Belalcázar Castle

Few silhouettes in the north of the province of Córdoba can be recognised from as far away as that of Belalcázar Castle. Its keep rises to a height of 47 metres, a figure that makes it the tallest castle on the entire Iberian Peninsula and reason enough to make the detour to this town. The fortress stands on a small hillock beside the village, a strategic position from which it commanded the surrounding territory.

Those who approach its walls will also come across traces of the place's former names. The castle is likewise known as Gahete Castle or Gafiq Castle, the names by which the town was once called, a reminder that this land had a long history before it took on its present name.

Construction began in the second half of the 15th century and follows the Gothic military style typical of the period, designed first and foremost for defence. Yet the building was more than just a stronghold: for many years it served as the residence of the Counts of Belalcázar, and this domestic role ended up transforming it. In the 16th century the complex was enlarged and a Renaissance palace was added, so that the austerity of the medieval fortress sits alongside a more refined architectural language. The keep itself, in Renaissance style, is the finest example of this blend.

This layering of eras is what makes a visit so rewarding: within a single enclosure you can read the shift from warfare to the courtly life of the nobility. Its value was officially recognised in 1985, when the monumental complex was declared a Site of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural).