Castle of Xiquena: An Islamic-Origin Fortress in Spain
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.7
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Spain
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Nasrid
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
History
The Castle of Xiquena is a fortress of Islamic origin in Spain, located in Fontanares, a district of the municipality of Lorca in Murcia. Its construction belongs broadly to the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, during the period when Islamic and Christian powers contested territory in the Iberian Peninsula.
The origin of the name Xiquena remains uncertain. Many writers connect it with the Arabic forms Gikena or Gehenna, understood as meaning “hell,” while another explanation links the name to a Roman estate in the surrounding area.
In 1433, the fortress was taken by the Crown of Castile, the medieval and early-modern Castilian monarchy that expanded its territory during the Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The castle is now an Asset of Cultural Interest, Spain’s formal legal category for protected heritage sites and monuments. Progressive deterioration has also placed it on the Red List of heritage at risk.
Remains
The castle occupies a small hill near the Corneros River. Its surviving layout is irregular, and it is among the castles in the municipality of Lorca with the fewest remains. The elevated position provides views toward the castles of Tirieza, Puentes, Vélez Rubio, and Vélez-Blanco.
