Castles in Spain

Calatrava la Nueva – Another Less-Discovered Medieval Site Between Córdoba and Consuegra

From Córdoba, we headed towards our next stop, Consuegra (La Mancha region) and the land of Don Quixote (with the windmills!). On the way we decided to take a slight detour and visit Calatrava la Nueva, and of course we were rewarded with an amazing experience. I love exploring less-discovered tourist sights and this definitely ranks among them. Calatrava la Nueva is about 184 km (114 miles) or about 2 hours northeast of Córdoba, roughly about half way between Córdoba and Consuegra.

The location of Calatrava la Nueva is shown in the center of the image above.

Calatrava la Nueva is a hilltop medieval castle and convent complex, with a commanding view of an old route connecting La Mancha and Andalusia regions of Spain. The site takes its name from the Order of Calatrava, a Spanish military order that moved to this strategic location in 1217 and served as their headquarters for nearly 600 years. More information on visiting this site can be found here. Evidence of human activity at this site dates back to the Bronze Age. There was a village here at the time of occupation by the Order of Calatrava, but unfortunately most of those structures were destroyed since they did not have defensive or military value at the time.

Below are images taken during our visit. We had the site to ourselves in March. I apologize for the orange hue to the images, this is not a defect in the images, but rather caused by an overcast orange sky due to a big dust storm blowing across the Mediterranean from the Saharan desert at the time of our visit. Millions of fine dust particles suspended in the air reduced the visibility of the surrounding area greatly.

Exterior views of the Castle – an imposing site.
I love this image showing how the natural rock of the steep hill was incorporated into the foundation and walls of the castle – what a lot of work to get the structure’s foundation solid enough to last 800 years!

13th Century Church

A highlight of visiting Calatrava la Nueva is the Church or Convent, which dates from the 13th Century. On the day of our visit, one could feel the nearly 1,000 years of history here.

The 13th Century Convent with its standout rose window over the entrance.
Interior views of the Convent at Calatrava la Nueva.

Other Views of Calatrava la Nueva

On a clear day the views from the towers of the Castle would be amazing. Even with our weather conditions we could still see the extensiveness of the castle grounds and service shops required to support a large garrison.

Views from the towers of Calatrava la Nueva. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate – windy and clouds full of Saharan dust!
Additional views within the Castle complex.
Another view of the Castle Courtyard.

If you find yourself on a driving tour of Spain in the vicinity of Córdoba, take the time to visit Calatrava la Nueva! There was a ticket office on site. The road up to the castle is a bit bumpy and steep, but shouldn’t be a problem for most regular passenger vehicles.

Fortaleza de la Mota – A Fun Stop Between Granada and Córdoba

Fortaleza de La Mota sits on a hilltop dominating the little town of Alcalá la Real, Spain. This interesting fortress-citadel is less than 60 km (37 miles) northwest of Granada, right on the way to Córdoba. It was one of those fun, unplanned discoveries. The night before we left Granada, I was just browsing the internet to see what interesting sights we might find on our way to Córdoba, and came across this gem! Its origins date back to the 8th century although what remains is largely 13th – 14th centuries and later. Originally a Moorish stronghold, it was the last defensive bastion standing in the way of the reconquest of Granada by the Christians in the 15th century.

Since the day of my visit was so cloudy and rainy, I couldn’t get a good photo of the citadel from the lower town, but these images show what it looks like from a bird’s eye view. The image on the right explains the major defensive fortifications.

Unfortunately the weather on the day of my visit was super windy, rainy and cold. So, I grabbed my umbrella and rain jacket and checked out the fortress on my own while my family stayed warm in the car. I am so glad I made the effort! The entrance to the citadel is not hard to find, just drive uphill by car from the modern town center. There is a little parking area, restrooms and visitors booth where you purchase your ticket before taking steep path up to the fortress.

The pathway into Fortaleza de la Mota. There are signs (in English) describing various sights within the Fortress. On the right the sign explains there was a bakery right there.

A display in the church showing what Fortelaza de la Mota may have looked like in its earlier days.

Once you reach the citadel, there are several things to check out:

Tower of Homage

I welcomed a visit to this tower, which gave me a few minutes respite from the cold wind and rain.

A view of the Tower of Homage in a wind and rain storm!
The Tower of Homage has several exhibits and provides great views of the citadel and on a clear day, the surrounding countryside.

Mayor Abbey Church

While no longer a functioning church, this structure is quite interesting with several displays and large screens in the nave, where the history of the citadel is explained in a short film.

The Mayor Abbey Church.
Views of the exhibits in the church and the nave where the film is shown. As can be seen, numerous graves were excavated beneath the floor.

Citadel Ruins

On the plateau outside the tower and church are numerous ruins of the once prosperous citadel. Sign posts help explain the layout and various activities that occurred there. Around the 18th century, the townspeople left the citadel and began to populate the area below it, which was much better suited to agricultural pursuits and population growth.

You can wander among the foundations of the community and imagine the hustle and bustle of life hundreds of years ago – shop keepers, wine makers, and all kinds of other trades to keep the citadel running smoothly.

Other views of the citadel homes and shops.

We can’t forget that the main purpose of Fortaleza de la Mota was defensive.

On my way back to the car park, I noticed other extensive ruins cascading down the hillside as the weather cleared a bit. However, I don’t think they are open for the tourist.

For a little history on Fortaleza de la Mota check out Wikipedia. If you take the drive between Granada and Córdoba, don’t miss this interesting sight! During my visit, I saw two other tourists – I pretty much had the whole site to myself – of course, the weather probably had something to do with that!