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Castillo de Alfambra

   

In the Muslim period, a fortress was built in this area, which was enlarged and reinforced after its conquest by the Christians. From the 12th to the 17th century, this castle belonged to different military orders such as the Order of Monfragüe, the Order of the Temple and the Order of San Juan.

The strategic value of the castle hill has led to its repeated occupation throughout the ages. After its conquest from the Muslims by Alfonso II in 1169, he donated Alfambra to Count Rodrigo de Sarriá, who granted the town an important charter around 1175. After passing under the control of the Military Order of the Holy Redeemer, Alfambra and its possessions, which included Escorihuela, Orrios and Camañas, were incorporated into the Order of the Temple in 1196. In 1308, after the dissolution of the Templar order, its commander had to surrender to the king, and it became dependent on the Order of Saint John, to which it was linked until 1786.

It has an elongated, narrow ground plan and only the remains of a tower, possibly the keep, with a rectangular ground plan, measuring 14 by 7 metres, and also some sections of the wall that surrounded it. Nowadays, only the keep, located at the northern end, and the cistern are significant, which, despite having lost its perpendicular arches, still has its pointed vault.

In 1956, a monument to the Sacred Heart was erected in the southern part of the castle. At the foot of the castle, on a promontory overlooking the village, are the remains of the medieval church, which had two entrances facing each other.

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