Castle of Blanca: A Twelfth-Century Islamic Fortress in Spain
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 3.9
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Spain
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Taifa Kingdoms, Taifa of Murcia
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page6 sections
History
The Castle of Blanca is a twelfth-century Islamic fortress in Blanca, Spain, attributed to the Murcian emir Muhammad ibn Mardanis, known as the Wolf King. As a ḥiṣn, or fortified stronghold in the medieval Islamic military landscape, it dominated the settlement and the communication route through the Ricote Valley between Ḥiṣn Mulīna, present-day Molina de Segura, and Madinat Siyāsa, present-day Cieza.
Islamic Foundation and Enlargement
The fortress was enlarged during the thirteenth century amid the rebellion of Ibn Hud, an Andalusi Muslim ruler who rose against Almohad rule. The Almohads were a North African Islamic dynasty that governed much of al-Andalus during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Castilian and Aragonese Rule
After the Castilian conquest, the castle and settlement were transferred to the Order of Santiago in 1281. This medieval military-religious order held territories and fortified sites across the Iberian Peninsula. During James II of Aragon’s invasion of the Kingdom of Murcia from 1296 to 1304, the castle and settlement were granted to Bernardo de Sarriá, a nobleman and military figure of the Crown of Aragon. After the brief Aragonese occupation, the fortress returned to the Order of Santiago.
The Siege of 1448 and Later Decline
In 1448, troops supporting Rodrigo Manrique besieged the castle during his conflict with Álvaro de Luna over the office of Grand Master of Santiago, the senior position in the military-religious order. The garrison surrendered after its water supply became critical. The castle later lost importance following the pacification that came after the conquest of Granada, and its decline deepened after the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609. The high cost of maintaining the building contributed to its abandonment.
The Castle of Blanca was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest on 7 August 1997.
Remains
Surviving Fortress Structures
At an altitude of 223 metres above sea level, the castle survives as three standing towers linked by two curtain walls. A curtain wall is a defensive wall connecting towers or other fortified structures. The towers and walls were built with tapial, a rammed construction technique in which lime mortar and stone were compacted inside formwork to create solid walls. Beam holes remain visible in the towers. These construction sockets held the beams used while the fortress was being built. According to the historian Serafín Alonso, the towers reached about 12 metres in height and may have included two architectural sections, battlemented terraces, and loopholes, which are narrow openings designed for defensive weapons.
