The Knights from the Order of Santiago built the Hornos Castle between the late 13th century and early 14th century. They built iton top of an old Arab defensive structure in a strategic location, on one of the roads between the mountain chains of Cazorla and Segura.
Hornos Castle is made up of a defensive site with an outdoor enclosure in the shape of a trapezoid. We can find a large keep, a well right in the parade ground and remains of three turrets.
The keep is 9 metres tall and it has a square base. It was built using masonry with rounded corners, and this feature makes it less vulnerable to the effects of weapons.
The enclosure was also built in masonry. The Almohads builtthree slim towers with small bases,the towers are reinforced with a lining of masonry. Inside the enclosure we find a well of Arab origin.
These days in the Castle we find the Cosmolarium, an astronomical centre and planetarium where films are shown.
The Muslims founded Hornos fortress in the 9th century, and many of its remains such as the well in the parade ground and the three towers date from the Almohad period.
Don Pedro Pérez Pelayo Correa, grand master of the Order of Santiago, conquered Hornos in 1239. Thus, the town was attached to the Encomienda de Segura de la Sierra (a vast territory that belonged to the Order of Santiago).
During the 15th century, the towns of Hornos and Segura de la Sierra played adecisiverole in the political ambitions of the Manrique family who confrontedKing John II and King Henry IV.
Hornos remained part of the territory ruled by the Order of Santiago during the Modern Era, although between 1507 and 1748 the town belonged to the Kingdom of Murcia.
References:Stobi was an ancient town of Paeonia located near Gradsko. It is considered by many to be the most famous archaeological site in North Macedonia. Stobi was built where the Erigon (Crna River) joins the Axios (Vardar), making it strategically important as a center for both trade and warfare.
Stobi developed from a Paeonian settlement established in the Archaic period. It is believed that in 217 BCE, Philip V annexed Paionia during his campaign against the Dardani who had entered Bylazora, the largest Paeonian town.
The city was first mentioned in writing by the historian Livy, in connection with a victory of Philip V of Macedon over the Dardani in 197 BC. In 168 BC, the Romans defeated Perseus and Macedonia was divided into four nominally independent republics. In 148 BC, the four areas of Macedonia were brought together in a unified Roman province. In the reign of Augustus the city grew in size and population.