The Castle (Exterior)

Published on 02/06/2014

Jaén (Comarca Metropolitana de Jaén)

Monuments, Castles and Fortresses

Santa Catalina Castle rises on the hill of the same name, about 820 metres up, dominating the whole city.
The first defences on the Santa Catalina hill date from Iberian times. From the 8th century on, the Muslims rebuilt the fortification and enlarged it several times.
Remains of the Arab wall that ringed the city still survive. Many gates now gone are documented, such as the Puerta de Martos, the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de Granada, among others.
The Castle as we see it today is Christian. After Ferdinand III conquered the city in 1246, several alterations gave rise to the New Alcázar and the keep.
The Castle is one of the emblems of Jaén, and this is the first of the three articles Lugares Míticos de Jaén devotes to it.

More about this place…

On the Santa Catalina hill, the Castle dominates the city from more than 800 metres up. A symbol of identity for everyone in Jaén, this fortification, whose present form dates from Christian times, has its origins in Iberian fortifications that stood on the hill. With the keep recently restored, the Castle has reopened, letting us enjoy a lovely guided tour through all its centuries of history.