Castillo de Vilches

Vilches, Spain, Spain

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Castillo de Vilches in Vilches, Jaén province, Spain, occupies the Cerro de la Virgen hilltop with roots in Iberian and Roman times as the settlement of Babila, later fortified by Arabs in the 8th century as a refuge castle called Bily to protect local farmhouses. Following the pivotal 1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, Alfonso VIII, Peter II of Aragón, and Sancho VII of Navarra conquered it, establishing it under Baeza's jurisdiction as a key Christian outpost overlooking the Guadalén and Guarrizas valleys toward Giribaile Castle. Today its ruins feature remnants like the "Cubo de la Villa" turret, a vaulted access tunnel, the displaced "el niño dormido" tower, and an 18th-century Chapel of the Virgin del Castillo, preserved amid sweeping views of the strategic borderlands.