Castillo de Alcaudete was built by the Arabs over the remains of a previous Roman fortification and taken by the Christians in 1085 during the reign of Alfonso VI. For almost three hundred years thereafter, the castle kept changing hands until 1340 when the Christians took it over.
The design is polygon in shape, adjusted to the terrain escarpments. The structure is surmounted by six towers, including the Tower of Homage, which has a door on the north side, guarded by two additional towers.
Today it has become a tourism-cultural space which houses the Interpretation Centre on the life of the Military Order of Calatrava. Visitors will go back to the 13th century to discover the construction of a castle on the border with the Nasrid Kingdom, the lifestyle and internal structure of the Order, the military armament used for the assault and defence of a fortress.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.