Villalba de los Barros Castle: A Medieval Fortress in Spain
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Spain
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Almohad, Crown of Castile
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page10 sections
History
Villalba de los Barros Castle is a defensive fortress in Spain whose present origins are associated with the fifteenth century. Its foundations incorporate an earlier Almohad fortress, probably built during the final phase of Almohad rule, when this North African Islamic dynasty controlled parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
Settlement and Early Fortifications
The settlement developed from a small early community called Don Falcón, later known as Puebla de Don Falcón. At the end of the thirteenth century, Sancho IV, king of Castile and León, granted his chief chamberlain, Admiral Juan Mathé de Luna, the privilege of populating the settlement with 50 residents and raising it to villa status. In medieval Castile, a villa was a legally recognized settlement with municipal privileges.
The fortress existed before 1400. Enrique III, another king of Castile and León, authorized Gómez I Suárez de Figueroa, the first Lord of Feria, to strengthen it. This authorization indicates that an earlier castle was already standing. The site had previously been associated with the Enríquez family.
The Lords of Feria
In 1395, Lorenzo I Suárez de Figueroa, master of the military Order of Santiago, acquired the town, its territory, and its castle for 100,000 maravedís, a medieval Iberian monetary unit. He incorporated them into the Lordship of Feria, which then included Zafra, Feria, and La Parra.
The fortress was reconstructed in the late fourteenth century over the earlier Arabic-period castle. During the mid-fifteenth century, Lorenzo II Suárez de Figueroa carried out further defensive improvements, including work on the outer barrier. These successive phases shaped the castle that survives today.
Decline and Heritage Status
From the eighteenth century, the castle was no longer maintained and became a refuge for passers-by and vagrants. Looting and misuse caused serious deterioration. During an inspection in 1748, Governor Gil de Tejada recorded its poor condition.
In 2026, the castle was declared a Property of Cultural Interest in the category of Archaeological Zone.
Remains
Fortress Enclosure
Walls and Towers
The castle stands on the summit of a hill about 306 metres above sea level, overlooking Villalba de los Barros and its surroundings. Its main enclosure is quadrangular, with cylindrical towers at the corners. Semicylindrical towers or projecting bastions extend from three curtain walls, while the fourth is occupied by the large Tower of Homage, whose outer face also has a semicylindrical projection.
The lower foundations beneath the lower parts of the curtain walls are made of stone and masonry and belong to the earlier fortress. That Almohad construction used rammed earth, a building material characteristic of Islamic structures of the period. The surviving walls are described as being in good condition.
Interior Arrangement
Inside the enclosure, four ranges of rooms were arranged around a central courtyard. The ground floor had brick paving in areas intended for pedestrians, while zones subject to heavier movement by horses used a combination of brick and stone.
Rooms and Construction Details
The first floor contained rooms decorated with fresco paintings, some of which remain visible. The castle also retains Mudéjar details, a Christian-period architectural tradition in Iberia that incorporates Islamic-derived forms, materials, or building techniques. Its windows include brick framing.
The roofs were formed with brick groin vaults, meaning intersecting curved vaults, filled with lime mortar and stone. Their outer surfaces were finished to protect the structure from damp.
Tower of Homage
The Tower of Homage, the principal and usually strongest tower of a medieval castle, is rectangular in plan and rises above the rest of the fortress. It has three storeys and contains barrel vaults. A stone slab bearing an inscription was installed on the defensive wall-walk above the main entrance.
