Biar Castle

Biar, Spain

The Castle of Biar stands on a hillock overlooking the town of Biar. During the Muslim rule had already news but few of the fortress, which began to be relevant to the time of James I of Aragon, remain as border castle under the Treaty of Almizra. The building lost its role during the early modern period and, although rarely used, after was used as a cemetery.

The castle was built in stone with masonry and rammed earth, which was used for the tower of homage. The building consists of two parts. On the one hand, a semicircular enclosure with four towers at the corners thereof, and on the other, a space with four cubic structures and the tower of homage. These towers and other structures are the basic defenses of the castle, and its position high on a rocky hill, the proliferation of small openings in its walls and battlements auction.

The tower of homage is the highlight of the architectural complex. Dating from the 12th century, the tower, situated on one side, was built with mortar mixture of sand and lime and reaches a height of 19 metres. Its plan is square shaped and has three floors, acquiring such an enormous importance. On the lower floor is used the called barrel vault and the other levels, second and third, use the Almohad ribbed vault which, together with those of the neighboring Castle of Villena, are among the oldest in Spain and throughout the Maghreb, as well as the only used in a military building in the Iberian Peninsula.

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Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

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4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Mark Auchincloss (4 months ago)
Definitely worth a visit as it only costs 1€ and Javier will give you an excellent summary, in Spanish, about its history which dates back to the Moorish period of the 12th Century. There are interactive projected displays on two floors of the Homage Tower albeit in Spanish only. The Castle's location has always been of strategic importance between Valencia and Murcia.
Nacho Kelly (5 months ago)
Closed for renovations unfortunately, but great views and a very impressive walk up to the main gate.
Jackie Lyons (6 months ago)
Looks great from the outside but it wasn't open when we were there having work done on it. Still lovely to walk up to get the views
Justyna J. (2 years ago)
Amazing place! We love it! Entrance to the castle is only 1€!!! Totally worth it to goo all the way up and see the panoramic views. Only one thing what we didn't like that the landscape was destroyed by the industrial buildings
F. Carratala Marco (3 years ago)
Very nice restoration and friendly concierge. Fantastic views from the top of the main tower.
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