Castillo del Trovador Macías

Arjonilla, Spain, Spain

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Castillo del Trovador Macías in Arjonilla, Jaén province, Spain, originated as an 8th-century Arab fortification possibly from the Almohad era, evolving into a Christian stronghold after the 1244 Castilian conquest under Ferdinand III, with major 13th-15th century reconstructions by the Order of Calatrava. This irregular polygonal enclosure features robust circular corner towers, battlements, a standout 13th-century tower-gate with three wall sections—legendarily the prison of troubadour Macías "el Enamorado," whose tragic romance inspired Lope de Vega's play—and later additions like a 16th-century hermitage and cemetery. Passed among nobles and military orders before 19th-century private restoration, its ruins preserve Jaén's frontier heritage amid olive landscapes.