslim structure consisted of a simple fort built on a foundation of irregular masonry, which was adapted in line with the terrain and topped with a wall of rammed earth and mortar. The fort was designed to keep watch over an important crossroads and provide refuge for the peasant communities that lived nearby.

Following the Castilian conquest, the site underwent major renovations: a fortress was constructed from irregular masonry with a mortar of lime and sand, strengthened with ashlars at the corners and equipped with new defensive features. The earliest written reference to the castle dates back to 1251.

Part of El Berrueco’s parapet still remains, along with some of the loopholes and pyramid-capped merlons that crowned the walls and towers. The remains of three machiolations supported by stone corbels are still visible on the north wall. As the castle’s layout follows the topography of the land on which it was built, a wall was constructed inside the castle between the south and north towers in order to create two distinct enclosures or sections.

- Upper section: almost flat and roughly triangular, crowned by towers at its three corners. The north tower is the only rectangular one, and contains a room (accessed via the parapet on the west wall) with a plastered half-barrel vaulted ceiling. The south tower is circular and only contains one room, which also has a raised entrance, although in this case it is accessed via the rocky outcrops that define the south-east flank of the castle. Lastly, the circular west tower has two floors, both of which contain rooms. The lower floor is accessed via the bailey and was used for storage, while the upper floor is connected to the parapet and was used as a lookout platform. The rooms in these two towers have semi-circular brick vaulted ceilings. 

This section of the castle contained areas used for the garrison’s everyday activities, such as a kitchen, dormitory, hall, storage room, etc.

- Lower section: enclosed by a wall with a zig-zag layout that follows the terrain of the rocky outcrop, with a marked eastward slope. This part of the castle has no towers. The north wall housed the entrance, which was accessed via a ramp and protected by a buttress. 

In view of the castle’s ruined and abandoned state, over the years a number of urgent works have been carried out in order to secure the structure.

This particular location within the Campiña region has been home to many settlements throughout history, as a number of major routes of communication pass through it. In the Iberian period (7th and 6th centuries BC) a number of oppida (fortified settlements) were established, such as those at Cerro Villargordo, El Torrejón and Cerro Miguelico. Initially, this organisational structure was maintained by the Romans. During the imperial period (1st to 3rd centuries AD), the area was occupied by farmsteads known as villae, traces of which still remain at La Divina, La Muña, San Antón, Casa Fuerte and El Castil. 

In the Islamic period, the old tracks became important routes of communication between the towns of Yayyan (Jaén), Martus (Martos) and Aryuna (Arjona). As the area was border territory, a number of small rural fortresses were built in order to protect strategic points along these routes, and to provide a place of refuge for their local populations. El Berrueco Castle was one of the main strongholds controlling access to Jaén, and formed part of an enormous network of watchtowers and fortifications along with those at El Término, La Muña, Torre Olvidada, Casa Fuerte, El Castil de La Peña, La Aldehuela, Las Torrecillas, Fuerte del Rey, Torredelcampo, and others. 

After the region was conquered by the Christians, El Berrueco came under the control of the Council of Jaén. As the Campiña region still occupied a strategic position on the border with the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, the defences of the territories surrounding Jaén were redesigned and strengthened.

During the 15th century, the clashes and conflicts that characterised the latter part of the reign of Henry IV of Castile ensured that the area remained unstable. The Constable of Castile, Miguel Lucas de Iranzo, was loyal to the king, while the town of Martos was controlled by the Order of Calatrava and supported the rebel faction. Although its defences had been strengthened, El Berrueco fell into the hands of Pedro Girón, Master of the Order of Calatrava, and only returned to the control of the Council of Jaén in 1466 after Girón’s death. The castle went on to play a more significant role in the conflict after the rebels occupied Torredelcampo and Fuerte del Rey, and remained key until the hostilities ceased.

From then on, the castle gradually lost its military function, while the neighbouring village, which had pastures and a public fountain, shrank in size until, by the 16th century, it comprised just a single farmhouse. The area retained a small population until the middle of the 20th century, when it briefly blossomed once again thanks to the restoration of the old Shrine of San Antón and the construction of a small school, which today lies in ruins.

LEGENDS

A medieval chronicle tells of how Pedro Girón, Master of the Order of Calatrava, wished to marry the crown princess of Castile, the future Queen Isabella I, when she was still a teenager. King Henry IV, the princess’s stepbrother, approved the match even though Pedro was twice Isabella’s age. On their way to the wedding, Pedro and his retinue spent the night at El Berrueco Castle. That night, a large flock of storks circled above the castle for hours, before flying off towards Castile. For the doomsayers, this was a bad omen. At daybreak, the group continued their journey and a few days later made camp at Villarrubia, near Ciudad Real. After dinner, Pedro went to bed; and in the morning, he was found dead. According to the chronicle, he died of a form of tonsillitis known as esquinencia.